Technical Writing, Support and Analysis

Technical writing is synonymous with effective written communication. Its purpose is to convey a particular piece of technical information to a particular audience. Technical writing is essentially written explanations of scientific and other specialized subjects related to the sciences. In its simplest definition, technical writing is the process of transforming and translating technical ideas into a written output that a target audience will understand.

Freelance technical writing is a field for those who love a mental challenge. Technical writers are found in industries such as IT, chemistry, healthcare, engineering, consumer electronics, finance, biotechnology, robotics and aerospace. If you're a person blessed with both a tech-savvy character and a flair for writing, you should definitely specialize in freelance technical writing.

For example, as a tech writer, you might be asked to produce a technical document on a turnkey basis. Before you accept, think about what's involved. The implication is that the client expects you to work without supervision or direction to do the research, write the guide, contract and supervise graphics layout and production, and see to the printing and distribution. Turnkey implies a lot of expectations and responsibilities.

Once the writer has a clear idea about what the software is supposed to accomplish, then she can identify the procedures that are most important for the user and for the system administrator who is supposed to configure the system.

The writer's task is to break down those procedures into sequential, mutually exclusive and non-redundant steps so that the user can follow the tutorial easily.