Collaborative Post: Elizabeth Werts and Stephen DuBose

To define technical writing, one must first understand the definition of writing, in general. Normally, writing is the act of creating letters or characters that communicate a message. Writing also refers to the composition of words and phrases that present a message to an audience. While writing is used to communicate messages, these types of messages differ from profession to profession. This is where the technical definition is very important. Elizabeth's future profession is civil engineering. For civil engineers, writing is most closely related to the creation of written specifications for products or projects. Other writing may include project proposals. My future profession is commercial real estate. Most realtors communicate electronically through e-mail to their clients and business colleagues. They also send personal mail to keep in touch with clients. Despite the differences in writing styles and objectives in these two professions, both professions communicate a very specific characteristic or form of specialization within their respective field. This is what technical writing is all about.