How to write your first article

Technically We Write is an open community about technical and professional writing, editing, web authoring, SEO, usability, and everything else that you can put under the technical communication umbrella. We love to share stories about technical communication, and we want to share your story.

There are many ways that you can share your first article with us. Here are a few examples for the first-time writer:

Tell us about how you got started in technical writing. Everyone has a unique journey into technical communication. Some writers planned out a career in technical writing, and earned a degree in technical communication with an eye to becoming a writer later on. Others found themselves drawn into technical writing from another path. How did you become a technical writer? What was your motivation to start writing? Share your story with us.

Write a technical description or extended definition. Technical writing comes in all forms; it's not just writing "how-to" articles. If you're looking to write about a new topic, start with a technical description or extended definition. A technical description is a breakdown about something, providing a high-level overview about a thing or process. By extension, an extended definition is similar to a technical description, but is usually longer and with more detail. Feel free to write either a technical description or extended definition about something related to technical communication. For example, you might write a description that answers the question "What is a word processor?" or "What is a web content management system?" If you have a favorite product that you use all the time, you might write an extended definition about it, such as "What is Drupal?" or "What is LibreOffice Writer?"

Show how to use a tool or system for technical writing. We love to share articles about how to use Word, LibreOffice, Markdown, or another digital writing tool or technology. A great way to start is to describe a process you do all the time. Just because something is familiar to you doesn't mean that everyone knows how to do it. There will always be someone out there who is trying to figure out how to do exactly that, and your article will help them.

Don't worry about treading on familiar ground, or writing another article on a topic we've already covered on the website. Everyone has a great angle on the tools they use and the processes they follow, and we want to know how you do it.