├── LICENSE ├── README.md ├── CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md ├── TECHNICAL-WRITING-VIDEOS.md └── CONTRIBUTING.md /LICENSE: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | MIT License 2 | 3 | Copyright (c) 2025 Chisom Uma 4 | 5 | Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy 6 | of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal 7 | in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights 8 | to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell 9 | copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is 10 | furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions: 11 | 12 | The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all 13 | copies or substantial portions of the Software. 14 | 15 | THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR 16 | IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, 17 | FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE 18 | AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER 19 | LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, 20 | OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE 21 | SOFTWARE. 22 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /README.md: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | # technical-writer-video-resources 2 | Technical Writing video resources for beginners 3 | 4 | ## Introduction 5 | This repository serves as a comprehensive video resource hub for individuals interested in technical writing. Whether you're considering a career switch, starting your first technical writing role, or simply wanting to improve your documentation skills, you'll find valuable content here. 6 | 7 | ## Getting Started 8 | These foundational videos will help you understand what technical writing is and what technical writers do. You can check out the videos [**HERE**](https://github.com/ChisomUma/technical-writer-video-resources/blob/main/TECHNICAL-WRITING-VIDEOS.md). The resource covers the following: 9 | 10 | ## Understanding Technical Writing - Beginner-friendly introductions to the field 11 | Career Pathways - Videos about different career paths in technical writing 12 | Essential Skills - Core competencies every technical writer needs 13 | Industry Insights - Real-world perspectives from experienced technical writers 14 | 15 | ## Core Skills 16 | Learn the fundamental skills required for technical writing: 17 | 18 | * Writing and Editing - Clear, concise, and effective communication 19 | * Documentation Types - API docs, user guides, tutorials, and more 20 | * Information Architecture - Organizing and structuring content 21 | * Audience Analysis - Understanding and writing for your readers 22 | 23 | ## Tools and Technologies 24 | Videos covering essential tools and technologies **(contributions around this are most welcomed)**: 25 | 26 | * Documentation Platforms - Static site generators, wikis, and help authoring tools 27 | * Markup Languages - Markdown, reStructuredText, AsciiDoc 28 | * Version Control - Git basics for technical writers 29 | * Collaboration Tools - Project management and team communication 30 | 31 | ## Best Practices 32 | Improve your technical writing with these recommended practices **(contributions around this are most welcomed)**: 33 | 34 | * Style Guides - Following industry standards and creating consistency 35 | * Documentation Planning - Project management for technical writers 36 | * Review Processes - Peer reviews and documentation testing 37 | * Accessibility - Making documentation accessible to all users 38 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | # Contributor Covenant Code of Conduct 2 | 3 | ## Our Pledge 4 | 5 | We as members, contributors, and leaders pledge to make participation in our 6 | community a harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of age, body 7 | size, visible or invisible disability, ethnicity, sex characteristics, gender 8 | identity and expression, level of experience, education, socio-economic status, 9 | nationality, personal appearance, race, religion, or sexual identity 10 | and orientation. 11 | 12 | We pledge to act and interact in ways that contribute to an open, welcoming, 13 | diverse, inclusive, and healthy community. 14 | 15 | ## Our Standards 16 | 17 | Examples of behavior that contributes to a positive environment for our 18 | community include: 19 | 20 | * Demonstrating empathy and kindness toward other people 21 | * Being respectful of differing opinions, viewpoints, and experiences 22 | * Giving and gracefully accepting constructive feedback 23 | * Accepting responsibility and apologizing to those affected by our mistakes, 24 | and learning from the experience 25 | * Focusing on what is best not just for us as individuals, but for the 26 | overall community 27 | 28 | Examples of unacceptable behavior include: 29 | 30 | * The use of sexualized language or imagery, and sexual attention or 31 | advances of any kind 32 | * Trolling, insulting or derogatory comments, and personal or political attacks 33 | * Public or private harassment 34 | * Publishing others' private information, such as a physical or email 35 | address, without their explicit permission 36 | * Other conduct which could reasonably be considered inappropriate in a 37 | professional setting 38 | 39 | ## Enforcement Responsibilities 40 | 41 | Community leaders are responsible for clarifying and enforcing our standards of 42 | acceptable behavior and will take appropriate and fair corrective action in 43 | response to any behavior that they deem inappropriate, threatening, offensive, 44 | or harmful. 