A look back: MacWrite
Relive early word processing using this classic word processor on the original Macintosh.
Relive early word processing using this classic word processor on the original Macintosh.
Celebrate our community by reading these great articles and interviews and articles from our first six months.
Technical communicators need to work effectively across cultures and languages.
Technical writers can use Git to collaborate on documentation, such as for open source software projects. These are the basics.
We want to share your story about how you got started on your technical communication journey.
My focus in teaching "Writing with Digital Technologies" is to prepare students for successful careers in technical communication.
Our community shares these gift ideas to make your home office more comfortable.
Our community shares their favorite keyboards and other devices to make writing easier and more fun.
Our community shares their favorite gift ideas that every writer will love.
Relive early word processing using this classic word processor on the original Macintosh.
Celebrate our community by reading these great articles and interviews and articles from our first six months.
Take a tour of configuring user roles and permissions in Drupal both with the core options and with the help of some useful contributed modules.
Automated translation tools can often do a "good enough" job of translating between languages, with some differences.
How to create a FAQ page using the Drupal core, and other capabilities provided by some contributed modules.
Writing a book is a big task. Nate shares his process to write and edit his book, from start to finish.
What are your recommendations for this year's holiday season? Share your ideas and we'll include them in an upcoming community roundup.
Here are several methods you can use to understand what works and what to improve in your project.
This unfortunate classroom experience delivered a memorable lesson to cite your sources. Professionals should do the same.
Enjoy this look back at what it was like to create technical documents on Unix from 50 years ago.
Technical communicators need to work effectively across cultures and languages.
Copywriting sells products and services by inspiring an audience to take action. We asked one copywriter what that is like.
Mom is an excellent and flexible macro system, capable of generating a variety of different output types including books, articles, and memos.
Collaborating effectively is a key skill in any career, especially technical communication. Learn how to write together more effectively.
We want to interview you about your technical or professional writing. Let us share your story.
A further demonstration of how document preparation works behind the scenes, with a program to fill a paragraph with text.
Let's explore how document processing works by creating a simple version of a text formatting system.
My interests in communication, language, and culture are a perfect fit in technical communication.
Docbook is an excellent markup system schema that technical writers can use to create all kinds of documents.
Mom is a new groff macro package that makes it easy to create different kinds of documents.
Technical writers can use Git to collaborate on documentation, such as for open source software projects. These are the basics.
We gathered a panel of writers and editors to discuss topics in technical writing.
Our community shares their advice for anyone who's just getting started in technical writing.
Our community shares what is their favorite word processor or other writing tool.
Enjoy this practical demonstration of technical writing history on old-style Unix.
Read about how our community got interested in technical and professional writing.
We asked our community about the first article they remember writing and where they published it.
I interviewed a technical writing author who uses groff to write his books.
Word on the Web doesn't support full-width bylines, but you can get the same effect with a 2-column, 1-row table.
When you submit an article, we'll help edit for grammar, spelling, and style.
Follow these steps in Microsoft Word on the Desktop to format a document with a two-column layout.
Share a paragraph to answer these prompts. We'll include them in our roundup articles next week.
Images are a great way to make a document easier to read. Here's how to add images to Microsoft Word documents.
Due to its extensible nature, you can define your own XML tags to create a custom document markup language.
When writing for the web, an excellent diagram format is a Scalar Vector Graphic, or SVG.
XML can be used to describe any kind of data. Let's see how to assemble an XML file:
By printing an arrangement of dots next to each other, the dot matrix printer could produce letters.
If you would like to write an article for Technically We Write, but aren't sure where to start, start with this list of suggestions.
The -mom macros provide a modern way to write technical documentation in groff. Learn more in this interview with its developer.
Adding a page header and footer can turn a simple document into a more formal one.
The old rule "serif on paper and sans-serif on screen" no longer holds true with modern displays.
Create professional-looking business correspondence with a few clicks to set spacing before and above paragraphs.
