Writing is an unnatural act. According to Charles Darwin, “Man has an instinctive tendency to speak, as we see them in the babble of our young children, whereas no child has an instinctive tendency to write”.
It’s natural for engineers to convey their thoughts verbally. But when it comes to writing, it’s a laborious task.
Speaking and writing involve two different personalities. For engineers, the spoken conversation is instinctive. But for writers, it’s the writing part that is instinctive.
That’s why it’s important that writers and engineers collaborate when it comes to blogging.
If you’re in the field of engineering, then you’re probably looking for ways to engage with your audience. Blogging is an effective way to build relationships with your customers and prospects, it also helps you stay up-to-date on industry trends.
Engineers should look at blog posts as a way of crystallising ideas like the code.
The major challenge is to identify what to blog.
Being an engineer, you have insights into technology that may not have been elucidated. You need to ask what others do not understand, and how can I explain it clearly.
You can also highlight the specific problems that you encountered, methods that proved to be a workable solution, and some advantages/disadvantages of alternative solutions.
As a writer, your role is to sieve the content from the fat and give life to the technical jargon like characters in a novel.
The six principles for good storytelling are 1. Absence of lengthy verbiage; 2. total objectivity; 3. truthful descriptions; 4. extreme brevity; 5. audacity and originality…and; 6. show and not tell. Check this link for the art of storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/skill-every-leader-needs-storytelling-katya-andresen/
Before you start, draft a template – write the main headings first. Then focus on sub-headings. Under the sub-headings, write whatever comes to your mind. Don’t focus on grammar. Whatever knowledge you have, put it in writing. You can revisit and edit. Make sure all the knowledge is captured in the blog post. Put images where possible. Get feedback from your peers.
The next step will be editing. Editing is where you fix up the grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Make your sentences short and easy to read. Write in the active voice. Trim wordings if the sentence can convey the meaning correctly. The presentation and grammar are equally important. They help express the meaning.
Check out this link for writing best practices: http://www.covingtoninnovations.com/mc/WriteThinkLearn.pdf
If you need help in writing an engineering blog or editing, email me at abeeshthomas@yahoo.com or call +65 82086393
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