How do I make technical writing more 'fluid' and less stiff?

Question

I'm trying my hand at writing a non-fiction novel of a technical nature. I used to be a relatively good writer, but years of writing project proposals and such in corporate america have negatively impacted my writing abilities. I'm trying to write on topics of a technical nature, but when I go back to read my writing and explanations, it all feels very stiff. What can I do to give my writing more of a fluid, lively feel, even when writing about technical topics? Any suggestions to help me improve and get over this?

Answer 1

Read Cosmos by Sagan, or Brief History of Time, by Hawkings; you will see some good examples of techical info delivered in an enjoyable way!

Answer 2

Put jokes in.

Something like: "We've all heard how many people it takes to change a lightbulb joke before (for the record two; one to change it and the other to correct it). Seriously, though, changing a lightbulb is easy. Simply cut the lights off, take a rag and unplug the hot light......"

Jokes make everything better. Even cheesy ones make things more interesting.

Also, give your items characterstics.

Sally the Screwdriver and Ralph the Wrench sound stupid but you CAN have a conversation between the two which makes perfect sense but doesn't sound compicated.

Answer 3

Some one once told me you could either be a creative writer, or a technical one - but it's nearly impossible to do both. (One of the reasons many English majors are NOT good technical writers.)

Best suggestion I can think of is go take a few creative writing classes. If you are able to build some rapport with folks there, have them help you with your "stiff" feel.

Good luck!

Answer 4

There is no such thing as a non-fiction novel; novels are fiction, so I'm not sure what you're writing.

To break the habit of acedmic and business writing, study how to write "Creative non-fiction."

Answer 5

Read! Read! Read! modern highly stylish writers like Hunter Thompson, Thomas Wolfe, Gay Talese, etc. You just need to add spark, meaning imagination to your writing, to make it come alive. Sure you could shapen up your sentence structures, yet it's ideas in each sentence or paragraph, that's going to make your writing explode like a Fourth of July Roman Candle.

Answer 6

i'm with daledean_hojo, examine the reservor on your power guidance pump. If its low fill the reservor to the right element, do not OVER FILL! no matter if it really is low seem over all the hoses and connections operating from the playstation pump the the playstation unit and observe if there are any moist or oily searching aspects as it is the position your leak will be.

Answer 7

Record yourself talking/speaking/reading your story/text, as if you are acting it out. Your human personality will unconsciously help you rewrite the boring areas.

Because your mind can switch into a creative mode, keep paper and pencils handy and record it to capture the exact new phrasing.

Answer 8

Try to interject some emotion into the writing. Or turn it into a dialogue between two characters.

Answer 9

use subjective adjectives. heres what you dont want:

tom manually applied 18 ft.lbs. of torque to susan's torso, and applied his mouth to hers with .8 psi of pressure, following procedures of human courtship.

Answer 10

Take a class - or just practice, practice, practice!