The Five Consequences of Technical Writing

Posted on Aug 22, 2024

tl;dr: The five good outcomes of constant technical writing.

Updated 23 August 2024.

Easy reading is damn hard writing.

— Nathaniel Hawthorne

Content Links

Introduction
1: Continuous improvement in lucid writing
2: We improve our focus on the specifics of things
3: Concepts and information make more sense
4: Our awareness of clarity and simplicity improves
5: The three feel-good chemicals in our brain increase
Conclusion
Helpful Links

Introduction

A technical content writer/technical writer's task is to write with simple words and format straightforward sentences so that the avid and occasional reader/user can understand the content or information.

A technical content writer writes interesting and applicable content for an industry to attain marketing and sales goals.

A technical writer writes information, allowing the reader/user to accomplish specific tasks.

The reader/user might ask the technical content writer about suggested tips on how to make a mobile device’s battery last longer.

Or the reader/user might ask the technical writer if a device’s user manual is up-to-date and accurate.

If the reader/user is satisfied with the answer, we technical writers pat ourselves on the back for that exchange of minds because we helped make it easy for them. 👍🏼😊

Helping to attain goals and informing with plain writing is what we do.

But what does technical writing do for technical content writers and technical writers?

Below are five good outcomes of constant technical writing.

☝🏼

Technical writer

Thank you to CodePeople on Pinterest whose photo inspired my above illustration. 🙏🏼🤩

☝🏼

1: Continuous improvement in lucid writing

When our writing is clear, there is no misinterpretation. 🤓

Our creativity in lucid writing is enhanced.

Habitually clarifying a concept or the next step expands our collection of must-have simple words we can use.

We apply those words to clear a path through the jungle of jargon and esoteric information. There is an art to clearing a path so that the reader/user who needs to be instructed or adept in some special field can easily walk through it. 💪🏼🧠🎨

Writing tools that help us write succinctly, like Grammarly and Merriam-Webster, are our constant companions, and we bookmark both on our browser’s bookmarks bar for easy access while we write.

Jargon and esoteric words are dull and discardable.

We can write creative, better, clear, and concise sentences often to state what we mean, which increases readability. 😎

☝🏼

2: We improve our focus on the specifics of things

Our experience in breaking apart the complexities of concepts, objects, and processes is continuous.

When I was writing my article, Get to know DISM.exe and SFC.exe before you run them, I explored and found all the specifics and paths about the Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool (DISM.exe) and System File Checker (SFC.exe), which are built-in Windows programs.

With my mind filled with new information about specifics and paths, I used those programs with ease and included them and my experience so the reader/user would understand how to use the programs themselves.

☝🏼

3: Concepts and information make more sense

We see the ordered list of concepts, objects, and processes.

Every process unfolds step by step.

The first, second, and third action builds upon the last.

While we climb stairs, we must take each step to reach the top.

This logical sequence ensures everything makes sense and works like a well-maintained vehicle–each part contributes to the smooth operation of the whole.

We see the bigger picture.

Each step plays a role in the outcome.

Understanding how everything fits together, we navigate the process with ease.

☝🏼

4: Our awareness of clarity and simplicity improves

And we are almost always curious about how we can help readers/users attain specific goals and accomplish tasks.

Our technical writing is easily understood.

We string together the words we choose with care. Simple words and concise sentences are the ingredients of accessible information.

Clarity and simplicity are magic, allowing us to articulate what truly matters.

☝🏼

5: The three feel-good chemicals in our brain increase

They are Dopamine, Oxytocin, and Endorphins.

Let me clarify what each of them are:

Dopamine, a chemical messenger, is like a reward voucher.

We get a dopamine rush when we do something enjoyable, like eating yummy food, scrolling through Instagram, or finishing a challenging and fun task like drawing or writing.

That rush makes us happy and motivated; we want to do the activity again.

Selecting the simple words for a concise sentence that gets our point across can be difficult.

And when we read the sentence that says what we mean, we keep writing another because the sentence before it that we created that we like makes us feel good, and we want to keep writing because we enjoy producing a rewarding sentence that rewards us for writing it.
Oxytocin, also known as the moral molecule, the love hormone, the bonding hormone, gets released when we connect with others, like hugging our cute dog or cat or spending time with friends.

The love hormone makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside.

We connect with readers/users when we write how-tos or other information that’s easy to comprehend; we create evergreen information accessible to all.
Endorphins that can help improve our mood and make us feel more relaxed are released during a pleasurable activity.

Technical content writing/technical writing can be a pleasurable and creative activity.

String together a concise sentence or paragraph of simple words and getting the point across with the fewest words possible is a beautiful piece of art.

With our artful conciseness, both avid and occasional readers/users can understand because we helped to make it easy for them.

When we write clear instructions, we do a double good for ourselves (simple writing is easier) and our readers (they can easily understand and follow our guide).

For an occasional reader/user, a well-written manual might make the information accessible and engaging.

☝🏼

Conclusion

So, technical writing, with or without the word content, is about more than just creating clear instructions or attaining specific goals for others.

It’s a practice that benefits the writer and the reader/user.

Focusing on writing with clarity, we develop our creativity and problem-solving skills.

We become more mindful of the world around us, and simplifying complex ideas triggers the release of feel-good chemicals in our brains.

In essence, technical writing is advantageous for everyone involved.

Its result empowers readers and users with knowledge and brings a sense of accomplishment, a sense of connection, and understanding among technical writers.

☝🏼