The Not-Boring Tech Writer

In this solo episode, I share an update on my content update progress. I also reflect on Nick Graziade’s interview (S3:E12) and Liz Argall’s interview (S3:E13) and the ways these interviews highlight some elements of "good" docs experiences. — I’ve continued my work to update the KnowledgeOwl Support Knowledge Base to align with major navigation and UI changes that were rolled out in December. I u...

In this episode, I'm talking with Manny Silva, a technical writer who created the " Docs as Tests " concept name and the open-source tool Doc Detective . We discuss how to automatically test your documentation for accuracy, why customer reports of broken docs are actually failed tests, and practical ways to implement automated documentation testing regardless of your tech stack. — Manny and I disc...

In this episode, I’m talking with Liz Argall, a writer I connected with at Write the Docs Portland 2025. We talk about working on open source projects, developing good qualitative metrics, her work with a permaculture nonprofit in Uganda, and the ways that being interviewed by a technical writer can make hidden expertise shine. — Liz and I presented in the same Lightning Talk session at Write the...

In this episode, I'm talking with Nick Graziade, a technical writer and musician who approaches documentation as a creative endeavor. We explore how his early fascination with Lego instructions and synthesizer manuals shaped his philosophy that technical writing doesn't have to be dry or boring, but can be passionate and innovative work that adapts to different audiences and embraces impermanence....

In this solo episode, I share an update on my content update progress. I also reflect on Sue Brandt’s interview (S3:E10) and on the Write the Docs Portland 2025 conference. — I’ve continued my work to update the KnowledgeOwl Support Knowledge Base to align with major navigation and UI changes that were rolled out in December. I updated an additional 50 articles since my last episode, taking my tot...

In this episode, I’m talking with Sue Brandt, a former Director of Documentation who’d hired around 60 people when we recorded the episode. We discuss practical strategies for technical writing job applications, what hiring managers are really looking for in resumes and interviews, and how to stand out in today’s competitive job market. — Sue and I discuss various aspects of the tech writing job a...

In this solo episode, I share an update on my content update progress. I also reflect on Marcia Riefer Johnston’s interview (S3:E8)  and on the idea of docs stewardship as opposed to docs ownership . — I’ve continued my work to update the KnowledgeOwl Support Knowledge Base to align with major navigation and UI changes that were rolled out in December. I updated an additional 91 articles since my...

In this episode, I’m talking with Marcia Riefer Johnston, a technical writer who’s worked in our industry for 40 years. We talk about how the profession has evolved since she first started in it, the grammar patterns that have helped her tighten up her writing, and how “creative” writing and “technical” writing are just different expressions of the craft of writing. — Marcia and I discuss how tech...

In this solo episode, I share an update on my content update progress, muse about the similarities between mice infestations and docs projects, and reflect more on Kenzie Woodbridge’s interview (S3:E6 ) and how we choose what we work on. — Since Episode 5 , I’ve continued my work to update the KnowledgeOwl Support Knowledge Base to align with major navigation and UI changes from December. I’ve now...

In this episode, I’m talking with Kenzie Woodbridge, a documentarian and self-taught accessibility advocate. We talk about how feeling “not expert enough” is no reason to skip content accessibility, four ways you can make your content more accessible right now, and ways you can serve as an accessibility advocate as you review content and work with contributors. — Kenzie and I discuss why content a...

In this solo episode, I share an update on working with content types, muse about the idea of a Documentation Hierarchy of Needs, and reflect more on Janine Chan's interview ( S3:E4 ) and how we talk to ourselves about being tech writers. — I may have overcommitted myself in Episode 3. I have been incorporating content type work into my massive content audit, but after working on four of the ninet...

In this episode, I’m talking with Janine Chan, a technical writer and Write the Docs community moderator. We talk about how feeling “not technical enough” is as much about attitude and approach as it is about knowledge and ways you can bridge the gap to a more technical future. — Janine and I discuss the fact that there’s no defined/established set of skills or training to become a technical write...

