Professional Writing
Turn knowledge into accurate, testable instructions that help another person complete a task safely.
Before you begin
Learning stage
Technical instructions bridge the gap between what the writer knows and what the reader needs to do. Begin by defining the target user, the task, prerequisites, and the expected result. Then write one meaningful action per numbered step in the order the reader must perform it.
Make success observable. After a critical action, tell the reader what should appear or change. Separate optional notes from required steps, and place warnings before the risky action. Accurate terminology matters, but unfamiliar terms should be defined when the reader may not know them.
Learning stage
The revised instruction removes hidden assumptions and gives the reader a way to verify success.
Goal: Protect your account with an authenticator app.
Before you begin
- Install an authenticator app on your phone.
- Sign in to your account in a web browser.
Steps
1. Open Settings, then select Security.
2. Under Sign-in methods, select Authenticator app.
3. Scan the displayed QR code with your authenticator app.
4. Enter the six-digit code from the app, then select Confirm.
Expected result
A green “Authenticator enabled” message appears in Security settings.
Warning: Save the recovery codes before closing the page. You may need them if your phone is unavailable.Learning stage
Connect the writing principle to messages and documents used in real work.
Learning stage
Identify habits that hide meaning, increase reader effort, or weaken action.
Learning stage
Draft, review, and revise so the principle becomes part of your normal writing process.
Activity 1
Choose a familiar digital task and list everything a new user must already have, know, or be able to access. Turn the list into a Before you begin section.
Hint: Include permissions, account state, tool version, and starting location when relevant.
Activity 2
Write six to eight numbered steps for a simple task. Ask another person—or your future self—to follow only the written instructions and record every uncertainty.
Hint: Revise the instruction, not the reader, when a required detail is missing.
Learning stage
Answer before revealing the explanation.
QUESTION 1
Before the action that creates the risk
The reader needs the warning while there is still time to avoid or prepare for the consequence.
QUESTION 2
To let the reader confirm that the action succeeded
A visible success condition helps the reader detect problems at the step where they occur.
Learning stage
Apply the principle to a realistic writing decision and explain your choices.
Short answer: Keep the essential logic and accurate terms, but define unfamiliar language and reveal each decision at the moment the reader needs it.
Begin with the reader's goal, use the correct product terms, and explain why a choice matters in plain language. Remove implementation detail that does not change the reader's action, but retain prerequisites, risks, and conditions that affect the result.
Possible follow-ups
Learning stage
Reliable documentation makes a task reproducible. It defines the starting state, orders actions clearly, names risks before they occur, and gives the reader evidence that each important result was achieved.