Next time you sit down to write, think about which point of view is most appropriate. Is your goal to instruct and advise or to participate and observe? These are questions you need to ask before you sit down and begin your project.

So here’s a refresher on each point of view and how they might be used. A point of view indicates a writer’s relation to the information that is being presented via the use of a ‘personal pronoun.’ Personal pronouns are divided into the first, second and third person.

First person uses the personal pronoun “I.” If I use this personal pronoun, I am indicating to my reader that I am an observer and participant. In school, we’re told that using I is usually unacceptable unless you’re stating an opinion; even then you’re encouraged to use “one” or the third person. But “I” can be used to liven up your writing. If you’re creating an opinion or editorial piece, it is completely acceptable to use the first person. Knowing when and where to use the pronoun “I” as an effective writing device can enhance your writing, but make sure you choose to use it with intent.

Second person uses the pronoun “you.” It is one of the most common POV’s and is often found in advice and instruction materials. It is either stated implicitly, as in ‘now you push the red button,’ or implied, as in ‘now push the red button.’ In the second person, you are the director or advisor rather than the observer or participant. Like third person, second person is impersonal.

Third person uses he, she, they and any other pronoun that is neither first nor second person POV. Third person POV is traditionally used in formal, academic and technical writing, separating the writer from the material completely. The third person is informal, and the writer’s role is to give instructions or advice, write about other people or things, and generally provide information that is balanced, objective and impersonal.

Keep in mind that the point of view you assume, whether it’s personal or impersonal, depends on your audience and the purpose of the document. If you’re writing a formal letter to a potential employer, maintaining an impersonal point of view will make you look more professional. Conversely, if you shoot an email to a colleague, it’s ok to relax and adopt a more personal tone. A good rule of thumb is to pay attention after the first letter or email from a colleague, associate, boss, or potential employer. Take your POV cue from them, and you’ll be fine.

Technical writing bears a special place in the writing world. It requires a diligence and knowledge base that goes beyond a little research; even people who call themselves ‘technical writers’ many times end up taking confusing jargon and changing it to, well, more confusing jargon. Good technical writing requires the author to be neat, organized, and above all, concise.

In the beginning, technical writing primarily referred to writing about technology in the form of content like end-user manuals, white papers, system design documents, web sites, and similar materials for companies like engineering firms and IT companies. In the last few years, however, technical writing has evolved and drifted into many other fields such as finance, business, marketing, and more.

Like any type of writing, technical writing requires preparation. You have to identify your target audience and ask questions like: who is your reader? How well do they know the subject matter? Are there multiple audiences?

After you’ve assessed your audience, you need to ascertain your purpose. Why are you writing this document? What is your goal? What do you want your audience to know or be able to do when you’re done?

Researching a topic is essential before you write an article, report, or other material, and technical writing is no different. In fact, you could argue that technical writing requires more research than other types of writing because, in order to write about a technical subject, you need to know it well. Getting acquainted with completely new software, for example, can take hours of research. This is why a company might choose a field expert with no writing experience over a professional writer; they’re already intimate with the subject.

However, this isn’t always ideal. If an expert software engineer writes an instruction manual for a piece of software that’s going to be mass marketed, but the average consumer can’t understand the material, he’s lost his audience and a potential client.

Though some shy away from technical writing, it can be enjoyable. Writing about cutting-edge gadgets, new technologies, new software, evolutions in business and marketing, and any number of other topics can be both rewarding and intriguing.

If you’re interested in technical writing, do the (surprise!) research and find examples, tutorials, classes; whatever resources you can use. Practice translating highly technical jargon to ordinary language or take a technical writing course. Learn how to avoid the sinkholes and swamps of jargon and create truly concise, understandable writing that speaks clearly to its audience.

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