Technical Writer HQ

Technical writing is not just software documentation. Most people assume technical writers only document apps and APIs. Here's what technical writers actually document: Medical devices → User manuals for diagnostic equipment → Clinical trial protocols and regulatory submissions Industrial equipment → Assembly instructions for machinery → Maintenance guides and safety procedures Financial processes → Investment procedure guides → Compliance documentation and trading platform manuals Legal procedures → Court filing instructions → Regulatory compliance guides Scientific research → Lab protocols and research methodology → Grant proposal guidelines Manufacturing processes → Production line procedures → Quality control documentation and SOPs Pharmaceutical products → Drug labeling and packaging inserts → Manufacturing validation reports Energy systems → Power plant operations manuals → Safety and emergency procedures Aerospace & defense → Aircraft maintenance manuals → Military equipment documentation And many more. If it's complex and needs to be clear, a technical writer documents it. Technical writing extends beyond tech into healthcare, finance, manufacturing, government, research, energy, and more. The skill is transferable. The impact is universal. Save this if someone thinks technical writing is just for tech companies. Share it with a technical writer in a non-tech field. 📰 Want weekly technical writing insights? Subscribe to our newsletter (link in comments). Want more career insights for technical writers: 1, Follow Technical Writer HQ 2. Like the post 3. Repost to your network

Every request sounds simple. Until you hear the second half. "Make it comprehensive." "But keep it brief." "Make it accurate." "But ship it fast." "Make it simple." "But don't leave anything out." This is the technical writer's paradox. You're asked to balance what can't be balanced. Most roles optimize for one side. Technical writers have to deliver on both. Comprehensive AND brief. Accurate AND fast. Simple AND complete. That's not a writing challenge. That's a strategic balancing act. The best technical writers don't pick sides. They find the version that serves the user while meeting the business need. Which paradox hits hardest for you this week? Drop it in the comments. Reshare this if you've felt the tension. Your fellow technical writers will relate. 📰 Want weekly insights on navigating the reality of technical writing? Subscribe to our newsletter (link in comments). Want more career insights for technical writers: 1. Follow Technical Writer HQ 2. Like the post 3. Repost to your network

Agile and Waterfall change how you work. Not what you write. Here's what actually shifts for technical writers: Planning: -Waterfall: Scope defined upfront, timeline set in advance. -Agile: Scope evolves sprint by sprint. Feedback: -Waterfall: Formal review gates at milestones. -Agile: Continuous feedback during sprint demos. Collaboration: -Waterfall: Structured meetings, work independently. -Agile: Daily standups, embedded in the team. Timing: -Waterfall: Write after features are built. -Agile: Write while features are being built. Cadence: -Waterfall: Long focus time, big push at end. -Agile: Frequent task switching, steady pace throughout. Neither is better. Waterfall rewards planning and thoroughness. Agile rewards adaptability and collaboration. Most teams use a blend of both. Strong technical writers adapt to what their team needs. Which methodology does your team use? Save this as a reference guide. Reshare if a colleague is navigating this shift. Want more career insights for technical writers: 1. Follow Technical Writer HQ 2. Like the post 3. Repost to your network

Challenging conversations don't have to derail your documentation work. Most friction follows a pattern And so do the responses that work. Here's what to say in 6 common scenarios: 1. "Just document everything" → "Let's start with the top 3 user questions. We can expand based on usage data." 2. "Can we compress the documentation timeline?" → "I can prioritize the quickstart and one troubleshooting section. Which features are critical?" 3. "This feature is intuitive. Documentation isn't necessary" → "Let's validate that. I can observe 2-3 users and document friction points." 4. "Support is seeing increased tickets related to this documentation" → "I'd like to review the top ticket patterns together. Let's prioritize based on what users struggle with." 5. "Help me understand what documentation work involves" → "I track onboarding completion, support patterns, and user feedback to continuously improve our docs." 6. "Can you just reuse what we documented last time?" → "I'll review for reusable patterns. For accuracy, I'll need to verify what's changed and test new workflows." Each response shifts from conflict to collaboration. Which scenario hits closest to home? Drop your experience in the comments. Save this for your next planning conversation. Reshare it if a colleague needs these scripts. 📰 Want weekly scripts, strategies, and frameworks for technical writers? Subscribe to our newsletter (link in comments). Want more career insights for technical writers: 1. Follow Technical Writer HQ 2. Like the post 3. Repost to your network

The best documentation anticipates what users need before they ask. Most missing documentation is not about what you forgot to write. It is about what you forgot to ask. Here are 12 questions that uncover gaps before users find them: Before They Start - What do users need installed, configured, or accessed first? - What assumptions am I making about their knowledge? - What could stop them during setup? During the Task - What happens if they skip a step or do them out of order? - What does success look like at each checkpoint? - What error messages will they see, and what causes them? When Things Break - How will they know something went wrong? - What are the top 3 mistakes users make here? - How do they undo this or start over? After Completion - What should they do next, and why? - How do they confirm it actually worked? - Where do they go if this didn't solve their problem? Use this during SME interviews, doc reviews, or when support tickets reveal gaps you missed. Which question do you wish you had asked sooner? Drop it in the comments. 👇 Save this as your documentation planning checklist. Share it with your team before your next doc sprint. 📰 Want weekly technical writing insights? Subscribe to our newsletter (link in comments). Want more career insights for technical writers: 1. Follow Technical Writer HQ 2. Like the post 3. Repost to your network

