Writing Process¶

Technical writing follows a process from initial assignment through published documentation. Understanding this process helps writers work efficiently and produce better results.

The process is iterative rather than strictly linear. Writers move between stages as new information emerges or requirements change.

Process Overview¶

The technical writing process includes:

Planning: Define scope, audience, and approach
Research: Gather information
Outlining: Organize content structure
Drafting: Write initial content
Review: Get feedback and verify accuracy
Revision: Incorporate feedback and improve
Publication: Release documentation
Maintenance: Keep documentation current

Planning¶

Planning establishes what you will write, for whom, and how.

Define the Scope¶

Clarify what the documentation should cover:

What topics are included?
What topics are explicitly excluded?
What level of detail is required?
What format will be used?

Document scope decisions to prevent scope creep.

Identify the Audience¶

Determine who will use this documentation:

What roles will read this?
What do they already know?
What do they need to accomplish?
How will they access the documentation?

See Audience Analysis for detailed guidance.

Establish Constraints¶

Identify practical constraints:

Deadline for delivery
Resources available
Dependencies on other work
Review requirements

Constraints shape realistic planning.

Create a Plan¶

Document your approach:

Outline of content structure
Research needed
Review and approval process
Timeline with milestones

Plans can be simple or detailed depending on project size.

Research¶

Research gathers the information you need to write.

Identify Sources¶

Determine where information will come from:

Subject matter experts
Existing documentation
Product specifications
Code and system exploration
User feedback and support data

See Research Methods for detailed guidance.

Conduct Research¶

Execute your research plan:

Schedule SME interviews
Review existing materials
Explore the product
Document findings

Organize Findings¶

Structure research for writing:

Note which findings apply to which sections
Identify gaps requiring additional research
Flag uncertain information for verification

Outlining¶

Outlining organizes content before writing.

Benefits of Outlining¶

Reveals structural problems early
Ensures complete coverage
Facilitates review of approach before writing
Makes drafting faster

Outline Approaches¶

Topic-based outline:

1. Introduction
   - What is X?
   - Why use X?
2. Getting Started
   - Prerequisites
   - Installation
   - Configuration
3. Basic Usage
   - First task
   - Second task

Question-based outline:

1. What is this feature?
2. When would I use it?
3. How do I set it up?
4. How do I use it?
5. What if something goes wrong?

Outline Review¶

Share outlines for early feedback:

Does the structure make sense?
Is anything missing?
Is the order logical?
Does the depth match requirements?

Fixing structural problems in outlines is cheaper than fixing them in drafts.

Drafting¶

Drafting converts outlines into written content.

Drafting Strategies¶

Sequential drafting: Write from beginning to end. Works well for linear content.

Section-by-section: Complete one section before moving to the next. Allows focus and progress measurement.

Easiest first: Start with sections you understand best. Builds momentum and reveals questions for harder sections.

Hardest first: Tackle difficult sections while energy is highest. Prevents deadline crunch on challenging content.

Writing the First Draft¶

First drafts do not need to be perfect:

Focus on getting content down
Leave placeholders for missing information
Note questions and uncertainties
Do not over-edit while drafting

Perfectionism during drafting slows progress without improving final quality.

Handling Gaps¶

When you encounter missing information:

Mark the gap clearly: [TODO: add error codes]
Continue drafting other content
Batch research questions for efficient follow-up
Do not let gaps block progress on other sections

Review¶

Review ensures documentation accuracy and quality.

Self-Review¶

Review your own work first:

Check for completeness against outline
Verify accuracy of technical information
Assess clarity and readability
Confirm style guide compliance

See Review and Editing for self-editing techniques.

Technical Review¶

Subject matter experts verify accuracy:

Provide reviewers with specific questions
Make review easy with clear formatting
Allow adequate review time
Follow up on reviewer silence

Editorial Review¶

Editors assess writing quality:

Clarity and readability
Style guide compliance
Consistency across documents
Grammar and punctuation

User Review¶

Representative users test documentation:

Can they accomplish tasks using the documentation?
Do they understand explanations?
Is information findable?

Managing Feedback¶

Handle review feedback systematically:

Track all feedback received
Evaluate each item (accept, reject, discuss)
Document decisions on contested feedback
Confirm changes with reviewers when appropriate

Revision¶

Revision incorporates feedback and improves content.

Prioritizing Changes¶

Not all feedback is equal. Prioritize:

Accuracy errors (incorrect information)
Completeness gaps (missing information)
Clarity problems (confusing content)
Style issues (consistency, formatting)

Revision Strategies¶

Focused passes: Address one type of issue per revision pass. Accuracy first, then clarity, then style.

Section-by-section: Complete all revisions for one section before moving to the next.

Additional Review¶

Significant revisions may require additional review:

Major changes need technical re-review
Substantial rewrites need editorial review
Changed procedures need user testing

Knowing When to Stop¶

Revision can continue indefinitely. Stop when:

Content is accurate and complete
Clarity is acceptable for the audience
Deadline requires publication
Additional revision yields diminishing returns

Good enough, published, is better than perfect, unpublished.

Publication¶

Publication releases documentation to users.

Publication Checklist¶

Before publishing:

Release Coordination¶

Coordinate with product releases:

Documentation available when features ship
Release notes published alongside updates
Old documentation updated or deprecated

Announcement¶

Communicate new documentation:

Release notes mention documentation changes
Team channels notified of major updates
Search engines notified of new content

Maintenance¶

Documentation requires ongoing maintenance.

Triggers for Updates¶

Update documentation when:

Products change (features, UI, behavior)
Users report errors
Analytics reveal problems
New information becomes available

Maintenance Process¶

Apply the same process to updates:

Plan the change scope
Research current state and new information
Draft updates
Review for accuracy
Publish and verify

Retirement¶

Eventually, documentation becomes obsolete:

Archive rather than delete when possible
Redirect old URLs to current content
Mark deprecated content clearly
Remove from navigation but maintain for links

Process Adaptation¶

Adapt the process to context:

Small Updates¶

For minor changes:

Abbreviated planning (know what you are changing)
Minimal research (verify current state)
Direct editing (no outline needed)
Focused review (accuracy check)
Quick publication

Large Projects¶

For major documentation efforts:

Detailed planning and scheduling
Comprehensive research phase
Structured outlines with stakeholder review
Multiple drafts and review cycles
Staged publication

Agile Environments¶

In agile development:

Documentation parallels development sprints
Smaller, more frequent updates
Continuous integration of documentation changes
Close collaboration with development team

Summary¶

The technical writing process provides structure for creating documentation:

Plan: Define scope, audience, and approach
Research: Gather necessary information
Outline: Organize content structure
Draft: Write initial content
Review: Verify accuracy and quality
Revise: Incorporate feedback
Publish: Release documentation
Maintain: Keep documentation current

The process is iterative—writers move between stages as needed. Adapt the process to project size and context.

Next: Review and Editing covers self-editing techniques and managing review feedback.