45 | 46 | Community leaders have the right and responsibility to remove, edit, or reject 47 | comments, commits, code, wiki edits, issues, and other contributions that are 48 | not aligned to this Code of Conduct, and will communicate reasons for moderation 49 | decisions when appropriate. 50 | 51 | ## Scope 52 | 53 | This Code of Conduct applies within all community spaces, and also applies when 54 | an individual is officially representing the community in public spaces. 55 | Examples of representing our community include using an official e-mail address, 56 | posting via an official social media account, or acting as an appointed 57 | representative at an online or offline event. 58 | 59 | ## Enforcement 60 | 61 | Instances of abusive, harassing, or otherwise unacceptable behavior may be 62 | reported to the community leaders responsible for enforcement at 63 | chisomuma476@gmail.com. 64 | All complaints will be reviewed and investigated promptly and fairly. 65 | 66 | All community leaders are obligated to respect the privacy and security of the 67 | reporter of any incident. 68 | 69 | ## Enforcement Guidelines 70 | 71 | Community leaders will follow these Community Impact Guidelines in determining 72 | the consequences for any action they deem in violation of this Code of Conduct: 73 | 74 | ### 1. Correction 75 | 76 | **Community Impact**: Use of inappropriate language or other behavior deemed 77 | unprofessional or unwelcome in the community. 78 | 79 | **Consequence**: A private, written warning from community leaders, providing 80 | clarity around the nature of the violation and an explanation of why the 81 | behavior was inappropriate. A public apology may be requested. 82 | 83 | ### 2. Warning 84 | 85 | **Community Impact**: A violation through a single incident or series 86 | of actions. 87 | 88 | **Consequence**: A warning with consequences for continued behavior. No 89 | interaction with the people involved, including unsolicited interaction with 90 | those enforcing the Code of Conduct, for a specified period of time. This 91 | includes avoiding interactions in community spaces as well as external channels 92 | like social media. Violating these terms may lead to a temporary or 93 | permanent ban. 94 | 95 | ### 3. Temporary Ban 96 | 97 | **Community Impact**: A serious violation of community standards, including 98 | sustained inappropriate behavior. 99 | 100 | **Consequence**: A temporary ban from any sort of interaction or public 101 | communication with the community for a specified period of time. No public or 102 | private interaction with the people involved, including unsolicited interaction 103 | with those enforcing the Code of Conduct, is allowed during this period. 104 | Violating these terms may lead to a permanent ban. 105 | 106 | ### 4. Permanent Ban 107 | 108 | **Community Impact**: Demonstrating a pattern of violation of community 109 | standards, including sustained inappropriate behavior, harassment of an 110 | individual, or aggression toward or disparagement of classes of individuals. 111 | 112 | **Consequence**: A permanent ban from any sort of public interaction within 113 | the community. 114 | 115 | ## Attribution 116 | 117 | This Code of Conduct is adapted from the [Contributor Covenant][homepage], 118 | version 2.0, available at 119 | https://www.contributor-covenant.org/version/2/0/code_of_conduct.html. 120 | 121 | Community Impact Guidelines were inspired by [Mozilla's code of conduct 122 | enforcement ladder](https://github.com/mozilla/diversity). 123 | 124 | [homepage]: https://www.contributor-covenant.org 125 | 126 | For answers to common questions about this code of conduct, see the FAQ at 127 | https://www.contributor-covenant.org/faq. Translations are available at 128 | https://www.contributor-covenant.org/translations. 129 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /TECHNICAL-WRITING-VIDEOS.md: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | # Technical Writing Video Resource 2 | Hey, 😊...glad you found the need to check out my carefully curated video resources for technical writers. I'm guessing you're a beginner? Or someone curious about this field and wants to get into it. I'm also guessing you're a visual learner--like myself (you learn better through videos, diagrams, and infographics. You'd prefer this any day over reading boring long texts, courses, and blog posts.) 3 | 4 | Don't get me wrong, reading texts is a great way to learn, and it is very important to us as technical writers since we will be working with documentation and, in many cases, have to draw inspiration from existing written documentation. 5 | 6 | Still, if I had my way, I'd create a video version of every piece of documentation I create (just kidding🤪). 7 | 8 | Don't judge me! I prefer watching videos to learn about a product or concept. However, if I needed to go in-depth, a written document would make more sense. 9 | 10 | If you are like me and want to explore the world of technical writing by watching helpful videos, this is the right resource for you! You're welcome! 11 | 12 | Below are top curated technical writing videos for beginners, in no particular order (ignore the numbered lists). 