Starting a new technical writing role? The first week matters more than most people realize. Ask the wrong questions (or none at all), and months of confusion follow. Ask the right ones, and everything clicks into place faster. Here are 7 things to ask in your first week as a technical writer: 1. "Where do the docs currently live?" → Save hours of searching by knowing the system upfront 2. "Who are the go-to SMEs for each product area?" → Know who knows what and how they prefer to communicate 3. "What's the review process and typical timeline?" → Set realistic expectations from day one 4. "Are there any undocumented tribal knowledge areas?" → Find quick wins everyone knows exist but no one's tackled 5. "What metrics does the team track (if any)?" → Prioritize work that actually moves the needle 6. "What's off-limits or needs special approval?" → Avoid political or compliance issues before they happen 7. "When is the next release and what needs docs?" → Focus on what's urgent first The first week isn't about writing perfect docs. It's about understanding the system, building relationships, and documenting what matters. Save this for your next role. Share it with a technical writer starting somewhere new. What's one question that helped in a new technical writing role? Share in the comments. Want more career insights for technical writers: 1. Follow Technical Writer HQ 2. Like the post 3. Repost to your network

People think technical writing is straightforward. Until they try it. Most people don't see the complexity behind technical writing. They see the final result and assume it's straightforward. Here are 5 things that look easy until you're the technical writer: 1. "Just make it simpler" → Simplify without losing accuracy, edge cases, or completeness 2. "Can you update the docs real quick?" → One line = testing, updating 6 pages, screenshots, SME signoff 3. "Why isn't this documented yet?" → We're tracing scattered requirements across Slack, emails, and tickets 4. "Just follow what we did last time" → Last time is buried in outdated tools with no single source of truth 5. "Balance friendly, brief, simple, and accurate" → These requirements conflict—we negotiate trade-offs on every page If it looks easy, a technical writer made it that way. Save this for the next time someone asks for a "quick update." Share it with a teammate who gets it. 📰 Want weekly technical writing insights? Subscribe to our newsletter (link in comments). Want more career insights for technical writers: 1. Follow Technical Writer HQ 2. Like the post 3. Repost to your network

You're scaling your documentation team. But which org structure actually works? Here are 5 models I've seen work (and when to use each): 1. Centralized Team All writers, one manager, unified standards. Great until ~10 writers. After that, coordination becomes the bottleneck. 2. Embedded Model Writers distributed across product teams. Fast product velocity, but risk of standards drift, duplicated efforts, and content fragmentation. 3. Hybrid Model Core team + embedded specialists. Central team owns standards. Embedded writers own product docs. Most sustainable for growth. Needs tooling that supports both centralized and distributed work. 4. Hub-and-Spoke Central hub sets standards and infrastructure. Spoke teams execute within guardrails. Works for 15+ writers. Clear communication channels are critical to avoid silos. 5. Guild Model Writers report to product teams. Doc manager runs a "guild" for standards and best practices. Your influence comes from credibility, not org chart authority. The right structure depends on: - Team size (today and in 12 months) - Org priorities (consistency vs. speed) - Product complexity (shared platform vs. distinct products) - Where docs sit in the org chart - Tooling and workflows that can support your chosen model Your structure should serve your strategy, not the other way around. What structure are you running? Drop it in the comments! Reshare this if it resonates. Your fellow doc managers might find it useful. Want more career insights for technical writers: 1. Follow Technical Writer HQ 2. Like the post 3. Repost to your network

What people see: A help article. What it actually took: → 3 SME meetings to extract the actual process → 2 rounds of stakeholder review across product and engineering → 1 engineering deep-dive to verify technical accuracy → 4 revisions to balance completeness with clarity Technical writing isn't just writing. It's information archaeology. Digging through Slack threads, incomplete specs, and tribal knowledge. It's stakeholder coordination. Aligning product, engineering, and support on what users actually need. It's translation work. Converting technical jargon into clear, actionable steps. All of that gets compressed into documentation that looks "simple." The best docs feel effortless to users because someone did the hard work to make them that way. What's the biggest "invisible work" moment you've had this week? Drop it in the comments. Reshare this if you've been there. Your fellow technical writers will relate. 📰 Want weekly insights on the reality of technical writing? Subscribe to our newsletter (link in comments). Want more career insights for technical writers: 1. Follow Technical Writer HQ 2. Like the post 3. Repost to your network

B2B and B2C UX writing are not the same. Same principles. Different execution. Your audience context shapes every word you write. Here are 6 key differences between B2B and B2C UX writing: Tone and Voice B2B → Professional, consultative, builds credibility B2C → Conversational, approachable, creates delight Decision-Making Context B2B → Multiple stakeholders, longer consideration, risk mitigation B2C → Individual decisions, often quick (though high-value takes longer) Copy Length and Depth B2B → More detail, scannable despite depth, builds confidence B2C → Brevity wins, speed matters, fewer words Error Messaging B2B → Technical, specific, considers compliance B2C → Friendly, forgiving, reduces friction Value Proposition B2B → Efficiency, scalability, long-term partnership B2C → Immediate benefit, ease of use, emotional connection Success Metrics B2B → Lead quality, trial conversion, engagement B2C → Purchase completion, checkout speed, repeat behavior The bottom line: Know your audience. Write for their reality. Which context do you write for most? Let us know in the comments! Reshare this with a UX writer navigating B2B or B2C products. Want more career insights for technical writers: 1. Follow Technical Writer HQ 2. Like the post 3. Repost to your network