What is 'technical' writing?

1. 84

   TFScientistposted 12 years ago

   What is 'technical' writing?
   
   What is the style like? Examples are always helpful. Where are the best places to publish? What are your tips for writing technical pieces?

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2. 59

   R W Bobholzposted 12 years ago

   Technical writing is best analogized to how-to guides. Your instruction manuals for anything you've ever bought falls into technical writing. If you describe a process, you're doing technical writing.
   
   Best tips I found for technical writing: (1) Make every sentence worthwhile. It should add value. (2) Headings, always have them for ease of reading, (3) Proper structure: Intro, umbrella paragraph (process overview), steps, sub steps and clarifications, and conclusion. (4) Include citations, graphs and resources for better understanding.

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3. 60

   sarscottposted 12 years ago

   As a former grant writer, I have done hundreds of technical documents and the best advice I can give you is to write factually, but avoid sounding stiff. Just as with fiction writing, always think of your audience, so try to make your writing have a pleasant flow. With all technical writing, make sure your writing is clear, concise and as jargon-free as possible. As to finding the best places to publish, go to one of the  publisher databases and do a search for whatever subject you plan to write about. Academic publishers are a good place to start, but again, it does depend on your subject.

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4. 59

   crickette_wposted 12 years ago

   The style of technical writing would be factual, easy to understand, have a flow to it, and possibly in the form of list to be followed.
   Technical writing is an informative writing. How to do something, how something works, how you put something together and etc.
   Examples of technical writings can be found in almost everything we do.  When deciding on doing a technical writing, keep in mind, you know what you are talking about, and the reader doesn't.  You should keep it simple to follow and have no ommisions. Calling it technical writing is almost a misconception, you need to be the least technical and down to earth as possible.  For example, I refinish furniture.  During the sanding process if I ommit the fact that you should use long strokes not circular motions, the piece of furniture is ruined.  I know this because I have done it so many times, but the reader, probably refinishing for first time, wouldn't know this.
   I would imagine publishing your technical writings on the Hubpages is a great place.  I have often put in the tool bar of my computer something I need help with, and postings off the hubpages come up.  As for specific venues for what you are writing on, not sure.  Would think that would be topic specific, probably thousands of places.
   My tips would be simply, step by step, don't skip around, make it very understandable by even your simplest reader and definately have fun...

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5. 60

   kingkosposted 12 years ago

   Technical writing,
   a form of technical communication,
   is a style of formal writing and is used in fields as diverse as computer hardware and software, chemistry, the aerospace industry, robotics, finance, consumer electronics, and biotechnology. Technical writers explain technology and related ideas, to technical and nontechnical audiences. As examples, this could mean telling a programmer how to use a software library, or telling a consumer how to operate a television remote control.
   
   try to openstudy to test your work

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