Linguist Weighs In What Makes Good Writing

When a linguist speaks, I listen. When there are difficult grammar or writing style questions beyond my understanding, I defer to linguists. They're the ones who study the language. I trust them over a grammar snob's pontificates. As a technical writer, I'm only here to craft the language in a concise manner.

This article has some very helpful tips. I've used some of these tips when I created style guides for companies. But there are other tips I wasn't aware before, such as the reverse-engineer what you read. This is a great tip. Then the linguist says once you do this, ask yourself what makes the writing good or bad and why.

There are two pieces of advice I give to those who want to be a writer. The first one is write. The second one is read. You'll learn a lot from others when you read.

Now, let me get out of the way. Check out these tips.