Writing Technical Articles
by George Myers An edited version of this article has previously appeared elsewhere
and is reproduced here with the permission of the author. This is my 46th article in Bus Conversions Magazine and my 8th here at BNO. I have been glad to share with you the information I picked up during my 33 years in the bus conversion hobby. Now it's your turn. All of us in the bus conversion community would love to learn some of the tricks you developed doing your conversion.
I have heard many people say, "I can't write articles," and I'm sure many of you are saying the same thing right now. Although the process of preparing quality technical articles is simple, it is not taught in our schools. Anyone who can prepare a coach for painting, can write an informative article on how they did it. The two jobs are essentially identical. Neither one requires any special skill nor talent, but they both require an understanding of the steps in the process to do a good job, followed by considerable dog work. To help you with your next article, I will go over the steps I use when preparing this column. You have been reading all your adult life, and know what you like and what you don't. If you write something and don't like it, figure out what it is that you don't like and try again. You are not alone, and others should be able to identify the faults in your work so you can fix them. Wives usually are quite good at this. To paraphrase FDR, "The only thing you have to fear is fear itself."
Tools Almost any job we do requires tools. Writing is no exception. When I started my engineering career, we used a pencil and paper. Although that accomplished the mission, the computer, with word processing software, has made the job significantly easier. I no longer have to read my own handwriting, and I can easily move things around. I would be dead without a spell-checker and a grammar-checker pointing out the many defects in my writings that need to be fixed. The word processor can also highlight things that need to be checked.
What to Write About A coach conversion is a large complex system. Almost any subsystem makes a good subject for an article. Articles on smaller items are generally better, because enough detail can be included to ensure the reader understands each operation in the project. Things that are unique to your coach are usually good. The things you did not know how to do when you started give you the opportunity to discuss the problems, the possible solutions, why you chose the one you did, and how you did the job. Any modifications you made to your coach are also high interest items.
Tell How and Why, Not Just What People who read magazines and surf the net are looking for useful information. It is not enough to say what you did or what equipment is on a coach, the readers want to know why it was chosen and how it was made and installed. The most valuable information a writer can give is on the little tricks he developed while doing the project. Even more valuable is a discussion on the mistakes he made, how they were corrected, and what can be done to prevent them. There have been numerous times when I did something that worked out OK, but I realized at the end that I could have done it in a much easier way. It is the information on the easier way that the readers want.
Brain Storm The first step in the actual process is to do some "Brain Storming." That is where you write down a few words identifying all the things that need to be included. For this column, the section headings are the things I wrote down. They are in a logical order now, but that reordering came later. For this column, I made the list and added items to it over a week. When I though of something new, I added it. I revisited the list several times getting my thoughts in line. While it really helped this month, taking that much time is not always necessary.
Group/Organize The next step is to identify items that go together, and move them so they are in a logical order. There are often several ways the items can be grouped. The author needs to try different categories to find the best approach. Typically, articles on bus conversion related items are grouped by the steps in the process.
Another organization method might be to discuss the research covering all reasonable possibilities, followed by what you did, ending with how it worked out.
Several times I have been well along in the writing process when I realized it was not working. I had to go back and change the article's basic organization.
Expand Outline Levels The next step is to expand the list, which is now an outline for the article. The more detailed the outline is, the better. This step can make or break the article. It keeps things in a logical order, and it gives you the opportunity to look at each item and identify what you want it to say. Look at each item and be sure it fits where it is.
Write It is now time to start the actual writing. A master copy of the outline should be kept for reference and another copy used as headings, as I am doing here. These headings can be removed at the end, but it is best to keep them through the editing process as a reminder. The material under each heading should be appropriate to the subject. If it is off the subject, it should be moved to the section where it belongs. If a heading that covers that subject does not exist, add it to the basic outline. In other words, don't wander around. Before removing the headings, be sure they are not needed.
Transitions Every time a new item starts, there is a change in the subject. The first sentence should be a transition, or introduction, that lets the reader know what the new subject is. Before going on to a new subject, wrap up the one you were on.
Graphics They say a picture is worth a thousand words. In addition to pictures, there are many easy-to-use graphics programs that can make clear drawings to illustrate what is being discussed/explained. Don't over use graphics and don't assume that they are self explanatory. The best situation occurs when there are a written explanation and a drawing or photo that the reader can follow. The idea is to have redundancy where either the text or the graphic would tell the story. Although not always possible, that is the goal.
Introduction/Conclusion It may seem rather late in the process for an introduction, but I find it best to get the body together first. Then write the introduction to get the readers thoughts going in the right direction. A conclusion wraps up the article.
In the military I was taught: Tell them what your going to tell them; Tell them; Tell them what you told them. In other words, cover the key points at the beginning and the end. This works well if you have key points that need emphasis. Many how-to articles do not have clear key points.
I tend to give some background information to start my articles and use the main points in the conclusion. The larger the item, the more necessary it is to have an introduction and conclusion.
Editing Now that the article is written, it is time to start the editing process. You are the first Editor. Go over your work to the best of your ability, and use both the spell-checker and the grammar-checker.
For the beginning author, the job is not yet half finished. Everything I publish has at least twice as many hours in the editing than I spent on the computer creating the first draft. In some cases, it may be four or five times. Go over the document checking for every problem you can think of.
Find Editors I know several people who claim they can edit there own work well enough, but when I read their material, I have always disagreed. When I read something I wrote, I tend to see what should be there, not what is there. There are things that sound correct to me that are not grammatically proper. It is essential that I have other people go over it.