13 | 14 | ## Who is the author? 15 | Before I continue with this resource, I'd like to introduce myself a little bit. My name is Chisom Uma, and I am a technical writer with over 3 years of experience writing documentation for both technical and non-technical audiences. My portfolio includes various technical content, including technical blog posts, software and API documentation, and user-facing documentation. 16 | 17 | Check me out on my LinkedIn [here](https://www.linkedin.com/in/chisom-uma-36187a236/). 18 | 19 | ## What will you learn from these videos? 20 | 21 | * An introduction to technical writing as a career part 22 | * How to get started with technical writing 23 | * Tips, learning resources, and advice from established technical writers 24 | * Tools used for technical writing 25 | * Types of technical writing, and many more...... 26 | 27 | ## Top Video Resources to get you up and running in Technical Writing 28 | 29 | ![Bkkkc92YJx](https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/44924cf9-ba25-41c2-a9bb-b9f35c4ed46e) 30 | 31 | 32 | 1. **What is the Technical Writer Career Path?**: My first on the list is this beginner's guide to technical writing from [Technical Writer HQ](https://technicalwriterhq.com/). The video titled "**What is the Technical Writer Career Path?**" introduces you to the concept of technical writing, what the day-to-day of a junior technical writer looks like, and salary expectations. Check out the video [here](https://youtu.be/RZF34wQEv0Y?si=0-AA1AEpzPeNntxZ). 33 | 34 | 2. **What do Technical Writers do? (Also, what is Technical Writing?)**: This a very useful video resource I found from one of my favorite technical writers. Her name is **Amruta Ranade**, and you need to give her a follow on YouTube if you're seriously interested in learning more about technical writing. The video titled "**What do Technical Writers do? (Also, what is Technical Writing?)**" explains what technical writers generally do. It's a short 4-minute video, so it shouldn't take much of your time. It's pretty straightforward and hits the nail on the head. Check out the video [here](https://youtu.be/biocrCx5T_k?si=kM_2MRzhc0A8gltk). 35 | 36 | 3. **Technical Writing Beginners // Advice and Resources:** This is another interesting watch for the curious technical writer noobs 😉. Again, from Amruta, you get a series of helpful advice and resources to help you kickstart your journey in technical writing. The video titled "**Technical Writing Beginners // Advice and Resources**" gives you the best bits of advice on how to navigate this field. Check out the video [here](https://youtu.be/JHm3kVMITmI?si=n_IFuEzqv-8XApf-). 37 | 38 | 4. **Technical Writing Examples to Inspire You:** As someone interested in the technical writing space, it's important to see and learn about the various technical writing samples you'll likely come across in the future. The video titled "**Technical Writing Examples to Inspire You**" presents some examples/samples of the different types of documentation. Check out the video [here](https://youtu.be/ez_bvYvfa_E?si=FqCi4MMZZDxF3iM-). 39 | 40 | 5. **How to Become a Freelance Technical Writer**: You have learned about technical writing and its career part but don't know how to get started and earn some cash. The video titled "**How to Become a Freelance Technical Writer**" shows you how to dive into the world of freelance technical writing. Starting out as a freelancer is a great way to build your experience and portfolio before moving towards a full-time role. Check out the video [here](https://youtu.be/mJbBx8FCN3A?si=tOmyupzupENE3m_I). 41 | 42 | 6. **Edit Open Source Documents with me // Technical Writing vlog:** One challenge newbie technical writers face is creating documentation writing samples and building real-world experience. I'll tell you this for free!! The answer is open-source. With open source, you get to contribute to real-world documentation efforts. And show this as samples to hiring managers. Open source teaches you how to collaborate with SMEs, in additiion to improving your writing. 43 | 44 | The video titled "**Edit Open Source Documents with me // Technical Writing vlog**" shows you how to edit an open source project. This video is particularly helpful to new technical writers who already have a basic understanding of open source. Not to worry if you don't already have an idea of open-source, you can check out this [video to learn more](https://youtu.be/RGd5cOXpCQw?si=oWmGeWJu2gkOcIKL). To learn how to edit an open-source documentation project, check out the video [here](https://youtu.be/A_j1OWNHFQ4?si=sefPZpNqv73a8fJN). 45 | 46 | 7. **Essential Tools for Technical Writers:** This video talks about essential tools you'll likely use as a technical writer. You don't have to learn these tools immediately, but it's nice to know that they exist and should be factored into your learning path when going more in-depth into the field of technical writing. The video titled "**Essential Tools for Technical Writers**" goes through some of these tools. Check out the video [here](https://youtu.be/Y1m33rgybj8?si=4Zrt0H45gvn_624-). 47 | 8. **Company style guide in technical writing: What is it? How to create one?:** Style guides are a set of rules that help keep the documentation consistent and of high quality. The video titled "**Company style guide in technical writing: What is it? How to create one?