Category Archives: Technical Writing

Difference Between Run and Execute in Technical Documents

Technical writing is about getting the small details right. The difference between the almost right word and the right word is the “difference between the lightning-bug and the lightning.” Mark Twain So, when writing a user guide, should you say, Run or Execute? From one angle, it doesn’t seem to matter. Everyone knows what you […]

Stephen King Can Make You A Better (Technical) Writer

Scott says, “If you want to improve as a writer, you not only need to write. You need to read. Writing and reading are two sides of the same coin. You need to do both to achieve your potential.” I head downtown most weekends and buy 2 or 3 books, mostly business, history and some fiction. Every so often I run out of options (we’re in Beijing) and get something I usually wouldn’t buy, for example, Iain M Banks. Reading outside my comfort zone stretches me. I encounter writing styles, opinions, and information that I usually side-step.

Checklist: how to proofread technical documents in 15 minutes

You have fifteen minutes to check your technical document before it’s sent to the client. What do you do? Start at one page one and read every word out loud? Maybe, maybe not 🙂 Here’s one suggested approach to proofread any type of document when you’re under pressure. Checklist: how to proofread technical documents in […]

Adobe FrameMaker: 4 Ways to Find and Replace Conditional Text

When it comes to writing technical documents, the ability to create conditional text is one of the main advantages that Adobe FrameMaker has over MS Word. What is Conditional Text? Let’s say you have one document but you want to tailor some content for different readers. For example, you want to add a new warning […]

Technical Documents: 3 Ways to Improve Quality

Who do you write for? This is a problem for many technical writers, especially if you don’t get to meet or interact with your readers. Essentially, you’re writing in the dark. But, that doesn’t mean you can’t improve the usefulness of the documents. Far from it. Technical Documents: How to be more accurate For example, […]