We're all Tech Writers Now: Three Steps to Clear Writing for the net
from web site
Take some tips from technical writing that will 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 don't 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 visit the end, without detours in between.
Instruction manuals will always be different. Who reads instruction manuals from beginning to end? Instead write for us technology dip into it, try something, and if that doesn't seem to work, flip several 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 need to expect your readers to jump around. To reach your goals, whatever you write for the web has to follow the same three rules that technical writers use:
Write in Chunks
Readers pick and choose. Recognize that your audience is not expecting a story--they have specific goals. Points need to be self-contained and clearly marked to help them find what they're searching for and move ahead. Respect your reader's time--don't make them eat the sundae when all they need is the cherry.
Follow a Structure
You can structure your articles by category, rank, location--but there should be a structure. By organizing your information you're giving your reader an instrument that lets them find what they're looking for and skip what they don't need. If you cannot find a structure that works, you must define your points more clearly.
Connect it Together
You can't force your reader to follow the path you've set for them, nevertheless, you can give them usage of information that supports your message. Avoid being afraid to link, both to resources outside your document and to pages inside it. Your role is to help them achieve their goals; point them towards resources that help them do that.
Like technical writing, the web is about helping people find information. Adopt a number 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 don't 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 visit the end, without detours in between.
Instruction manuals will always be different. Who reads instruction manuals from beginning to end? Instead write for us technology dip into it, try something, and if that doesn't seem to work, flip several 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 need to expect your readers to jump around. To reach your goals, whatever you write for the web has to follow the same three rules that technical writers use:
Write in Chunks
Readers pick and choose. Recognize that your audience is not expecting a story--they have specific goals. Points need to be self-contained and clearly marked to help them find what they're searching for and move ahead. Respect your reader's time--don't make them eat the sundae when all they need is the cherry.
Follow a Structure
You can structure your articles by category, rank, location--but there should be a structure. By organizing your information you're giving your reader an instrument that lets them find what they're looking for and skip what they don't need. If you cannot find a structure that works, you must define your points more clearly.
Connect it Together
You can't force your reader to follow the path you've set for them, nevertheless, you can give them usage of information that supports your message. Avoid being afraid to link, both to resources outside your document and to pages inside it. Your role is to help them achieve their goals; point them towards resources that help them do that.
Like technical writing, the web is about helping people find information. Adopt a number of the principals of technical writing in your own work to create it get results.
