Why Technical Writing Is Vital and Fun

People think writers write novels, blog posts, or magazine articles. Technical writing isn’t top of mind. People also tend to think that technical writing is boring. It’s about writing instructions, and how many people have the patience to follow instructions these days? Now before you yawn, let’s get into why we need technical writing. 

What is technical writing? 

It’s not dry writing. I mean, technical writing is about a specific topic. The primary purpose is to provide instruction and information. Employee handbooks, standard operating procedures (SOPs), troubleshooting guides, user manuals, company documents, and case studies are all examples of technical writing.

Why do we need technical writing? 

Sometimes in life, we get stuck. We need help that is easy to follow. You’ve probably read an example or two of technical writing by now, especially if you bought a new computer or phone and read some documentation to figure out how to use it. If you’ve watched a video that gave you instructions, the transcript is an example of technical writing. 

Technical writing organizes information into easily digestible bits. You can go to a table of contents to find the topic you’re interested in, and read just that section to get the information you need. You don’t need to read the entire book or PDF from cover to cover, or read each page of a website to find the answer you need.

Why is technical writing fun to write?

People may think that emotions and personal experience have no place in technical writing, so technical writing is boring. However, if you like organization and solving puzzles, you’ll like how technical writing follows a sequence. Technical writing will explain a concept clearly, using plain language without jargon or idioms. If a special term is used, the meaning is explained. 

This is why technical writing is fun. It’s like being in an escape room and you’re faced with the challenge of organizing a bunch of information to get the answer you need. If you get it right, your mission is accomplished. You can also use your imagination in technical writing. You can create a handbook on how to capture and tame dragons.  

Key Takeaways

Technical writing provides valuable instructions and information. If you’ve picked up a user manual to find the answer to your question, you’ve read a piece of technical writing. This style of writing sticks to the facts and doesn’t include emotions or personal experiences. For this reason, some people think technical writing is boring. But other writers think technical writing is fun. It’s challenging to write information in a way that is easily understood and easily found by skimming and scanning. Technical writing has a very important role in providing readers with important information. 

Three Wishes, A Different Fate

Getting three wishes from a genie seems like the perfect solution to all life’s challenges. Any difficult problem could be solved. Not enough money to pay for a mortgage? Job searching for over a year because of a bad economy? Solution found! Just ask a genie for millions of dollars. Can’t fix a leak in the ceiling? Constantly cooking bland meals? No problem. Ask the genie to fix the roof, and to gift you with an appliance that will make delicious meals. 

If I had three magic genie wishes, I would ask for things that would get me set for life. For example, a literal money tree that grows hundred dollar bills. I wouldn’t need to work unless I wanted to, and all my bills would be paid off if I wait for a good money harvest. I could also help friends and family with their money problems. 

My second wish would be for the power to heal. This would prevent people I care about from dying from fatal injuries or long-term illnesses. 

My third wish would be for time. There were so many times when I didn’t have enough time to get something done. For example, if I wanted to go to two events happening simultaenously. I have to prioritize and go to one. Or I waste time working on something that takes longer than anticipated, like putting together a piece of furniture. When I’m done that project, hours have passed and I barely get anything done that day. If I could slow down time, or rewind the day, imagine how productive I could be.

Would I get happiness from these wishes? In the long term, I’m not sure. Friends and family might pressure or guilt me into helping them. (You’re infinitely rich – help me buy a car.) The government might want to tax me on all my income if they find out about my money tree. I might get into arguments with people – such as whether or not to prolong the life of a loved one. Just because I can keep fixing each health issue they encounter doesn’t mean that they want to be continuously made healthy to live forever. 

As for having infinite time, perhaps I would not appreciate time as much as before. Instead of learning to prioritize, I would be able to rewind the day and take as long as I need to get something done, or go to both events that are the same time. At some point, the novelty would perhaps wear off and I would get bored. People would also think about me differently if they knew I had such a gift. Such as having higher expectations: if I have all the time in the world, I should have time for all my friends and family. If I have all the time in the world, I should be able to work on any task until I get it done.

Overall, when things are scarce or finite, such as money, health, and time, we appreciate them more. Having more of these precious things would be great for solving some of the problems we face every day, but it may also create issues. Would I want these wishes regardless? I’d probably say yes.

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Daily writing prompt
You have three magic genie wishes, what are you asking for?
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Taking a Big Risk

The biggest risk a person takes is usually something that drastically changes their life. The thought that you could fail miserably and be laughed at or put down by your nonsupporters can deter you from taking that significant risk. It’s easier to do what’s comfortable and be in your safe place.

I took a major risk years ago when I decided on a career change. The big hurdle I would have to overcome would be public speaking. Of course, I was intimidated by the thought of speaking in front of people I did not know. The first time I spoke in front of a group of twenty-five people, I wasn’t very loud and the people at the back of the room couldn’t hear me. I was also worried about forgetting my lines.

