The Technical Writer’s Process
The Technical Writer's Process helps you create high-quality
technical writing quickly and efficiently.
Follow these steps to effective technical writing:
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Determine your purpose.
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Profile your audience.
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Brainstorm ideas.
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Choose and sort your ideas.
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Organize your
ideas into writing plan.
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Write the first draft.
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Revise, correct, and rewrite.
(Download and Print a PDF version.)
1. DETERMINE YOUR PURPOSE
You must clearly know your purpose before you can start. Why are
you writing? What is your aim or goal? What do you intend to
accomplish in this letter, memo, e-mail, or report? What do you want
your reader to know or to do as a result of your writing? Write
your purpose in a clear sentence at the top of your worksheet.
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2. PROFILE YOUR AUDIENCE
Who are you writing to? How much does your audience already know
about the subject? Is the reader familiar with the terms and jargon
you may need to use? What tone should you adopt? What does your reader
need to know in order for you to fulfill your purpose in writing?
What does your reader need to know in order to have enough information
to do what you want them to do?
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3. BRAINSTORM IDEAS
With your purpose and audience clearly in mind, brainstorm and write down
all ideas related to the subject. Include facts and information as
well as notes about writing style and approach and even vocabulary.
Without limiting or rejecting anything (yet), list everything you can think
of related to the subject, your purpose, and your audience. If you
are working from a scenario, from a dialogue, or from a failed version
of the writing, DO NOT work directly from this alone. You must take
out the important ideas and put them in your own list, using your own words
if possible. Work from this list in subsequent steps.
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4. CHOOSE AND SORT YOUR IDEAS
Choose the best ideas that you have, and eliminate anything that will not
help you to fulfill your purpose. Sort your ideas into categories.
Make sure you have what you need in order to accomplish your purpose.
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5. ORGANIZE YOUR IDEAS INTO A WRITING PLAN
Create your writing plan. Further organize and order your ideas using
lists, clustering, classification trees, graphs, or charts. Eliminate
anything that does not directly relate to your purpose. Where should
new paragraphs start? Should you use headings, lists, charts, or
graphics? Do you have a writing format you are following that will
help organize your writing? Review your writing plan. Will
it fulfill your purpose? Are you missing any steps? Are you
missing any important information?
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6. WRITE THE FIRST DRAFT
Follow your plan. At this point, just write. Don't worry about
grammar, word choice, or spelling, and don't let anything else distract
you. Keep your purpose and audience firmly in mind, and write; keep
the ideas flowing.
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7. REVISE, CORRECT, AND REWRITE
First, check to make sure your writing fulfills its purpose. Is anything
else needed? Could anything be taken out? If you think your
reader may have any questions, answer them.
Now check to see if your writing clear and easy to understand.
Is it cohesive and easy to follow? Are headings and topic sentences
appropriate?
Next, make sure your writing has both good paragraph structure and good
sentence structure. Do you have a variety of sentence types?
Finally, proofread and edit your writing for any grammar, usage, and
word-choice errors. Look for the kind of errors you have made in
the past -- have a personal checklist built up from your own analysis and
from feedback from your instructors.
Write the finished copy. Make sure your that handwriting is clear
and legible or that your computer-based text is formatted well.
Do a final check.
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