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About Myself

Hello, Thank you for visiting my Technical Writing Portfolio site. My name is Daniel Sumner, I have completed a course through UNM on Certified Technical Writing.

Technical analysis has been a way of life for me for many years. I tend to look at a situation as it is. When I create a technical document I look at what is needed to show how or why for the specific document.

Professionally, I have been working as a technical writer since March 2021.

Technical Writing: My Basics

For me, Technical Writing is about:

  • Helping the reader find answers to the questions in their life.
  • Guiding the reader through a process, step by step, to help them finish it.
  • Informing the reader on a desired topic with an objective perspective that allows the reader to form their own opinions.
  • Persuading the reader, while remaining objective, of a desired process or outcome.

Regardless of whether the technical article is a guide for a process or an informational article, it solves a problem for the reader and helps them understand an area of their life.  The technical article should be a guide to help the reader in their life.  

There are a few questions that I attempt to answer before I begin writing:

  • Who am I writing to primarily?
    • What do they understand?
    • What are their objectives?
    • Whom do they look to for advice?
  • Why am I writing this?
  • Why would someone want to read this?
  • How will this help the reader?
  • What format will be needed for this article?
    • How-To
      • Have a step-by-step process.
      • Have pictures of many of the steps.
      • Have an expected end result that will be achieved.
    • Topic Explanation
      • Written in paragraph form.
      • Informs the reader about a process, a good or service, or anything else the reader needs to know.
      • Provides an analysis of documentation, processes, or goods and services.

Once I have answers to the above questions and any other questions that may have been generated in this initial process, I can begin writing the article.  My goal when I write is to help my reader understand the process (How-To), topic, or the reason for the process or outcome the article is writtenoneone.  

The reader’s understanding is the primary concern of a technical article.  While the name “Technical Article” can sound intimidating, it should be quite friendly.  A Technical article should not be difficult for the reader of the intended audience to understand.  The technical article should be able to break down any topic to the level of the intended audience so they can fully absorb what is being said.

I like to keep my articles’ meanings at a level where most people can understand them.  In this age where information is readily available online, giving as many people as possible a chance to understand the information being written about is extremely important.  If there are multiple levels of understanding for a given topic, having multiple versions of the same article might become necessary.  These versions must be arranged so the targeted audience will find the article for them.  This allows different audiences to receive the information they expect to receive from the article, maximizing the benefit the reader will receive.