Post History

Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/20596
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/20596
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

The key to good tech writing is not style. Style helps with clarity, and that is useful, but it is not enough. They key is to present the right information to enable a particular user, with a particular background and set of skills, to complete a task. The goal is correct action, not necessarily understanding.

Too much information is almost as bad as not enough. At best it slows the reader down. At worst it saps their confidence. If they can't see the relevance of the information to their task, they begin to worry that they don't understand the task or the information.

The best way to learn to be a good tech writer, therefore, is to figure out what information people do and do not need. There are several ways to do this.

One it to do the task yourself and carefully note what information is needed -- particularly noting when you already know something that your target audience may not.

Another is to observe actual users, but this can be expensive.

A third is to study forums that cover products like yours and see what kinds of questions people ask and what kinds information they need before they are able to successfully solve their problem.

Original score: 3