In this solo episode, I share what I'm currently working on, reflect a little on teaching my first Knowledge Management Master Class with KnowledgeOwl, and dig into why and how I'm going to start using content types. — My current in-flight projects include updating nearly all of our documentation to reflect major changes to our user interface, which includes changes to screenshots, navigation opti...

In this episode, I’m talking with Lorna Mitchell, a technology leader, published author, tech blogger, and developer experience expert who is passionate about APIs and developer tools. We talk about why developers writing docs is good for both your devs and your docs, the best ways to build successful collaboration with developers, and more! — Lorna and I discuss her background as a developer who...

Meet our new host Kate Mueller and get the inside scoop on how The Not-Boring Tech Writer (TNBTW) will work moving forward. — Kate Mueller is the Documentation Goddess of KnowledgeOwl, a seasoned technical writer and owner of knowledgewithsass, a knowledge management coaching service. She’s written and maintained documentation for companies in broadcasting, financial services, IT, and software for...

In this episode I’m talking to Swapnil Ogale, a Technical Writer Advocate for Redocly based in Melbourne, Australia, who is also a Community and Conference Manager for Write the Docs. He gives us the inside scoop on arranging Write the Docs events conferences both in-person and online, and talks to us about the importance of advocacy for technical writers. The Not-Boring Tech Writer - feedback sur...

We’re back after a short and unexpected break! Sorry to keep you waiting! This episode you’ll hear Kat Stoica Ostenfeld, an accomplished tech writer living in Copenhagen in Denmark. A linguist by credential, she says diplomacy is the key to being an effective documentarian, and shares how her translation and applied linguistics background helped her find common understanding and success in the wor...

In this episode, I’m excited to be speaking to Caity Cronkhite, Seattle-based founder and CEO of Good Words LLC.  We talk about her experience of starting up as a tech writer both in-house and freelancing, before starting and growing her own successful business in the technical writing industry, and the successes and struggles of operating Good Words LLC in these strange and unpredictable pandemic...

In such a complex and fast-moving industry as tech writing, it can be interesting to see how burgeoning tech writers get started - and become successful.  Enter Philip Kiely, author of Writing for Software Developers and owner of PK&C , the world's smallest conglomerate. He graduated from Grinnell College in May 2020 with a degree in computer science, and has only gone onwards and upwards from...

After four exciting years hosting The Not-Boring Tech Writer—the podcast that gives listeners the skills to break the stereotype that technical writing is a boring career—I’ve passed the podcast along to longtime sponsor KnowledgeOwl , a knowledge base software company.  This sobers me, admittedly: What began as a medium to connect with colleagues whom I’ve admired since university gradually becom...

Technical writers must ensure their help resources, such as documentation and video tutorials, are useful for their users. Therefore, they study language, design, and Support tickets—gathering all the context they need to ensure users can accomplish their task.  But get this: Through feedback loops such as quizzes and interviews with subject matter experts, you can create usability tests that tran...

Technical communicators wield the power of plain language to ensure their readers find and understand the information they need to complete a task—no matter how complex. Basic design principles, such as alignment, contrast, and other principles you’ll learn in this episode, give your documentation that extra lift it needs to engage readers throughout your documentation.  That’s why in this episode...

Folk working in technical communication—whether they’re academics or practitioners—through their own unique skill sets, perspectives, and experiences, often discover best practices to excel at their job. These hard-earned insights would likely benefit others facing similar challenges; however, silos often keep folk in technical communication from quickly disseminating what they’ve learned.  That’s...

For the civically-mind technical writer, there’s a growing movement in cities across the world where technical writers can use their skills to better their community. It’s called Open Data Day : an annual celebration of open data groups around the world partnering with local governments to use open data to achieve a shared goal in the community.  From analyzing environment data to tracking public...

As products and services reach markets outside of their geographic origins, organizations must consider how to translate and localize their existing documentation. It’s a must, as these new users will need to refer to a knowledge base.  But how exactly do organizations translate their documentation? Do they copy and paste all of their content into Google Translate? Do they hire technical writers w...