**" explains what a style guide is and how it's used in documentation. Check out the video [here](https://youtu.be/ff2h22K4hqI?si=ZB7YN_JGDWWnyix5). 48 | 9. **UX Writing in 60 seconds!:** Part of your job as a technical writer may involve UX (user experience) writing. UX writing is a big part of technical writing. This video titled "**UX Writing in 60 seconds!**" explores this concept and how you can get started with it in 60 seconds!! Check out the video [here](https://youtu.be/t5Dq6GnQwTo?si=4am3nV8cWEF-olwR). 49 | 10. **Types of Technical Writing:** A common mistake I have seen many new technical writers and even experienced technical writers make is assuming there's only a particular type of technical writing or that a certain form of technical writing isn't technical writing if it "doesn't include code snippets" or follow a particular technical writing style they are used to seeing or working with. 50 | 51 | I have seen people shy away from technical writing due to this biased and one-sided assessment of technical writing as a field. 52 | 53 | Fortunately, I found a video resource that teaches newbies the various types of technical writing they can explore. This video titled "**Types of Technical Writing**" breaks down the different types of technical writing and what they look like. Check out the video [here](https://youtu.be/QCjiBGK2PCA?si=Vww2qaJht2eeIqoM). 54 | 55 | I hope these resources have purposefully been able to introduce you to the world of technical writing. 56 | 57 | ## Additional Resource 58 | If you'd like to learn more about technical writing in written form, check out the resource below: 59 | 60 | * [6 Figure Tech Writer Resource Hub](https://github.com/quetzalliwrites/6-Figure-Tech-Writer-Resource-Hub) 61 | 62 | 63 | 64 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /CONTRIBUTING.md: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | # Contributing to CONTRIBUTING.md 2 | 3 | First off, thanks for taking the time to contribute! 4 | 5 | All types of contributions are encouraged and valued. See the [Table of Contents](#table-of-contents) for different ways to help and details about how this project handles them. Please make sure to read the relevant section before making your contribution. It will make it a lot easier for us maintainers and smooth out the experience for all involved. The community looks forward to your contributions. 6 | 7 | > And if you like the project, but just don't have time to contribute, that's fine. There are other easy ways to support the project and show your appreciation, which we would also be very happy about: 8 | > - Star the project 9 | > - Tweet about it 10 | > - Refer this project in your project's readme 11 | > - Mention the project at local meetups and tell your friends/colleagues 12 | 13 | 14 | ## Table of Contents 15 | 16 | - [Code of Conduct](#code-of-conduct) 17 | - [I Have a Question](#i-have-a-question) 18 | - [I Want To Contribute](#i-want-to-contribute) 19 | - [Reporting Bugs](#reporting-bugs) 20 | - [Suggesting Enhancements](#suggesting-enhancements) 21 | - [How to Contribute to an Open Source project](#how-to-contribute-to-an-open-source-project) 22 | - [Improving The Documentation](#improving-the-documentation) 23 | 24 | 25 | ## Code of Conduct 26 | 27 | This project and everyone participating in it is governed by the 28 | [CONTRIBUTING.md Code of Conduct](https://github.com/ChisomUma/technical-writer-video-resources/blob/main/CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md). 29 | By participating, you are expected to uphold this code. Please report unacceptable behavior 30 | to <>. 31 | 32 | 33 | ## I Have a Question 34 | 35 | > If you want to ask a question, we assume that you have read the available [Documentation](). 36 | 37 | Before you ask a question, it is best to search for existing [Issues](/issues) that might help you. In case you have found a suitable issue and still need clarification, you can write your question in this issue. It is also advisable to search the internet for answers first. 38 | 39 | If you then still feel the need to ask a question and need clarification, we recommend the following: 40 | 41 | - Open an [Issue](/issues/new). 42 | - Provide as much context as you can about what you're running into. 43 | - Provide project and platform versions (nodejs, npm, etc), depending on what seems relevant. 44 | 45 | We will then take care of the issue as soon as possible. 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | ## I Want To Contribute 50 | 51 | > ### Legal Notice 52 | > When contributing to this project, you must agree that you have authored 100% of the content, that you have the necessary rights to the content and that the content you contribute may be provided under the project license. 53 | 54 | ### Reporting Bugs 55 | 56 | 57 | #### Before Submitting a Bug Report 58 | 59 | A good bug report shouldn't leave others needing to chase you up for more information. Therefore, we ask you to investigate carefully, collect information and describe the issue in detail in your report. Please complete the following steps in advance to help us fix any potential bug as fast as possible. 60 | 61 | - Make sure that you are using the latest version. 