There is a big difference between being able to write coherently and being able to write well. In few places is this more obvious than in technical writing.

In my surfing around the ‘net - and yes, here on Lockergnome too, from time to time - I often run across that problem. It is clear that the authors have a thorough understanding of their subject, but equally as obvious that they have forgotten how to write for the reader who may not know as much. When one considers that such writing is aimed precisely at that kind of reader, it is amazing how frequently the shot flies way above the target.

This morning I ran across a fairly complicated explanation of how to accomplish a task in Windows XP. I read it carefully. By the end I was sure I could do it, but I had absolutely no idea of why I would want to. A couple of sentences in the beginning to explain what the operation was all about would not only have left me better informed but might also have attracted the attention of some folks who needed to read it. After a bit of Googling I learned to what it referred, and that I have no need at all to consider it. I wasted my time because the writer didn’t understand his job.

Guess how long it will be before I bother reading any more from that author?

The purpose of writing is to communicate. We can either communicate worthwhile ideas that others can understand and apply to their own lives, or we can exercise our egos and forget about the readers. Rarely is it possible to do both successfully - at least in the technical fields - and when one is able to manage it, the result is usually not worth bothering with.

If you want to be a successful writer, in whatever venue, you must remember that the purpose of writing is communication, and the basis of communication is clarity. Clarity, clarity, and clarity. Those are the first three rules of writing. We would all do well to remember them.

There are other writing tips here.

[tags]bill webb,writing style,coherent writing,technical writing,communication,clarity[/tags]