#breakdown
Explain things directly Don't add fluff words that aren't necessary (easy, simple, just, etc) Don't say it's easy, show them it's easy
Use plain language Keep it simple Makes your text more relatable and concise Don't convince someone with language, be persuasive through structure/framing.
Organise content with lists, tables, and headlines Makes your text easier to parse
Get a peer review Extra eyes helps avoid mistakes
Get to the point quickly, that's what people care about
Write to someone who has no idea what you do. People may not have context, but they should still be able to understand what you're trying to convey
Fewer commas. More periods.
Don't use adverbs, replace the adverb + verb with a better verb instead.
Look out for sentences starting with ‘There is’ or ‘There are’ as you can often rewrite them for more clarity. ‘There are no studies that have examined this effect’ can be rewritten as ‘No studies have examined this effect’.
Recast ‘of the’ constructions as possessive Overuse of ‘of the’ in a sentence can result in sluggish writing, which can interrupt the flow. This can simply be fixed by recasting as possessive. ‘We sought the perspectives of the students’ can be recast as ‘We sought students’ perspectives’.
Avoid overuse of ‘that’ in a sentence I’ve found in some scholarly writing, authors often overuse the word ‘that’, which can make a sentence seem long-winded and unwieldy. They can often be removed with no other changes.
Writing is critical ar larger organisations because messages reach a bigger audience. For engineers, writing is a mean to reach, converse with, and influence engineers and teams outside their immediate peer group.
Re-read your writing by putting yourself in the recipient's shoes. This helps nail the tone, contents, context, etc.
Be concise. Shorter sentences, less distracting elements, etc. The longer the writing, the more tiring it is for readers. https://hemingwayapp.com/
A picture is worth a thousand words. This also applies to technical writing.
Value the reader's time more than your own. This saves time overall too [[20211203043016-writing-saves-time]]
Ask for feedback before publishing your writing. Another pair of eyes always helps. When facilitating feedback, ask people directed questions.
Try to avoid using 'this' or 'us', when you can be more explicit.
For clear writing, answer these questions
What Am I Really Trying To Say
Why Should People Care
What Is The Most Important Point
What Is The Easiest Way To Understand The Most Important Point
How Do I Want The Reader To Feel
What Should The Reader Do Next