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Technical Writing 🛠️

Technical Writing

Technical Writing is Cool!​

I started technical writing more than 20 years ago. I certainly wouldn’t have made a good novelist — I lack imagination when it comes to creative writing. But I’m good at asking, understanding, explaining, and describing. These are the essential skills for a technical author: not to invent, but to say what is and guide users in what they need to do to accomplish a task. Think like both a developer and a user. Present the software (or API, or SDK) in its best light. Elevate user satisfaction and company satisfaction through your writing. Yes, technical writing is pretty cool!

Technical Writing Involves so Much​

What’s cool about technical writing is the diversity and complexity it entails.

  • You have to be a writer with strong technical knowledge.
  • You need to think like a user and know the software almost as well as its developers.
  • You must express complex ideas in simple ways.
  • You need to think clearly and communicate precisely.
  • You should master at least two languages (including English).

As a technical writer, you work with a wide range of tools: Static Site Generators (SSGs) in my case (See the Docs-as-Code philosophy) –or Component Content Management Systems (CCMS), or Help Authoring Tools (HATs) in other cases– word processors, image editors, and more.
Every technical writer has their toolbox — whether you're building developer docs with lightweight markup or designing structured content for enterprise platforms, adaptability is key.

Technical Writing: the Twin of Programming​

Programming always has a goal: to fulfill or create a specific need. That involves evolution and users — whether those users are non-technical or other developers. In all cases, your application (or API, or SDK) needs to be highlighted and explained, in other words, documented, or it risks missing its audience. That’s why technical writing is the twin of programming.

If your development team produces any of the following, documentation is essential:

  • A mobile application or web service.
  • A connected device or robot with an application layer.
  • An API or SDK.
  • Any B2C or B2B software with multiple interfaces.

Poor documentation can drive end-users (or developers in the case of APIs & SDKs) away. They may abandon the product or flood support lines. Good documentation helps prevent that.

⇨ See also Technical Writing is the Twin of Programming

Services in Technical Writing​

At CoffeeCup.tech, I offer full-stack technical writing services.
Whether it’s documenting APIs, SDKs, or user interfaces, I bring clarity and structure to every layer of the product.
I understand the developer’s mindset and the user's perspective, ensuring that documentation isn't just accurate — it's genuinely helpful.

From the backend logic to the front-end experience, I cover it all.

See all my technical writing services

©Author: Florence Venisse, STW — Reviewed version of 07/21/2025.