By Lisa Montalto
When was the last time you read a tutorial, got frustrated, then threw it against the wall, or clicked away? If you’re like most of us, it’s happened at least once. Writing an effective tutorial is a special skill. What follows is info on how tutorial writing should be approached.
Tutorials have become one of the most popular forms of online learning, allowing students to learn about practically anything with step-by-step instructions. There has never been a better time to educate oneself with such ease. With a simple online search, you can find tutorials on whatever topic you can think of. The only thing is that not all tutorials are created equal.
A well-written tutorial is one that effectively communicates the skill to be learned. It is important for the writer to clearly convey the topic in an organized way that is easy to follow and easily understood. What good is a tutorial that loses its reader along the way or where the reader cannot complete the task?
There are a number of different formats for writing tutorials, such as e-books, online courses, blog posts, and videos, making it extremely convenient for those who seek knowledge. Tutorials differ from creative writing where you can embellish and entertain. With tutorials, you want to use clear and concise language avoiding very long sentences, while providing as much detail as possible. The use of visual aids, such as illustrations, photos, and step-by-step screenshots are great ways to provide more insight into the topic and to keep the reader on track. Depending on the tutorial, an introduction paragraph for each section and the use of bullet points work well.
Another important aspect of writing tutorials is understanding your audience. Ask yourself about your demographic. Is this tutorial for kids, young adults, or older adults? Is it gender specific? Is it educational or leisure? And, are you writing for a novice, intermediate, or advanced learner? There are so many things to consider and it’s a good idea to have the answer to these questions ahead of time so you can create an outline.
When writing for beginners, everything should be spelled out. Assume every term is unknown, so start at the beginning and make sure the words are clear. For intermediates, you can assume more and use terms you are sure they will know. When writing for experts or advanced users, you can assume more when it comes to wording and can be really detailed in your explanations.
Real-world examples go a long way in tutorials and if you can, use them as much as possible. Your success really depends on knowing as much about what you’re conveying and as much as you can about the reader. A tutorial on cooking will be much different than a tutorial on fixing a flat tire. A tutorial on playing the piano will differ greatly from beginner to advanced. A tutorial on Yoga poses will depend on what level your reader is at.
Another great way to write a tutorial is to write a script for a video tutorial. These are the easiest to follow because viewers can see what is being done as they listen. YouTube tutorials are very popular for this reason, especially when it comes to tutorials on computer issues where wording can get complicated.
This goes for exercise tutorials to get the correct positioning and for people not to injure themselves. And who doesn’t like to watch recipe tutorials so they can see exactly how things will look from start to finish? Saying to whip cream until you get peaks of it means a lot more when you can see the peaks. Telling someone to keep a flat back when touching their toes means a lot more when someone can see the progression from start to finish.
No matter which way you choose to write a tutorial and whichever medium you use as your final product, good information in an organized way is key. Avoid jumping around and always write linearly. You want to take your reader from start to finish in baby steps, clearly and concisely, avoiding complicated words, if possible.
Tutorial writing is considered tech writing and is a special skill, different from creative writing. A creative writer might be too verbose when writing a tutorial while a tech writer might not be able to paint the picture when writing a story. Sometimes a writer is skilled at both. As they say, we are all different and so is the result of our writing.
For those in need of help writing a tutorial, for technical subjects, cooking or even changing a flat tire, Ghostwriters Central, Inc., is here to get it done. This company has been providing outstanding ghostwriting services to thousands of clients since 2002. A no-obligation consultation is yours, and all you have to do is click the link.
Show Comments