Great Technical Writing: Banish These Two Attitudes

Overview

Find a way to be grateful for the chore. Yes, it sounds Pollyanna-ish, but in some ways, she�s gotten a bum rap. Thank goodness you have a job so you have taxes to pay. Be happy you have a refrigerator to store your food in, even though you have to clean it out once in a while. Heating bills? Hey, you were warm last month when the thermometer took that plunge.

Look for the humor in the situation. Even the IRS and their ridiculous, incomprehensible instructions can be funny. I mean, who in their right mind would write like that? Can you imagine having that job? How about that green furry stuff in the back of the refrigerator? What if it�s a new kind of antibiotic? Play with crazy ideas and ridiculous concepts.Punch dough down and turn it onto a floured surface. Use a pastry cutter or a thin sharp knife to divide the dough in half. Divide each half again, and each piece one more time, so that you have 8 portions. Roll each piece out into 8 inch rounds.Fix these places. It only takes a few words or sentences.Kids especially like making their own pizzas, so this is a fun party idea.1/4 c. warm water (about 110 degrees)Incomplete User Documents disappoint your Readers. Two attitudes of many Technical Writers result in incomplete User Documents. These two attitudes are:Set the dough in an oiled bowl and turn to coat lightly. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. If you prepare the dough the day before, lightly oil it and put it in a large zipper bag. It will rise in the refrigerator overnight.If you have the "Everyone Knows That" attitude when you write, you will tend to leave out needed material from your User Document. You will be doing a disservice to your Readers, and to your writing.Here's a Thought Experiment: You are a User of products: How often do you read the product documentation from start to finish? If you always do, then ask some other people. (The great thing about this fact -- that Users do not read the documentation from start to finish -- is that it results in great flexibility in writing, formatting and editing the product documentation.)

Use positive, powerful language around the chore. Instead of saying �Yuck. I have to take out the garbage,� try �Hey. I get to take out the garbage.� Substitute �I can� for �I must,� and �I choose� for �I have to.�Here's an example of a possible "Everyone Knows That." Do you know this:. the writing makes the assumption that the Reader has read and remembered the entire document. add some text explaining the topic, or

Focus on the outcome of what you are doing. Think how good it will feel to have those taxes done and off your mind. Think about that sparkly clean fridge�and not being afraid to open up an unmarked container. You might even arrange for someone (a spouse, friend, kid, family member) to cheer and applaud your accomplishment when you are finished. Or plan a reward for yourself.The User does not want to have to figure things out. The User is not reading a mystery novel or any other literature, where he/she wants to think about what is happening.. the writing assumes that "everyone knows that"2. "The User Can Figure It Out"1 2/3 - 2 c. all-purpose white flourLet me tell on myself. I hate cooked carrots with a passion, almost as much as I love chocolate. (For me, eating cooked carrots is more than just a chore I hate�it�s cruel and unusual punishment.) This is not something new; my father tells me that the first time he fed me strained carrots I spit the orange goop right back out in his face. Anyway, a couple of years ago, I was eating at a restaurant in Vermont, run by students from the Culinary Institute of America. My plate came out with some orange puree on it, and I cautiously tasted it, quite prepared, if necessary, to re-enact the scene with my father. It was delicious. It didn�t taste like squash, or rutabaga, or sweet potato, all of which are orange vegetables that I like. I finally asked our server. �Carrots,� he said. Since I didn�t know they were carrots, I hadn�t decided that I didn�t like them. Since I ate the orange stuff without a preconceived idea, I actually enjoyed them. All it took was changing my mindset.Everyone will be happier.. "The User Can Figure It Out"Be careful about assuming that just because you explained something earlier in your User Document, your Reader will remember (or even have read) that information. It is rare for Users to read product documentation from start to finish.Adapted from Eating Well's May/June 1994 Issue.

Look for the sensuality in the situation. �What!?!� I can hear you say. Notice how things feel. Experience the glide of the pen over the paper as you write those checks. Get into the lemon-y fragrance of the dish soap you�re using on the refrigerator shelves. My husband loves to take the trash out early on winter mornings because he stops and looks at the stars for a few minutes. (OK, so maybe that�s not a good example. We know my husband is crazy; he married me.)Keep in mind these are thin pizza crusts, so the more advanced prep you do for the toppings, the better result. For example, you would not want to put raw sausage on them because there isn't enough time to cook it through before the crust would burn. Likewise for the onions and mushrooms. It would be difficult to fully cook them on the grill, so sauteing in advance is a good idea.. find someone who is like your intended Reader, orSo when it comes to taxes, and other chores we hate, the way we approach them can change our experience of them. Here are a few different things to try.

Another CautionThis article describes these attitudes and presents methods for overcoming them. The result is more effective User Documents and more satisfied Users.My favorite pet peeve: dates. Within recent memory we "survived" the Year-2000 transition. Yet we still write dates sloppily. We use "06" for a year, instead of "2006." When we see things like "07/11/04" what is the date it is referring to? Is it November 4, 2007, April 11, 2007, or some other permutation of the numbers. The standards for the format of dates vary around the world. This is an example of both assumptions:
• Find something positive about what you are doing. As much as we hate paying taxes, and as much as we might disapprove of the way many of our tax dollars are spent, there are some things we are in favor of. So think about the roads, or the fire department, parks�whatever it is that you feel positive about.Does everyone know that? What do you assume that everyone knows about your product?The writing literature tells you to "know your Reader." Here is where you use that knowledge to improve your writing.Here's another example: How do you use a (combined product -- '2 in one') shampoo and hair conditioner? When shampooing, the shampoo is massaged into the scalp and immediately rinsed. When conditioning the hair, the conditioner is massaged into the hair, and remains on the hair for about two minutes. Now, what do the Users do for the combined product: rinse quickly, or let the product remain in the hair?Our mindset and attitude make a lot of difference in how we perceive life. If we have decided that something is going to be awful, then we subconsciously look for proof that it is. And we usually find it. Conversely, if we are convinced something is going to be fun, we look for that instead. That�s why two people sitting side by side each other at the same event can have two totally different experiences.. "Everyone Knows That", and. the writing makes jumps that your Reader cannot followThe "Everyone Knows That" attitude makes assumptions about your Reader's knowledge. These assumptions cause your Reader grief.

  Everyone will be happier.

  
  
  
  Author: Barry Millman