With the conversations, I had with some friends last week about writing and creating a blog to share knowledge about what they are learning. I concluded that most beginners do not know the importance of writing while learning.
This article is for beginners that are still wondering why they should put their learning in writing and beginners that are still struggling with getting their content together. Let's not forget I'm a beginner too, smile.
With the hashnode boot camp going on presently and with what I have learned so far, I'm writing this article for beginners like me.
In this article, I will be walking you through the meaning of technical writing, why you should start writing, how to start writing.
Table of Content
- Technical writing: what does it mean?
- Why you should start writing
- How you can start writing
Technical writing: what does it mean?
According to Wikipedia
Technical writing is writing or drafting technical communication used in technical and occupational fields, such as computer hardware and software, engineering, chemistry, aeronautics, robotics, finance, medical, consumer electronics, biotechnology, and forestry. Wikipedia
Technical writing is a type of writing that consists of codes, graphics, diagrams, pictures illustrations. It's a type of writing pertained to communicating your technical knowledge with other people to gain knowledge.
Some months back Edidiong Asikpo published an article titled: Technical Writing: What and how. This article will give you a clear understanding of what Technical writing means. You can have a quick read.
Why should you start writing?
As a developer, designer, data scientists, analyst, DevOps, etc, we all need to put our learning into writing.
Writing makes you better at your individual skillset because when you write you tend to do research hence getting more understanding of the topic you are writing about. It basically aces up your skills.
How you can start writing?
To start writing you must follow the following steps, although they aren't limited to these.
Be intentional about it
You don't want to write one article this year and forget about writing till next year. Know the best pace you can work with.
Anything you're doing and you're not intentional about, that thing might not last, you have to be intentional about things, even the minutest.
Write about things you are passionate about or you have expertise in.
While attending the second session of hashnode boot camp I got some understanding about this point. It is really essential to write about what you are passionate about, this way you will be able to flow well with your readers and you won't be out of content.
Read and make researches as much as you can
You can not give what you do not have. Writing is by what you know. You write out of the abundance of your own understanding. Read and carry out research, make inquiries, ask questions. This way you will understand what you are writing about hence you will be able to give a detailed explanation. You feel me right?
If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all read a lot and write a lot. - Stephen King
Start your own blog.
Hashnode is a perfect place you can kick off your writing career. Hashnode allows you to write, share your draft with people or mentors for proofreading, which allows you to get feedback even before publishing your article. Isn't this amazing? You can sign up here you can also read more about hashnode here. There are other blog websites you can join to share your knowledge like Dev, Medium, to mention a few.
Write in your own style.
Don't try to be like anybody when writing, don't get me wrong it's not that you shouldn't have someone or people you look up to but try as much as possible not to want to be like anyone or copy anyone. Be yourself. Don't try to compare yourself with anyone. Someone once said good luck finding what someone has not written before. You just have to add your own flavor to the content.
Don't compare or compete with anyone, if you will be competing with anyone it should be yourself. - Tapas Adhikary
Be Consistent!
Writing consistently makes you a better writer, the more you write the better you become, and the better you become, the more you gain more audience to check out your blog. All of these are still coming down to making you a better writer. So, why no just start?
A day of bad writing is better than a day of no writing. - Don Roff
Conclusion
In conclusion, it's important to start writing part from the fact that it helps you be a better writer and makes you better at your individual skill, It's also a way of giving back to the community by giving others the privilege to know what you are learning. Through feedbacks, you get better.
Just start writing!
Start writing no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on. - Louis L' Amour
I hope you find this article helpful. I'm excited about the contents you'll be creating soon and I'm anticipating reading your articles too. If you love this article feel free to like and drop your comment in the comment box below. You can follow me on twitter Thanks for reading through.
Reference
- What is Technical Writing