A sans-serif font can project modern and new, while a serif font often suggests tradition and formality.
This year, Technically We Write plans to mark the National Day on Writing with a week-long set of articles and roundups about writing.
Explore computing history with this sample program to print one page at a time to a Model 33 terminal.
Use this sample groff document to learn how to format tables that span data between rows and columns.
Let's explore this career area in technical communication with a typical job description.
A power feature in any desktop word processor is styles. Learn how to use paragraph and character styles in Microsoft Word documents.
Our community shares their advice for what digital writing technologies students should know how to use.
Technical descriptions are used everywhere, in every field, to describe things and processes.
These programs sported features that were new at the time, but common today.
Every career field has a code of ethics or code of conduct for their specific area. And we're defining our own code of conduct for this website.
You can add other fonts for use in groff. Use this script to convert TTF, OTF or Type1 fonts for use with groff documents.
We asked our community to recommend a technical writing tool that students should learn how to use.
DITA is a power tool for technical writers who need to reuse content. Explore one popular DITA tool: Oxygen XML Editor.
Bard is quickly proving itself as a capable generative AI tool. Two examples of using Bard for technical writing.
What's one skill that students should know as they enter the workforce? We asked our community for their advice.
Technically We Write does not sell advertising on the website.
Technical writers can use DITA to break up a project into topics. Learn more about DITA in this interview with a DITA expert.
Learn about the history of the troff -me macro package to prepare technical papers.
This milestone in computing history is an excellent look back at how technical writers created documentation in an era before the desktop word processor.
If you teach technical writing, we encourage you to write about it. A few ideas to share your first article.
Generative text AI like ChatGPT can boost productivity. Explore ways that you can use AI in creating content for Drupal sites.
Share your advice for students headed back to classes this September. What advice would you share?
Discover the basics of menu management and some contributed Drupal 10 modules for menus.
More technical writers use AI to help them in their daily work. It's time to embrace AI as a technical writing tool.
Technically We Write is a community of people, and that's a core value of everything we publish on the website.
Instructors are welcome to share our content with their classes as a useful resource in technical writing.
Technically We Write isn't just for technical writers; anyone is welcome to join the community. Here's how students can contribute an article.
Explore some of the great new features you can use right now in CKEditor 5 and Drupal.
MarkText is a text editor that aims to make writing Markdown files easier.
Technical and professional writers need to aim for a middle ground that balances readability with formality.
Improve your website's responsiveness with image lazy-loading. Here are three ways to use lazy-loading on Drupal.
Follow our new sister website, Coaching Buttons, for an open community about leadership.
Once you know how to turn off text "fill" and set the font, you can include code samples anywhere in your groff documents.
Live chat can improve your website's customer experience and increase sales. Learn how to add the LiveChat module in Drupal to your website.
Connect multiple DITA topics together using DITA Map to create different kinds of documents - all without copy/paste.
If you're planning to launch your own article-based website, you may find these lessons useful.
Make content easy to find on your Drupal hosted website by using the Redirect module.
DITA Reference files provide "just the facts" about a product. Use this sample DITA Reference file as a guide in learning DITA.
Explore how to create technical documents using this shareware DOS word processor.
Using the tbl pre-processor with groff, you can create sophisticated tables with a variety of styles.
Technical writers need to be familiar with a variety of markup tools. Here's a rundown of three popular markup systems.
If you need to capture plain data about something, use a DITA Reference file. Here's how to create a DITA Reference in Oxygen XML Editor.
Learn how to schedule new content to go live on your website at a future date, using the Scheduler module in Drupal.
Let's review common elements of grammar as they relate to technical writing.
Explore three ways the ChatGPT Content Assistance module can enhance your website using generative text.
Dennis Ritchie's PhD thesis is a masterpiece of typography from a time when computer document preparation was in its infancy.
Watch this video to learn how to write ebooks using AMB, the Ancient Machine Book format.
DITA Tasks describe a process. Use this sample DITA Task file to demonstrate the most common features you need in a Task file.