62 | - Determine if your bug is really a bug and not an error on your side e.g. using incompatible environment components/versions (Make sure that you have read the [documentation](). If you are looking for support, you might want to check [this section](#i-have-a-question)). 63 | - To see if other users have experienced (and potentially already solved) the same issue you are having, check if there is not already a bug report existing for your bug or error in the [bug tracker](issues?q=label%3Abug). 64 | - Also make sure to search the internet (including Stack Overflow) to see if users outside of the GitHub community have discussed the issue. 65 | - Collect information about the bug: 66 | - Stack trace (Traceback) 67 | - OS, Platform and Version (Windows, Linux, macOS, x86, ARM) 68 | - Version of the interpreter, compiler, SDK, runtime environment, package manager, depending on what seems relevant. 69 | - Possibly your input and the output 70 | - Can you reliably reproduce the issue? And can you also reproduce it with older versions? 71 | 72 | 73 | #### How Do I Submit a Good Bug Report? 74 | 75 | > You must never report security related issues, vulnerabilities or bugs including sensitive information to the issue tracker, or elsewhere in public. Instead sensitive bugs must be sent by email to <>. 76 | 77 | 78 | We use GitHub issues to track bugs and errors. If you run into an issue with the project: 79 | 80 | - Open an [Issue](https://github.com/ChisomUma/technical-writer-video-resources/issues). (Since we can't be sure at this point whether it is a bug or not, we ask you not to talk about a bug yet and not to label the issue.) 81 | - Explain the behavior you would expect and the actual behavior. 82 | - Please provide as much context as possible and describe the *reproduction steps* that someone else can follow to recreate the issue on their own. This usually includes your code. For good bug reports you should isolate the problem and create a reduced test case. 83 | - Provide the information you collected in the previous section. 84 | 85 | Once it's filed: 86 | 87 | - The project team will label the issue accordingly. 88 | - A team member will try to reproduce the issue with your provided steps. If there are no reproduction steps or no obvious way to reproduce the issue, the team will ask you for those steps and mark the issue as `needs-repro`. Bugs with the `needs-repro` tag will not be addressed until they are reproduced. 89 | - If the team is able to reproduce the issue, it will be marked `needs-fix`, as well as possibly other tags (such as `critical`), and the issue will be left to be [implemented by someone](#your-first-code-contribution). 90 | 91 | 92 | 93 | 94 | ### Suggesting Enhancements 95 | 96 | This section guides you through submitting an enhancement suggestion for CONTRIBUTING.md, **including completely new features and minor improvements to existing functionality**. Following these guidelines will help maintainers and the community to understand your suggestion and find related suggestions. 97 | 98 | 99 | #### Before Submitting an Enhancement 100 | 101 | - Make sure that you are using the latest version. 102 | - Read the [documentation]() carefully and find out if the functionality is already covered, maybe by an individual configuration. 103 | - Perform a [search](https://github.com/ChisomUma/technical-writer-video-resources/issues) to see if the enhancement has already been suggested. If it has, add a comment to the existing issue instead of opening a new one. 104 | - Find out whether your idea fits with the scope and aims of the project. It's up to you to make a strong case to convince the project's developers of the merits of this feature. Keep in mind that we want features that will be useful to the majority of our users and not just a small subset. If you're just targeting a minority of users, consider writing an add-on/plugin library. 105 | 106 | 107 | #### How Do I Submit a Good Enhancement Suggestion? 108 | 109 | Enhancement suggestions are tracked as [GitHub issues](https://github.com/ChisomUma/technical-writer-video-resources/issues). 110 | 111 | - Use a **clear and descriptive title** for the issue to identify the suggestion. 112 | - Provide a **step-by-step description of the suggested enhancement** in as many details as possible. 113 | - **Describe the current behavior** and **explain which behavior you expected to see instead** and why. At this point you can also tell which alternatives do not work for you. 114 | - You may want to **include screenshots and animated GIFs** which help you demonstrate the steps or point out the part which the suggestion is related to. You can use [this tool](https://www.cockos.com/licecap/) to record GIFs on macOS and Windows, and [this tool](https://github.com/colinkeenan/silentcast) or [this tool](https://github.com/GNOME/byzanz) on Linux. 115 | - **Explain why this enhancement would be useful** to most CONTRIBUTING.md users. You may also want to point out the other projects that solved it better and which could serve as inspiration. 116 | 117 | ## How to Contribute to an Open Source project 118 | * To learn how you can contribute to an open-source project, read this [blog](https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/how-to-contribute-to-open-source-for-technical-writers/)! 119 | 120 | ## Attribution 121 | This guide is based on the **contributing.md**. [Make your own](https://contributing.md/)! 122 | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------