Chapter 19: Writing Style

The manual, in order to satisfy such a diverse audience and to meet the needs of its customers, should follow several style guidelines ^[1].

19.1 Contain Paragraphs and Sentences That Are Variable in Length, but Short

• One idea per paragraph.

• Realize that you will normally write about 40% more than is necessary. It will take about two years after your certification to clean up the documents so that they are effective.

• Stream-of-consciousness writing can be interesting in novels, but it is onerous in technical material.

^[1]There are dozens of good books on clear writing. I have often been asked why I haven't read them. One very nice little one is Bates, Jefferson D., Writing with Precision, Washington, DC: Acropolis Books, 1985. The old reliable one is Crews, Frederick, The Random House Handbook, New York: Random House, 1974. The issues of manual style are also addressed in publications such as Russo, C.W. Russ, "12 Rules To Make Your ISO 9000 Documentation Simple and Easy To Use," Quality Progress, March 1997, p. 51.