Characteristics of Technical Writing

	Technical Writing	Creative Writing
Subject	arts, science and technology, profession, craft (work-related)	life
Reader	specific	general
Purpose	inform, instruct, persuade	entertain, provoke, captivate
Language	simple, concrete, and familiar	informal, artistic, figurative
Attitude/tone	objective	subjective
Format	attractive	not attractive

Basic Aspects of Technical Writing

1. Technical papers: the “end products” (report, proposal, technical correspondence)
2. Special techniques: the skills (the special techniques needed in the preparation of the end products)

Basic Principles of Technical Writing

Basic principles of good technical writing:

1. Always have in mind a speaker reader whom you always assume as intelligent but uninformed.
2. Be sure of the exact purpose of your paper before you start to write.
3. Use language that is simple, concrete, and familiar.
4. Be clear of what you are communicating. First tell your reader what you are going to tell him, then tell him, then tell him what you have told him.
5. Make your report attractive to look at.