Courses in technical writing teach that the first pre-requisite skill to being a technical writer is to be able to write in a clear, concise manner.

1. The Basics of Technical Writing Courses
As long as there is a need to communicate technical information in a simpler way to an audience, there
will always be a strong demand for technical writers. This is the reason why many take online technical
writing courses. Here are some of the basic skills needed to be a technical writer as taught in technical
writing classes.
Courses in technical writing teach that the first pre-requisite skill to being a technical writer is to be able
to write in a clear, concise manner. Technical writing is not poetry or prose, meaning stylistic flair is not
that important. The task is to clearly tell your audience exactly what they need to know, and everything
they need to know. A second skill needed is knowledge of a technical subject. A large segment of the
market is in field of computers; however there are other areas such as science, medicine, engineering,
mechanics, or law.
No matter what area of knowledge is the specialization of the writer, computer skills, especially desktop
publishing skills will also be an advantage. At the minimum, the writer should know the Microsoft Office
suite of applications, especially Microsoft Word. Beyond Office, there is Adobe FrameMaker, which is
used in many technical-writing environments. Other publishing packages such as PageMaker, Quark
Express, and Interleaf can also be useful. In addition, online documentation tools such as RoboHelp,
Doc-to-Help and Lotus Notes are great applications to know, as are HTML and other Internet skills.
To learn technical writing, one must also learn the companion skill of interviewing; there will be many
times when the information needed to be written will come from interviewing technical people.
Oftentimes these technical people will have no idea how to tell the writer what they need to know, so it
is up to the writer to know how to draw the information out of them.
Careerline technical writing classes are a great way for newbies to enter the technical writing field. A
major advantage of taking classes on online is that they help the student save time and energy in
travelling to their classes. All they need is a computer and an internet connection and they are set.
Students may opt to take the classes as online courses, correspondence courses or as e-learning classes.
Classes are self paced, so that students learn what they need without pressure. Access to the online
campus is available 24/7. Students may consult with their instructors (who are trained professionals in
their field of study) via email or chat. Also the cost of the online training on technical writing is
comparatively less compared to taking them in traditional schools. Flexible payment plans are also
available.