Planning a manual

As with every other project, planning is the most important stage in the lifecycle of a writing project. How does a writer plan a user manual or a training manual? What makes a user manual more acceptable, easily understood and successful? Given below are some of the planning steps that I have found useful:

How much does the expected reader already know on the subject? This is required to get a perspective of the technical level of the audience we are addressing and the amount of assumptions that we can make. Also, it might appear offensive and patronising if you are explaining the most obvious in great detail.

How much does the average reader want to know? Some readers are naturally satisfied with the basic information while others feel at control only when they have understood the topic at a great detail. It is essential to strike a balance such that the needs of both types of readers are met.

What are the hot topics in the subject? This refers to the topics that the reader would value the most in the entire subject. It also refers to topics that are a foundation for the other topics and are the most basic concepts required to understand the subject.

Is there any prerequisite information that the reader would need before understanding this subject? For example: If you are writing a manual on the topic 'Using Microsoft Word', it might be a good idea to explain the purpose of any authoring tool.

How deep are you planning to go in explaining each concept or topic? The depth you decide should be consistent throughout your manual. In addition, if you think that there would be readers who would be interested in more depth, you can provide alternatives like the ones given below:

•  Have two different manuals; one that would deal with the subject at a superficial level and the other at a deeper level.
• Provide links at required locations within chapters that would take the user to chapters where indepth information is available.
• Cover basic information in the initial chapters and detailed information later.

Writing for Technical Communication

How is technical writing different from other types of writing? Writing as such can be viewed from many perspectives. Some write to give expression to their thoughts. Few others write to debate and convince the readers about their ideas, and still few others write just for the sake of art - play with words and language. Well, all these types of writing are definitely creative and commendable. How is this writing different from what a technical writer has to offer?

All the other writers mentioned above more or less express self through their writing. This type of writing ceases to emerge without the display of personality. It is very grand indeed!!!

A technical writer on the other hand starts and ends with the audience in mind. For a technical writer, the success of her/his writing is measured by how easily the reader has understood the subject at hand. This is where 'empathy' and 'self-denial' plays an important role. A technical writer should constantly strive to understand the readers erudition and avoid assumptions throughout any writing project.

Personally, I will view writing for technical communication more as a skill than an art. It is a multi-faceted skill that requires a sharp intelligence to understand complex information, well-organised thought process to arrange information in a meaningful way, empathy to simplify each segment of the information and language to express the information in a lucid and consistent fashion.