In this blog, I’ve given considerable space to creative writing and business writing, so let’s give a nod to those who write for factual, technical, financial or scientific purposes. You know, the people who compile survey questions and research reports… those who produce manuals, indexes, white papers, and style guides… those who draft proposals, contracts, rules and disclaimers… those certified to use industry terms with intelligence.
Truth is, like many, when I want the facts I don’t want to know how anyone feels. I don’t want to be given a sales pitch. I don’t want to search for salient findings. So give me the data. Put it in short pithy sentences. Bullet points. Infographics. Sound bites. And summarize to save time. Those actions all take a different kind of writing finesse.
Trying to understand that skill set, I talked to a tech writer/documentation manager recently, hoping to distill some guidelines that I could share. You could just “see” the wheels turning as I asked what typifies technical writing – because clearly a tech writer is not impulsive or indulgent. My friend thought a while and said:
- It’s all about “how” – how something works, how it is used, how it can be fixed
- You have to think about the different audiences who might interact with the product or service: buyers, installers, consumers, end users
- Copy is direct and succinct, void of emotion and parsed for simplicity
- There is no bias or perspective – basically there is no voice, certainly no “first person”
- The information has to be technically accurate to maintain credibility
- You have to anticipate delivery of the message, taking into consideration the channels of deployment and how the information will be received
- At the core of tech writing is solid communication – some of those same skills we learned in J School or in a good English class
- Technical illustration might enhance the text, but that, too, must adhere to the standards and styles put in place at the outset
In joking with my buddy, I said, “What if I describe a can opener as I know it and you can describe it technically? ” I then offered a flip description: “It’s one of those kitchen gadgets that lives in the junk drawer. You could have two, but there’s never one in the picnic cooler. Mine had red rubber handles with a doohickey on top that turns a wheel that never quite engages with the lip of the can, so tuna juice spills all over the counter. And oh, yeh, there’s an electric version, too. “
I don’t think my friend was amused because he said, “It’s not as simple as it seems,” and then went on to mention something about accessibility and left and right hand usage, neither of which would have crossed my mind.
I guess my motivation for devising this comparison was to acquire some discipline that might help us non-tech writers crystallize our copy points and presentation style. So as an exercise, let’s find the words or phrases that don’t belong in factual writing or technical documentation.
- “Golly gee, we’re wowed with this survey and think you’ll enjoy the results.”
Try instead: “Survey results conclude that ABC and prove the efficacy of DEF.”
- “You’ll find in the chart below some blue lines, red lines, and green lines.”
Try instead: “This color-coded chart explains the XYZ dynamic. Blue denotes A, red represents B, and green illustrates C”… or more simply, set up a color key with the appropriate call-outs.
- “A lot of people do this all the time.”
Try instead: “90% of respondents say they exhibit this behavior under these circumstances.” (and source it)
- “To make the soup, put some spices and vegetables into the water and let it boil.”
Try instead: “Add a half teaspoon of salt and a Tablespoon of fresh-chopped parsley to a quart of chicken broth. Stir in a half cup of diced carrots, a quarter cup of rice, reduce heat and simmer for forty minutes.”
- “Plant the bulbs in the garden once it gets colder.”
Try instead, “New England gardeners should plant these bulbs in the fall before the first hard frost, pointy tip up, 5 inches deep, and 4 inches apart.”
Then, in another part of your brain, you can play frivolously with expressive language about the savory smell of soup steaming in a kettle on a cold winter’s day or the feel of damp earth giving way to bulbs that will produce a wave of color in the spring.
Nice to know there’s more than one way to spin a word.
Tags: communication, research reports, technical writing, writing restraint
Categories: Business thinking, Research reports, Tips, technical writing