Technical Writing – Basic writing skills

 Never use difficult words

 Avoid jargons
 Use direct active speech
 Use American English
 Get your DDLC / Document Plan / Plan Sections / Sub-sections ready
 Concentrate on intro /conclusion
 Have TOC / Index / Glossary
 Write with clarity / accuracy and completeness
 Do not repeat sentences
 Do not cust / paste
 Avoid redundancies / unnecessary vague words / meaningless modifiers
 Be specific – never generalize
 A sentence should have 10 – 20 words and a para should have 4 - 6 sentences
 Give illustrations / flow charts / images whereever necessary
 For numbers 0 – 9, use number names and if > l0, use numerals
 Avoid caps in between paragraphs
 Answer all “what if” questions
 Check with the style guide, whenever required
 Use white spaces judiciously
 Apply template
 Instructions should not be in para – should be in bullets
 Avoid using nationality / race / color / gender etc.
 Check with checklist for completeness
 Avoid confusing with options
 Be careful of using package words
 Use task-oriented approach
 Provide correct beginning and ending statements