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We're all Tech Writers Now: Three Steps to Clear Writing for the net
from web site
Take some tips from technical writing that may make your ideas clear and persuasive in the brand new reading environment of the net.
Print media puts the reader in the passenger's seat. What if you do not want a character to die? What if you don't like the direction the story has had? Traditional reading is linear--you start at chapter one and you also go to the end, with no detours in between.
Instruction manuals have always been different. Who reads instruction manuals from beginning to end? Instead you dip into it, try something, and if that doesn't seem to work, flip a few pages backward or forward and try again.
Now the internet has turned into a huge manual where the reader can move around at will--technology has stolen authorial control. You should expect your readers to jump around. To reach your goals, whatever you write for the net has to follow the same three rules that technical writers use:
Write in Chunks
Readers choose. Recognize that your audience isn't expecting a story--they have specific goals. Points must be self-contained and clearly marked to help them find what they're looking for and move ahead. Respect your reader's time--don't make sure they are eat the sundae when all they want is the cherry.
Follow a Structure
You can structure your articles by category, rank, location--but there must be a structure. By organizing write for us technology are giving your reader an instrument that lets them find what they're looking for and skip what they don't need. If you can't find a structure that works, you must define your points more clearly.
Connect it Together
You can't force your reader to check out the road you've set for them, but you can give them access to information that supports your message. Avoid being afraid to link, both to resources outside your document also to pages in it. Your role is to help them achieve their goals; point them towards resources that help them do this.
Like technical writing, the internet is about helping people find information. Adopt some of the principals of technical writing in your own work to create it get results.
Print media puts the reader in the passenger's seat. What if you do not want a character to die? What if you don't like the direction the story has had? Traditional reading is linear--you start at chapter one and you also go to the end, with no detours in between.
Instruction manuals have always been different. Who reads instruction manuals from beginning to end? Instead you dip into it, try something, and if that doesn't seem to work, flip a few pages backward or forward and try again.
Now the internet has turned into a huge manual where the reader can move around at will--technology has stolen authorial control. You should expect your readers to jump around. To reach your goals, whatever you write for the net has to follow the same three rules that technical writers use:
Write in Chunks
Readers choose. Recognize that your audience isn't expecting a story--they have specific goals. Points must be self-contained and clearly marked to help them find what they're looking for and move ahead. Respect your reader's time--don't make sure they are eat the sundae when all they want is the cherry.
Follow a Structure
You can structure your articles by category, rank, location--but there must be a structure. By organizing write for us technology are giving your reader an instrument that lets them find what they're looking for and skip what they don't need. If you can't find a structure that works, you must define your points more clearly.
Connect it Together
You can't force your reader to check out the road you've set for them, but you can give them access to information that supports your message. Avoid being afraid to link, both to resources outside your document also to pages in it. Your role is to help them achieve their goals; point them towards resources that help them do this.
Like technical writing, the internet is about helping people find information. Adopt some of the principals of technical writing in your own work to create it get results.
