Technically Speaking (Plain and Simple)
By Sandra Bynum-Lewis

I’ve been writing for a long time now.

I loved words from the day I began to read. I learned to read the old fashioned way, with plain and simple phonics. Plain? Simple? Okay, I know that many people who never learned to read phonetically consider it to be drudgery at best. Yet, phonics gave me the golden key to reading. With phonics I could decipher new words by sounding out each syllable while at the same time gaining an understanding of how letters and their corresponding sounds work together to form words. Each and every word learned, whether an everyday word or a “new” word, became my own personal discovery; a new addition to my ever-growing vocabulary.

Once I had the system down, I could read just about any word, and in turn, form sentences to express myself using all those words. I could write meaningful essays and imaginative stories and impressive reports that all of my teachers liked. And some of the things I wrote, actually many, I wrote just because I wanted to.

Most children who write are storytellers. Imaginations are fertile, and there is nothing more satisfying to a young author than to record those precious tales and extraordinary fantasies on paper before they are forever forgotten.

However, for some of us, fictional characters and their make-believe adventures fell by the wayside as we grew and matured. Storytelling simply didn’t do it for us anymore. But guess what? We still loved to write! We WANTED to write. Things worked out quite well for us during the high school and college years. Reports, compositions, theme papers, essays, critiques--  these were all great formats for “serious” writing.

I majored in fine arts in college, and for many years contemplated where I was going creatively. I finally decided that writing was what I wanted and needed to do. However, I wasn’t sure exactly what it was that I wanted to write. Short stories? Novels? Poetry? Song lyrics? Nursery rhymes? No, no, NO!

After carefully considering all of my writing options, I finally decided that my area was “nonfiction.” Good. I had chosen a direction at the fork in the road, which narrowed things down to, well, an infinite number of possibilities.

One thing I had going for me was my early background in phonics. I had become a stickler for correct spelling and grammar. I despised typographical, grammatical, and spelling errors. Improper word usage made me crazy!  I often found myself proofreading and editing papers for just about everybody I knew (and occasionally getting paid for it).

Then one day, while browsing through a local community college class catalog under English Department, I discovered “technical writing.” My heart did a flip-flop.  It sounded so-- right.

I took every technical writing class I could find. I discovered that technical writing, professional writing, business writing, and occupational writing are often used interchangeably. According to William S. Pfeiffer, author of our textbook, Technical Writing: A Practical Approach (Prentice Hall, 2000), technical writing is “a generic term for all written communications done on the job—whether in business, industry, or other professions… (and) is particularly identified with jobs in… fields with specialized vocabularies.”

Technical writing is purposeful writing. It persuades a customer, instructs employees, or informs the boss. Clear and simple organization of information and ideas is essential in technical writing.

This is great stuff, I thought. This is my kind of writing! I dove into graphic arts and computer classes because, of course, supportive statistical data and graphics are essential to technical writing. I also signed up for an editing class that was unfortunately cancelled due to lack of interest. The five or so of us like-minded English grammar lovers who showed up for class shuffled away, broken-hearted. However, I kept my textbook, Editing for Writers, by Lois Johnson Rew, and fervently studied it on my own.

I have since written a variety of technical documents including an apartment manager’s duties manual, a monthly high school newsletter, a series of business owners’ profiles, events fliers, press releases, and a complete handbook of office procedures. I have edited, proofread, and updated manuals, reports, and other business documents. I have formatted newsletters and other projects adding photographs, illustrations, diagrams, and charts.

Yet, the term “technical writer” is still confusing for some, even within the field itself. What I mean is, a technical writer is still sometimes defined only as a writer of a) technical instructions for complicated electronic or highly complex equipment or procedures, or b) documentation within highly specialized fields. Apparently, if you don’t have the background and training for this type of writing, you don’t qualify to be a technical writer. I’ve seen this on more than one occasion.

The fact is that technical writers can work in nearly any field. Furthermore, we have our work cut out for us. It all started with the military, then crept into business, government, and higher education. I’m talking about puffed-up jargon and “doublespeak” that was originally designed to impress readers instead of informing them. The technical mumbo-jumbo language that no one could read without instantly falling asleep became the norm, and now it is our job to undo the damage and bring about clear, understandable writing once again.

The modern technical writer takes a set of complicated undecipherable instructions and rewrites them so that the average Joe can figure out what they mean and actually use them. (No more “I don’t need no stinking directions!”) Today’s technical writer produces a memo that is light, tight, and to the point; with words like “use” instead of “utilize,” and “finally” instead of “in the final analysis.” She cuts, simplifies, and reduces. Passive voice is replaced with carefully selected active verbs. Dull and wordy sentences are restructured. Pretentious language is written out. Evasive euphemisms such as “economically deprived” and “incendiary device” are replaced with “poor” and “bomb.” Jargon is no longer used unless targeted to a specific trade, and even then plain English is preferred.

That’s technical writing, plain and simple.

Just my style.

Sandra Bynum-Lewis is a freelance writer, specializing in technical writing. She wrote, updated, and/or revised forms, procedures, handbooks, and other documents for a new California charter high school; and has published articles about local businesses in Monterey County. She home-schooled her five children and, among other projects, is currently working on a book of tried-and-true learning activities and curriculum ideas for home-schooling families. Visit her website at http://www.worditwrite.com.

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