For the works that we publish through Epic Conversion Support, I have at least four other editors. For the "Electrical Shorts," I have at least two others plus the magazine's professional staff.
It is best to have one person who is sharp on basic grammar and someone else who can follow the technical content to tell me if it communicates what it should. If the editors (or proofreaders) can't understand what was said, then other readers will not either. The job is to rewrite the text so they can. You must resist the temptation to explain it to them so they understand, leaving the next reader to figure it out themselves.
When picking proofreaders, you want some hard nosed folks who will tell you what is wrong. Be sure they know you want help, not accolades. Syrupy people who tell you how great it is are of no value.
Other bus converters are often good proofreaders. Bruce Lantz in Idaho reads all my stuff. He seems to be happy to do it for free just to see the info early. I e-mail it to him, and he either e-mails his comments or sends a marked copy snail mail. If you are on the Internet, you should be able to find proofreaders easily with a short note on THE BOARD, BNO's interactive bulletin board.
Common Problems People develop ways of stating things in their writings that can be objectionable and confusing. Poor styles tend to add extra words that get in the way of what is being said. These styles should be kept in mind during the basic writing process, but correcting them is more important during the editing.
Remember Your Audience The purpose of writing the article is to convey the information to people who do not already know it. They may also not even understand the terms that people knowledgeable in the area commonly use (the jargon of the trade). The writer must use words the reader will understand if the article is to communicate. The writer must also check every sentence to be sure the reader knows what is bring discussed. It is not enough to be absolutely correct in what you say; the reader must understand it.
Totalitarian and Egotistical Styles Most people writing their first technical articles tend to adopt either the Totalitarian or the Egotistical style (my names). Sentences written in either style will sound much better when changed to an Impersonal style. Some examples: Egotistical - I started to clean at the top of my bus and worked my way to the bottom so the dirt I loosened would not run down on my clean surface. Totalitarian - You start cleaning at the top of your bus, and then you work your way to the bottom so you don't let the loosened dirt mess up the part you already cleaned. Totalitarian does not have to be filled with "you" and "your." An example - Start at the top and work down so the dirt does not run down on the clean surface. Although this last example sounds a little better, it would be even better if it were Impersonal - It is better to start cleaning at the top and work down, so the dirt does not run onto the clean surface. The impersonal style not only sounds better, it generally gets the ideas across in fewer words.
There is a place for the words I, you, and your. That is when discussing something where my inclusion in the discussion, or your's, is significant. When talking about "my coach" I should say my coach. That means one specific Gillig Phantom. In many of the things I write, I mean to speak directly to my reader about the decisions that he needs to make when designing his coach. However, when talking about something I built that I am explaining to you, the project is the subject and you and I should be left out.
Jumping In For most electrical projects, how things are connected is important information. There is a great urge to jump in and get to it. However, the reader may be lost and not know what is being connected or why. To prevent this, the discussion should start with what the overall system does. Next comes the function for the section being discussed and how it accomplishes the function (how it works). Next list the components and what each component does. Now the reader should be able to understand what is being connected, and why. A similar situation develops in discussions on mechanical systems. Many authors start bolting Part A to Part B without telling the reader what the project is all about or what the parts do.
Too Many Words Most people find it easier to say in 20 words what could be said in 10. For the first time writer, this is a subject better left to the editing process. Put the ideas on paper first, and then wordsmith them into shape. When you see mistakes in your first article, keep them in mind when writing the second.
Although the phrase "to be" may be needed, it usually can be eliminated. Look at each sentence during the editing process to see if the same thing can be stated more clearly with fewer words. Shorter is almost always clearer.
Weasel Words My grammar checker is good at spotting weasel words. These are words such as "almost, usually, really, most, often, etc." Although there are appropriate times to use them, they can simply be there to protect the writer from the possible exceptions.
Over Used Words I overuse the words problem, of, from, and several others. So do many other authors. I learned this by looking at the things I had written, and by having my proofreaders point them out. Now that I know this, I look for those words and try to reword them out where I can, so they are not over used. The Thesaurus in my word processor is a big help. I have a list of 26 synonyms for "problem" on the bulletin board beside my desk that I check every time I catch myself using it. Each author needs to build his own list of over used words.
Some other often over used words are "I think" and "generally." You would not say it if it was not what you thought. Unless you want to make it clear that this is your opinion, and that there are other opinions commonly held by other people, the "I think" is best left out. "Generally" can be a weasel word or simply used to start the sentence. Neither use is appropriate.
The words "it," "they," and "them" assume that the reader knows what they refer to. Check each use of these words to be sure the reader will not get confused.
Conclusion It takes work to write a good article, or to do anything else well. Following the process to organize the material first is essential. There may be people who can sit down and do a good job of writing without first organizing, but not many. Once the main body is written, it is time to add the introduction, conclusion, and graphics.
Once you have your article, the work is well under way, but far from finished. The editing process takes more time than the writing. Check it for everything you can, and in every way you can. Then get some proofreaders to go over it. Be sure they look at the big picture, including organization, transitions, does it communicate, writing style, as well as grammar.
You don't have to be perfect. The majority of bus converters are hungry for any information you can give. There are a few arrogant folks that are fast with the criticism, but remember one of life's truths: "Those who can, do. Those who can't, bitch."
George Myers is a retired 32 year veteran Electrical Engineer with over twenty years of experience working on bus conversions. George wrote a monthly feature article for Bus Conversions Magazine entitled "Electrical Shorts" and is now producing "The Coach-Builder's Bulletin", www.coach-builder.com, along with his wife Sue, for their company Epic Conversion Support.