After presenting for about a month, my throat hurt and I discovered the roof of my mouth had a soft palette that I hadn’t known existed until that point in my life. I thought that I had grown something in my mouth!

Fast forward a decade and I was presenting in front of groups of fifty to two hundred people. My confidence had grown since my early presentation days. Despite having so much experience, I still got nervous the day before a presentation, but I am a lot more confident. The trick is to practice what I’m going to say in my head before the actual presentation. Although I refer to notes, I try to remember what I’m going to say as if I don’t have notes. Then I picture myself speaking to the audience and calm myself down (because I still feel nervous sometimes).

I feel a lot more confident about speaking in front of a large group now than when I started.

One day, I would like to speak at a Ted Talk. This would involve speaking in front of a group of thousands. As confident as I am in speaking, I don’t think I have the time or energy to practice a speech that is eighteen minutes long until the words are flawless. I think I will get tired of repeating the speech many times as I practice it. Also, I’m not sure what topic I would be so passionate about that I would spend months practicing the same words over and over until I know them in my sleep.

So, a big risk that I’d like to take but haven’t been able to is making a speech in front of thousands of people.

Daily writing prompt
What’s the biggest risk you’d like to take — but haven’t been able to?
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I Was Part of a Famous, Historical Moment

Many people have heard of the tragedy of the Titanic. I was pretty much right there, experiencing the life and death of the passengers. Let me explain.

I found myself on the dock where the Titanic was waiting for passengers to board. It was part of a museum display, and it was like traveling back in time to 1912 because we were each handed an identity card. I wasn’t a museum visitor anymore. I was a Titanic passenger, and the card told me my name and who I was. I was a famous actress traveling in first class. And by the end of my journey, I would find out if I survived.

I could feel myself transported back in time when I walked into the famous room with the staircase and clock. I saw menus that described what I ate as a first-class passenger, and I walked through some of the rooms on the historical ship.

Then, near the end of my journey, I touched a piece of ice that was at the same temperature as on that fateful night when the ship sank.

In one display room, I read letters written by people who had traveled on the ship (and sent mail before that night). Some people weren’t even supposed to be on that ship but circumstances put them there. Sometimes, one small decision can have severe consequences.

Finally, at the end of our tour, we disembarked from the ship. Along one wall, we saw a list of the names of all the passengers. I eagerly scanned the names until I found mine. I was alive! Then I searched for my friend’s name. He was a rich businessman, also traveling in first class. He didn’t make it. It was chilling to think this was once a real person. I felt sad that we had both boarded the ship and only I had made it.

I reminded myself it was just a museum exhibit, but it truly had brought that moment in history alive.

Daily writing prompt
What major historical events do you remember?
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Fashion Trends, Virtual Meetings, and 3D Digital Projections

Updated post

Fitness and comfort have influenced the fashion style of work from home (WFH). As technology continues to make working from home more commonplace, it won’t be as necessary to pack a suitcase for a business trip. In the near future, we could be going to work in a digital outfit.

A few years ago, WFH became a household word and began a trend that continues today. When that switch happened, many people became uncertain about what to wear for work.

Home was where you walked around in PJs, fuzzy slippers, or gym clothes. Were you expected to dress up in slacks and a shirt while working in your home office? People continued to dress the way they did for the office because it was familiar. Later, the fashion became a hybrid of styles. At virtual meetings, people wore business casual tops for the camera, and shorts or yoga pants for under the desk.

As the years continued, people accepted that the worlds of work and home could be blurred, and they showed up to virtual meetings wearing clothes that they could do housework in. Work-from-home fashion became more casual and influenced by sportswear.

For example, fashion has become cardigans, sweatshirts in material that’s too nice for gym clothes, comfy dresses with pockets, and pants with a jogger waistline. These pants have a flat front and elastic back like very casual slacks. 

Fashion continues to evolve. 

In the near future, video calls will be replaced with 3D digital projection. The technology will reduce travel costs – an important consideration with the rising cost of EVERYTHING from inflation. Consider the time saved from traveling to and from airports and the money saved on hotels and airfare!

In these futuristic meetings, your image is beamed from your location to the meeting location. Your image will be able to look around and interact with the people in the meeting room – you’ll be much more lifelike than in current 2D calls!

For the 3D projection to work, you will stand in a portal surrounded by cameras and microphones. However, you will need to dress up for the presentation (unlike a virtual meeting in which you only need to be presentable from the waist up).

We wouldn’t be able to shake hands or hug people during a virtual call yet, but we’re getting closer to that technology.

Perhaps the next advancement in virtual meetings and networking would be alternate projections. Just like our current capability to create virtual backgrounds, you will be able to roll out of bed with your PJs and project a pre-programmed image of yourself to your meeting.

There won’t be a need to dress up or check your appearance. Your pre-selected meeting outfit is ready to be projected with the press of a button. As technology advances, the possibilities are limitless.

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