Archive for March 2009
OneLook Dictionary: An Amazing Word Tool for All Writers
© Ugur Akinci Sometimes I come across an online tool so different, useful and imaginative that I can’t help but sing its praises. The OneLook Dictionary (www.onelook.com) is one such application, available for free to all English writers of the world. Imagine you are describing the way a room is furnished but you do not…
Read MoreTechnical & Copy Writing – Write Fast
© Ugur Akinci Writing is rewriting. That’s true. But the better you write, more enjoyable and productive the rewrite will be. And here’s my rule for writing well the first time: whether it’s a novel, ad copy, movie review, or a user’s guide, try to write AS FAST AS YOU CAN. You do your research…
Read MoreTechnical & Copy Writing – Write As You Speak
Easy does it. There is no need to write with $100 words if you’re trying to get understood by as many people as possible. EXAMPLE: We terminated our cruising episode briefly around noon to satisfy the gastronomic call of nature. BETTER: We stopped for a quick lunch. EXAMPLE: He actuated the initiation button to activate…
Read MoreA Good Outline is Half of the Solution
© Ugur Akinci I do not believe outlining is a good way to write poetry. But if you are writing non-fiction, an article, a book, a thesis, or a technical document you’d be at a great disadvantage to start writing before you have a detailed outline at hand. I’d go as far as claiming that…
Read MoreA Golden Formula for Clarity in Technical and Copy Writing
© Ugur Akinci To write in simple sentences that anybody can understand, try to stick to this Golden Formula: SUBJECT + VERB + OBJECT If a sentence does not have this structure, try to rearrange the “furniture” so that it reads better and faster. ORIGINAL: The temptation to do it should be resisted. BETTER: Don’t…
Read More2 Golden Principles of Peer Review
© Ugur Akinci There will be instances in your career as a professional technical writer when you will be asked to “peer review” (which is, yes, a compound “verb” these days) someone else’s or your own work. This may happen in a group meeting (or teleconference/webinar) setting when you may be invited to offer your…
Read MoreTechnical Writing – Use the Method that Untied a 400-year Knot
As a child I grew up only 90 miles away from Polatli, the site of the famous “Knot of Gordian” in Anatolia (what is today modern Turkey). This was such a tough knot that, according to the legend, for 400 years no one could untie it. Then came Alexander the Great, the world-conquering commander with…
Read MoreEliminate Adverbs and Improve Your Writing
© Ugur Akinci You can improve your writing right away by eliminating all the unnecessary adverbs. 1) Eliminate adverbs by using a correct verb instead. EXAMPLE: “He walked into the room cockily.” BETTER: “He swaggered into the room.” EXAMPLE “She walked into the room confidently.” BETTER: “She sashayed into the room.” EXAMPLE: “He looked threateningly.”…
Read MoreInterviewing a Subject Matter Expert (SME)
Introduction A technical writer will periodically need to interview Subject Matter Experts (SME) to gather information about a technical document. More often that not, and especially within the context of software development, most SMEs are engineers and software developers. But they can also be mechanical, electrical and other types of engineers, hardware installers, network engineers,…
Read MoreStewart, Cramer, and the Question of Values in Technical Documentation
© Ugur Akinci Did you watch the way Daily Show’s Jon Stewart grilled Mad Money’s Jim Cramer yesterday? It was a trashing well deserved by Jim Cramer in particular, and CNBC in general. As an American citizen who has lost 40% of all his life savings within the last 9 months, I thought it was…
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