The Technical Writing Editing Checklist

Transcript

1. My Technical Writing Editing Checklist Genesys Campus Club AE-FUNAI
2. Victor Ikechukwu Speaker @Victor_codejs Software Developer & Technical Writer. I code and write about code.
3. Editing? Editing (verb) /ˈɛdɪtɪng/ The process of preparing (written material) for publication by correcting, condensing, or otherwise modifying it.
4. “ Professional editors are like cake icing. They can take the most basic piece of writing and enhance it to become the best version of itself. ”
5. However, as vital as editors are, you may not always have access to them for various reasons. In such situations, self-editing becomes an invaluable skill. LET’S GET STARTED
6. Maintain consistency • If you start referring to a concept or tool using a particular term or style, use the same term/style to refer to the concept or tool throughout an article to avoid confusion. • Pick a Point-of-view (POV), i.e, how you address the intended audience, and sick to it
7. h Before ❌ After ✅
8. Break up series of items separated by commas into lists Break up sequential items into list to improve flow
9. h Before ❌ After ✅
10. Break up your text into paragraphs of 2 - 3 concise sentences Always try to break up your text into paragraphs of 2 - 3 sentences max, where each sentence expresses a single thought. Not doing this will create paragraphs or, rather, walls of text that are too long and hard to read.
11. h Before ❌ After ✅
12. Use inline styles to offset important text In terms of formatting, styling important text differently helps place better emphasis on them. - Use bold for user interface elements, e.g Click Save - Use italics for emphasis, e.g You must save your work before shutting down - Use monospace fonts for file paths, terminal commands, and code, e.g Run `./bin/script.sh`
13. h Before ❌ After ✅
14. Additional Tips: - Eliminate repetition and redundancies Read each sentence and ask yourself if it introduces new information, ideas, or analysis. If it is simply restating old information, rewrite it or delete it. - Be wary of the words ‘easily’ & ‘simply There are very few things in life we can guarantee, what’s simple and easy for person X might be hard and difficult for person Y. - Cut out unnecessary prepositions: Your sentences would still convey exact meaning without them - In accordance to → Following - in order to → To - On a daily basis → Daily - Return back → Return
15. Don’t Do it Alone, Utilize Tools. • Grammarly • Quilbot • Hemingway App • WordTune • ChatGPT
16. “ The editing tips shared in this session can help turn your first draft into a document that more clearly communicates the information you want to share. Use one tip or use them all? The important thing is to find the routines that works for you, and then make those routines part of your writing process. ”
17. Useful Resources • How to write content your users will read • The technical writing process: How to do technical writing like a pro • How I Write Technical Documents (Part 4) // Technical Editing Checklist • What it’s like working with an editor
18. THANK YOU! Twitter: @Victor_codejs Website: https://iamvictor.tech