ChatGPT can generate useful and interesting text to help your users. Here are a few ways to integrate ChatGPT with websites hosted in Drupal.
Writing a how-to article doesn't need to be a daunting writing assignment. Follow these steps to write your first how-to article.
DITA Task files describe the steps to complete a task. Learn how to create DITA Tasks using the Oxygen XML Editor.
ChatGPT can help streamline work by automating more mundane writing assignments. However, approach carefully.
RUNOFF was an early significant milestone in technical writing, using the computer to process text. I interviewed Jerry Saltzer about his work on RUNOFF.
Sometimes, technical information can best be represented by a table rather than in words. Use this sample document as a guide for creating tables in LaTeX.
One developer's involvement in GNU groff, the small but powerful document preparation system.
Concept files are one example of DITA topics. Explore DITA Concept files with this sample document.
To help your reader find the most important information in a document, apply document design. A few key tips for your next project.
Learn about groff's history and development in this interview with one of its developers.
What motivates you to work in the technical communication field?
For years, WordPerfect was the dominant word processor. Take a step back in time with this history and visual tour.
How did technical writers check spelling on original Unix systems? Let's learn how to make our own tools to spell check documents.
There's more to placeholder text than the standard "Lorem ipsum." Placeholder text doesn't need to be boring.
How do you collaborate on documents? We asked our community how they work together.
How do you report the results of a usability test? Here's a visual way to share results.
Leverage this common placeholder text to generate filler text for documents, websites, and other sample material.
Scenario tasks are the backbone of a successful usability test. Follow these best practices for writing your next scenario tasks.
Learn how to use the listings package to add formatted code samples to your LaTeX documents.
Take a look back at Unix history with these old school commands to check spelling in a document.
Interested in writing an article? Here's how to get started.
What tools do you use for team collaboration? We asked our community to share their process.
Use scenarios are an important part of usability test design. When writing your own use scenarios, remember these best practices.
Most of Markdown borrows existing conventions from writing in plain text. Explore some advanced formatting you can create in Markdown.
Drupal 10.1 comes packed with new exciting features for site builders, developers, and content editors. Let’s review what’s new in the release.
Use this sample document as a quick start guide to writing scientific documents in groff and eqn.
We've come a long way in technical writing. If you'd like to see how technical writers did their work in the 1970s, watch this video.
DITA Concept files are an excellent way to capture definitions and descriptions. Use this as a quick-start guide to create DITA Concepts using Oxygen.
How has generative AI changed your work? Here's what our community has to say.
How many testers do you need to get actionable results? The answer is "about five." Here's why.
Writing with digital technologies can include a variety of tools. Here's how to start writing in a lightweight ebook format.
Markdown makes it easy to convert text by borrowing conventions for writing plain text documentation.
While over 30 years old, this DOS word processor still feels very modern in a "retro" way.
Computer based word processing goes back as far as the personal computer. What was your favorite word processor from the past?
Personas help us understand who uses the system, and why they use it. Use these quick tips to write your first personas.
Technical writers often rely on a word processor to do much of their work. Compare the pros and cons of 4 popular word processors.
Let's examine the steps for a popular usability test method: the formal usability test.
Need help writing scientific and engineering documents with LaTeX? Use this sample document as a reference for equations and mathematics.
Word processors are a longtime favorite of technical writers. We asked our community about their top picks.
If you work on Linux-based projects, you may need to write "man" documentation suitable for Unix systems. Use this file as a template to write your next "man" page.
We asked our community to share what text editors they use for plain text. Is your favorite on the list?
Recently I attended a conversation about tips to create great documentation. Here are 4 top themes from that discussion.
How do you define good usability of an information product? And you don't have to be an expert to run a usability test.
This was an interesting experiment that pushed ChatGPT to its limits as a co-author tool.
Don't worry about writing for everyone. Instead, focus on those who want to read what you write.
User experience design is making new ideas visible to the team so people can discuss or test key concepts.
