Practicality cuts through when all of education is lost.

Part of being a Technical writer involves focus and a stern commitment to a common goal. The business value is multiplied through shared communication on many different channels. From telling the necessity of a user manual, advice for a process upgrade in a software to a simple storage hack.

The three important values of an instructional writer in a nutshell, especially the in the Technical writing field are the following:  Enthusiasm, Interest and Familiarity (Being able to translate and operate things yourself). The values are interrelated.

Enthusiasm is about being able to bring grace under pressure. Sometimes things go rough that when a writer is exposed in a field of blurry information, the positive attitude shines forward. Aided with simple and witty conversations, interviews and creative approach, the tasks are crossed and the goals are achieved.

Interest happens within when details needed to perform writing work are enough. (Not necessarily complete or perfect.)  Seeing things in puzzles, waiting for a solution. Arrangement of details from the ground up, the labeling of red and green and the appreciation of feedback are all equally important.

Familiarity acts like a glue that binds the traits together.  It means being able to do things or try your reports yourself. Immersion about the technology is cool, but the best kind of reports comes from a first-hand and doable practice. (Write about the code and design when you do it yourself, Write about food when you can eat or cook. Write about travel when you personally visited a tourist spot.)

In short, the fun and creative approach of the writer starts together with their inclination of a subject matter (Business Development Process, Best Practices, Error Logs, Performance variances, etc.)  Hence, the familiarity with a particular technology or a tool is required.

 

P.S.

Beware on Religion of tools or Religion of Way. You may be accustomed to use MS Word, Dr. Explain, Adobe RoboHelp or anything(like me, Emacs), but discourage the point to evangelize or insist your practices to others because we are all different.

Boost of energies, with the right stance. Striking a balance with making the right choices. Once you go drop the dice, you just can’t help but stare.  You can’t control luck, but you can move the chances of odds.

Writing is about being reckless. Scribbling out in abandon, dropping pretenses, mixing possibilities and limitations.