What is Technical Writing? | Writing Genre Fundamentals

 If you're anything I was 8 weeks ago, you have no clue what "technical writing" is. 

Wikipedia says technical writing is "a specialized form of communication used by many of today's industrial and scientific organizations to clearly and accurately convey complex information to a user." Technical writers play a key role in making information easy to understand.

You'd be surprised to find out how often we utilize technical writing. A few examples include:

• User Manuals/Guides
• Software Documentation
• Training Materials
• SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) 
• Research Findings
• Product Specifications

Basically, it's material explaining how something works, how to accomplish tasks, or anything else containing necessary, clear information without confusion. So even if you don't consider yourself to be a "reader", you have likely read a decent amount of technical writing in your lifetime. Without it, I think it's safe to say we would all have pulled our hair out on numerous occasions! 😅

To be a successful technical writer, you need strong writing and editing skills and the ability to simplify complex information. At its core, technical writing requires you to be a translator, taking technical vocabulary and turning it into content that anyone could understand.

This YouTube video, made by APU Writing and Tutoring, is a GREAT deep-dive into the basics of what technical writing is. Though it has several chapters, I highly recommend watching the entire video. 

Now, how do you feel about technical writing? Were you surprised to find out you're more familiar with it than you thought you were?