What's your favorite font for print? We asked our community to share their favorite picks.
Watch this video if you want to learn how to write documents with groff -me on Linux.
Accessible design should be embraced as a philosophy in technical communication. Three takeaways to build accessibility into your next project.
Automated tools help us in our writing, but don't let tools replace the "you" in what and how you write.
LibreOffice is a professional open source desktop office suite used by technical writers around the world for all kinds of projects, large and small.
Build accessibility into your projects to ensure everyone can access it. Start with alt text.
English writing has a lot of rules, but good technical writers know when to follow them and when to break them. Here are a few examples of when it's better to be clear than correct.
Looking for a quick start guide to writing documents with LaTeX? Use this sample file as a template for your next technical documentation project.
Choosing a keyboard is a very personal decision. Here are some of our favorite keyboards.
Keep the focus on your main points and avoid distractions like footnotes. A few tips to refocus your writing.
Find your passion and write about it. Don Watkins shares his experience as a technical writer about Linux and open source software.
Technical writing can be a difficult task if you don't have much practice with it. Tips to improve your technical writing.
Steps provide clear guidance on what to do and when to do it, but there are some nuances to consider when using steps as an author.
DITA makes topic based authoring easier. Create your first DITA topic using Oxygen XML Editor.
WordStar was a popular word processor in the early DOS era. Let's take a look back at this classic word processor.
A discussion about technical writing and Drupal with AmyJune Hineline.
Here are 5 things about examples you should consider when writing documentation.
One perspective on the "technical editor" role. Five things I do as editor for Technically We Write.
Managing a DITA project? Oxygen XML Editor is a flexible cross-platform DITA editor that makes it easy to work on projects.
Avoid copy/paste between documents by moving your workflow to DITA topic based authoring. Three tips to get started.
Chris Hermansen describes his journey as a technical and professional writer. Thanks to Chris for this great interview.
The first popular markup language was nroff, which formatted text for typewriter-like devices. Let's learn the basics of formatting text in the original nroff.
Many organizations rely on GitHub or other repository systems to manage projects. Here are 3 tips to manage documentation in GitHub.
Thanks to Seth Kenlon for this great interview about technical writing.
On modern systems, nroff and troff are combined as GNU groff. Read about their fascinating history and what you can do with these original Unix tools.
Technical writers don't always have to rely on tables for information. With a new approach, you can structure information in a new way.
The LaTeX document preparation system is a popular markup language for scientific and engineering documents. Learn to write your first document.
Electronic books as EPUB files can be a great way to publish content across a variety of platforms. Learn what's inside.
We welcome everyone to share their story on Technically We Write. Here are a few suggestions for your first article.
With a little javascript, you can create documentation that adjusts to your reader's preferences.
Writing documentation is always easier if you can use a template. Get started with LibreOffice Writer document templates.
Styles are a power feature in technical writing. Learn five ways you can leverage styles to work for you.
HTML makes it easy to publish content on the web. CSS makes it easy to style your content to make it look the way you want.
Tired of typing? Try speech recognition with this open source tool.
With margin notes, you can provide notes for your reader, such as extra context, errata, or pointers to other material.
Unix has always excelled at processing text. Here's a look back at the pr command to prepare documents for printing.
Learn to use basic HTML tags like bold and italics to format your documentation.
Save time by taking screenshots on Linux with one of my favorite tools.
Learn the basics of block and inline styles in hypertext documents.
You can use standard tools to examine an OpenDocument Text word processing file and extract data from inside it.
Take a trip back in time to experience technical writing with nroff and troff from the original Unix system.
Here's how I use the keyboard shortcuts in LibreOffice Writer so I can focus on the content that I'm writing.
Here's how I use fmt to reformat text to write plain text files or to quote text.
Everyone is welcome to contribute to Technically We Write. We'd love to share your story.
Technically We Write does not sell advertising on the website.
Technically We Write is about technical writing, technical editing, and all things "technical communication." Learn more about who we are.