I was assigned to a new project and felt an immediate rush of excitement and pressure. It was my chance to create something truly impactful—documentation that would not only be useful but interesting. The need for a tech writer was clear, and I was expected to set up all the processes from scratch. I was waiting for the day 1, hoping to pop in and make it all nice and organized.
But then, Day 1 hit me. And it hit hard…
Technical writers often write about topics they don’t deeply understand. This is both a plus and a challenging curse of our job.
A plus, because it allows us to get acquainted with a multitude of new concepts, try out innovative products, and explore the tech world extensively. Being there when new things in IT are being created — that's what I personally love the most about tech writing.
And why the curse? It's because this approach involves a constant feeling of uncertainty and the nagging realization that "I don't understand anything at all, omg!".
You always need to ask a lot of questions, place yourself in the learner's mindset, and continuously feel the pressure to keep up and figure everything out. And deadlines often demand that you do this really quickly.
I occasionally dip my toes into the interview pool. For me, it’s like a temperature check for the industry - assessing what people are searching for, spotting the shifting tides of the market, and getting a peek into how the collective mindset around technical writing is evolving.
So, Recently, during an interview, I was hit with this question: “How can technical writers create accurate documentation if they didn’t develop the product themselves?”
This question struck a chord with me because it touches on a core aspect of our craft. But if you peel back the layers, it really asks, “What makes a great technical writer?”
With that in mind, I'd like to share some of my own insights on the topic.
Sometimes, certain aspects of tech writing really frustrate me. We all have our good and bad days at work, and there are things we love and hate about our jobs.
As they say "I'm only human, after all"... So, I want to freely express my thoughts here.
So today, I'm about to discuss with you some of the things that drive me nuts about my job, based on my experiences and those of fellow tech writers.
I'm Mariia, a tech writer from Ukraine. I'm lucky to have a diverse background in end-user documentation and internal documentation for developers. Over the years, I've had the pleasure of working on various projects: healthcare to retail, IoT, and more. I like documentation. My mission is to create a bridge of understanding between people through my texts.
Beyond my passion for writing, I'm also a passionate musician. Music fuels my creativity and inspires my work. I also have the privilege learning different languages, such as English, German, Slovak, and French, which allows me to connect with a wider audience and understand different perspectives.🌉
If you want to stay in touch or collaborate on anything tech writing-related, feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn ! Let's keep the conversation going and share ideas 🌍
Here, I want to share everything about tech writing: the things I like, the tools I try, the insights I get, and a lot more. Why? Just because I love writing!
Whether you're an experienced writer or just starting, I hope you'll find something valuable and inspiring here.
I hope you'll like it! 😇