Stuff You Need to Know If You Plan to Become a Technical Writer

Ok let me get straight to the point — I've been working as a technical writer for a while now, and if you're thinking of getting into it, I'll give you a quick rundown of what you'll actually need — not just the stuff they mention in job descriptions.

1. You Have to Know the Tech

No, you don’t have to be a senior developer. But you do need to understand how things work. You should be comfortable reading documentation, looking at code, and maybe even running the software locally.

2. Clear Writing Beats Fancy Writing

Forget flowery language. The goal is clarity. Think:

• “Click this button”


• “Run this command”


• “Here’s what happens next”

If a beginner can’t follow your writing, it’s not done yet.

3. Ask Annoying Questions

You’ll often document features that aren’t fully built or explained. Don’t be afraid to ask developers:

• “What does this return?”


• “What’s the default behavior?”


• “What happens if it fails?”

You’re not bothering them — you’re making sure users don’t have to.

4. Version Control Is Your Friend

You’ll likely write in Markdown and push docs to GitHub or GitLab.

Basic Git commands like these go a long way:

    git status

    git pull

    git add .

    git commit -m \“Update docs\”

    git push

5. Stay Organized

You’ll deal with multiple files, folders, edits, reviews, changelogs, deadlines — all at once.

Make sure you can keep track of what you’re writing and why. Even a simple checklist helps.

Are We There Yet?

Being a technical writer is about bridging the gap between the builder and the user. You don’t need to know everything, but you do need to be curious, clear, and collaborative.

If that sounds like you, you’re already on the right path.