Same Road, Different Technology
There’s always someone announcing that AI writing is slop. Usually in a comment, usually with some variation of “you can always tell”. I read a lot of those. What strikes me isn’t the argument, since the argument is mostly aesthetic. It’s how familiar the shape of it is. Every significant tool change gets the same […]
What Makes a Work Instruction People Actually Use
Most organisations have plenty of documentation. What they don’t have is documentation anyone opens twice. The difference between a work instruction that gets used, versus one that gets written then forgotten, usually comes down to a handful of decisions made before anyone starts typing. Here’s what those decisions look like, plus how to use AI […]
Yes, AI Helped Write This. I’ve Been a Technical Writer for 20 Years.
Let’s get the objection out of the way first. Yes, AI helped produce this article. I’ve been a technical writer on and off for nearly 20 years. Government, healthcare, finance, aviation, telecommunications. I use these tools daily. I use them deliberately, without guilt. The argument against doing so doesn’t hold up well, so it’s worth […]
The Time AI Gives Back to a Technical Writer
Every technical writing job has a set of tasks that sit between you, the actual writing. Building an outline. Working out what’s missing from a documentation set. Putting together an example so a concept lands. Editing the same document for the fifth time. None of that is the hard part of the job, though collectively […]
4 Things AI Genuinely Does Well in Technical Writing
There’s a lot of noise about AI in documentation work. Some of it oversells what the tools do, some of it dismisses them entirely. The reality sits in the middle, which is less interesting to write about, though more useful. After a couple of years using these tools daily across rollouts, 4 things stand out […]
What AI Actually Changed About Technical Writing
The prediction was that AI would make technical writers unnecessary. A few years in, that hasn’t happened. What has happened is that the slow parts of the job got considerably faster. Research, note taking, first drafts, restructuring, and reformatting. All of that used to take hours. Now it takes minutes, which is a real change […]
Why Technical Writing Feels Less Draining Than It Used To
Most conversations about AI in technical writing focus on speed. How much faster a draft comes out, how many hours a week get saved. That’s measurable, so it gets the attention. The change I notice more is harder to put a number on. By the end of a long documentation day, there’s more left in […]
💡 Writers’ Block Doesn’t Exist Anymore – Thanks to Gen AI and ChatGPT
Ever sat staring at a blank page, waiting for inspiration to strike? Yeah, we’ve all been there. But here’s the truth: Writers’ block is officially a thing of the past—thanks to Generative AI and tools like ChatGPT. Now, instead of waiting for ideas to come, you can generate them on demand. With the right prompts, […]
The AI Writing Revolution: How to Automate Documentation Without Losing Quality
AI is a helpful tool when used correctly. The key is knowing where it fits into the writing process without sacrificing quality. Automation can improve efficiency, but documentation still needs a human touch to make it readable and user-friendly. Here’s how businesses can use AI without losing quality. 1. Use AI for First Drafts, Not […]