Technical Writing: A Bibliography, Tips, and Tricks

Niklas Pivic wrote a blog about technical writing. Niklas focused on technical writing only here. But I think his advice can be applied to writing blog posts for almost all topics.

When I started out, I desperately looked for tips and tricks.

Me too! When I was learning how to write in English—by the way, English is not my native language—I really wanted a guideline to write well. I did not and still do not want to write just for the sake of writing. I want to write as best as I can within my limitations.

Style can be defined as a distinct manner of expression.

True! Additionally, we can start developing our own styles once we get used to writing.

Your audience will not like 'clever'. They like clarity.

Agree! I prefer reading articles with plain language instead of complex and unusual words. I also prefer writing in plain language whenever possible.

Brevity is appreciated by readers.

Yes! I agree with that. I appreciate short, simple, and straightforward writing. I like reading blog posts that get to the point quickly without telling me their long stories. Stories are fine. But make sure you, fellow bloggers, don't write too much about your story unless the post is mainly about you.

Your writing language may not be their mother tongue, which means you should use simple words and short sentences to make your documentation as readable as possible.

That is me! I recommend following this advice if you are a technical writer. In general, I prefer reading plain English blog posts and writing in plain English.

Remember that you can write however you like. But I am one of the millions of readers who prefer reading texts in plain language.

For more details, I recommend reading Niklas' blog now.