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.

TL;DR

It's all about collaboration. People can boost your development as a professional and bring joy to your everyday work, but can also be the main source of stress. So let's treat others with respect.

Firstly...

...it's when people don't want to understand what a tech writer does. They assign so many things to you as so the "writer" part of you job title includes being their personal scribe, translator, email writing assistant, reference searcher, grammar checker, english teacher, and so on and so forth.

I understand, that the role of a tech writer can include multiple totally different responsibilities, and that's perfectly fine. I like being able to switch between different intesting and new tasks. And I get that, if someone from your team needs help formulating a text, and you're willing to help, it's a win-win situation. But if you're constantly being assigned the tasks you're not supposed to do (even if you shared your concerns), that's where it becomes a problem.

But you're a writer, right?

Yes, I'm indeed a writer. A person who writes tech documentation (whatever that is in your mind). So mainly, what I do first whenever I land on the a new project, list out all the main things that I can help with if I feel the need for this.

Please, pay attention and listen closely. This helps avoid unnecessary discussions later. (Yes, I do have a list somewhere in a text file.)

Secondly...

...it's being totally ignored when you need input.

About 90% of my work involves interviewing people to get the data to document. I don't write to bother you; I write because it's my job.

This is this point that I desparately try to overcome, but still can't stand. Don't get me wrong, I don't bombard people with countless messages, but constantly being the lowest priority on colleagues' to-do lists is discouraging.

I can read code, but I might not understand the underlying idea sometimes. Also, if I'm about to document a new feature not yet implemented, dear SME, you're my only source of informaion, so please consider this when developing something that (ideally) needs to be written up.

I'm not a fan of meetings myself. I believe that most meetings lasting over 2 hours could be just replaced with an email and a 30-minute discussion max.

But part of my job is getting information from developers and explaining it through documentation. So please, if you are busy, at least say when we can come back to the conversation. Please don't leave me waiting endlessly for your response. Let's respect each other's time after all.

Thirdly...

...it's not being included in discussions about new features or enchantsments. How am I supposed to know the details from meetings I wasn't invited to because they were "technical discussions"?

I'm not a mind reader. And based on the previous point, the details I need have likely already slipped away because explaining them to me is a low priority.

Well, I don't even know what's more to add.

But wait..I actually have something.

In addition

Discussions with my fellow tech writers brought up even more light on the issues. Sadly, it's not the first time I heard those stories. For example:

Being treated like a child who can't think properly. Yes, I may not always grasp the details on the first or second try, but acting superior about it is inappropriate.

Or even worse: "We've already talked about this; what's so hard to understand?". This is one of the most inappropriate phrases I ever heard. I'm glad I no longer work in a place where this was acceptable.

To my fellow tech writers who've experienced this, don't allow yourself to be treated like a dummy. Speak up and never stay silent. If things don't improve, it might be time to find a project where you're treated with the respect you deserve.