A Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers: A Guide to

A Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers:

A Guide to Overcoming Writer’s Block

Mariel Kim

NYU School of Professional Studies

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the

Requirements for the MS in Professional Writing

December 2021

ABSTRACT

Writer’s block is a real problem that affects both novice and experienced writers. Among

its many causes, there are those intrinsically linked to the writing process (Rose, 1984). The key

to understanding writer’s block lies in differentiating the writing processes of fluent writers and

blocked writers. Research conducting during the literature review for this capstone project shows

that fluent writers tend to have skills related to strategic planning (Rose, 1984; Butch & Kitsch,

2014:), flexibility (Flower & Hayes, 1981), and audience awareness (Flower, 1979; Rahmat,

2016). These three skills are habitually used in the field of technical writing. Effective technical

writers employ flexible writing processes, require writing for multiple audiences, and plan

actively and accordingly (Balzotti, 2018). The digital handbook designed in this capstone project

aims to equip creative writers struggling with writer's block with technical writing tools related

to strategic planning, audience awareness, and flexibility.

Keywords: writer’s block, creative writing, technical writing tools, fluent writers

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION 1

Problem Statement 2

Inquiry Questions 4

Product Purpose and Project Expectations 4

LITERATURE REVIEW 6

Introduction 6

Two Main Approaches to Writer's Block 7

Boice’s Emotional Causes of Writer’s Block 7

Rose’s Cognitive Causes of Writer’s Block 8

Recent Interpretations of Affective and Cognitive Approaches to Writer’s Block 9

Understanding the Distinctions Between Fluent Writers and Blocked Writers 11

Stages of the Writing Process 11

Fluent Writers versus Blocked Writers 11

Planning 12

Audience Awareness 13

Flexibility 14

Technical Writing 15

The History of Technical Writing 15

Flexibility, Audience Awareness and Strategic Planning in Technical Writing 16

Technical Writing in Relation to Other Fields of Writing 17

Conclusion 18

METHODOLOGY 20

Needs Analysis 20

Data Collection 20

Data Analysis 22

Needs Analysis Conclusions 27

Design Intentions 28

Design Intention 1: Inform on the Complex Nature of Writer's Block 28

Design Intention 2: Prioritize Strategic Planning, Flexibility, and Audience

Awareness 28

Design Intention 3: Repurpose Commonly Known Writing Tools 29

Product Description 29

Design 30

Content 30

Structure 33

Limitations 36

Length 37

Credibility of the Author 37

Originality 37

Narrow Approach 38

PRODUCT ANALYSIS 39

Providing Credible Content 39

Satisfying Readers’ Need for New, Interesting and Relevant Content 40

Figure 10: Content screenshot from the Introductory section of the handbook 41

Acknowledging That the Thesis Product May Not be the Right Solution for Every

Blocked Writer 42

CONCLUSION 44

Conclusions from the Literature Review 44

Conclusions from the Data Analysis 45

Conclusions from the Product Analysis 45

Additional Findings 46

Future Implications 47

Considerations for Different Mediums 47

Obtaining Content from Academia 47

Future Implication for Similar Products 48

REFERENCES 49

APPENDIX A 55

APPENDIX B 66

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 1

A Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers: A Guide to Overcoming Writer’s Block

INTRODUCTION

For almost two decades I struggled with writer’s block, especially when taking on a

creative writing task. Writer’s block is still a lingering struggle. The difference is that now I

realize that I am equipped with writing-based techniques to confront it. The realization that I can

overcome writer’s block by applying non-creative writing techniques to my creative writing

process, came during the Summer of 2021.

It was mid-June and I had started writing a novel. I was reflecting on how to include a

flashback scene in the story. I remembered an elective course I had taken during the Masters of

Science in Professional Writing (MSPW) Program called Business and Organizational

Storytelling. I fondly recalled this elective course, for it had equipped me with creative writing

techniques that I often used in my professional writing tasks. It was then that I had my revelatory

moment. I realized that if creative writing techniques could be used in professional writing, it

seemed plausible to reverse engineer this process. In other words, it seemed like a good idea to

apply non-creative, professional writing techniques to aid my creative writing process.

Consequently, I experimented by borrowing paraphrasing techniques from technical writing, and

user personas from information architecture, and applying them in my creative writing process.

By the end of August, I had produced a 20,000-word first draft of a novel.

This background story on using information architecture and technical writing strategies

to address my creative writing block motivated the preliminary research for this thesis project.

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 2

By visiting online discussion forums, I found that the most frequently mentioned struggle among

writers is writer's block.

The upcoming section of this thesis project corresponds to the Problem Statement. This

section explores the connection between the misconception of the creative writer and their

experience of writer's block. Its intention is to portray writer's block as a real, global, and current

problem. The Problem Statement concludes by proposing a solution to writer's block in the form

of the thesis product.

Problem Statement

Notions of writer’s block are blended with the myths that surround the creative writer and

their work. Writer's block is often overlooked or viewed with skepticism. This may be a natural

consequence of the many myths that surround the craft of writing. Misconceptions range from

the perfectionist myth that idealizes the prolific writer as the lone genius, to that of creativity

being an unavoidable consequence of epic struggle (Rettig, 2011, pp. 219, 243).

Having such notions regarding creative writing and writer’s block made sense in the early

to mid-1900s. In 1908, Sigmund Freud wrote an essay describing the creative writer as a "strange

beast" (Kaufman, 2010). Some forty years later, a psychiatrist named Edmund Bergler, who

claimed to never have seen a “normal” writer, coined the term “writer’s block.” Bergler treated

writer’s block as a condition involving mental issues (Acocella, 2004).

A recent study where 70 undergraduate students were surveyed on their writing process

found that the majority associate writer’s block with an inability “to produce a consistent flow of

ideas” and a lack of “motivation or inspiration to write” (Wimmersberg, 2015, p. 35). Yet, as

Janzer (2016) states, the creative writer’s work depends on much more than the “idealized stroke

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 3

of inspiration which is [but] one short, fleeting part of the creative process. [In reality], the

creative process extends well beyond the moment of inspiration” (Janzer, 2016, p. 62).

Writer’s block is a struggle familiar to both novice and experienced writers. According to

Moore (2018), writers experience blockage in the following three different forms. The first form

consists of an inability to write despite having a strong urge to do so (p. 351). A publicly known

example of this form of writer’s block is J.K. Rowling who admitted to struggling with writer’s

block while rewriting the ninth chapter of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Trombetta,

2018). The second form of blockage occurs when a writer experiences only being blocked in a

specific genre. For instance, Samuel Taylor Coleridge who was prolific in his journalistic writing

struggled to write in his preferred genre, poetry (Flaherty, 2004, as cited in Moore, p. 351). The

third form of writer’s block is not a blockage in the conventional sense. It is a feeling of

dissatisfaction with the writing process and the written product. Franz Kafka is said to have

struggled with this form of writer’s block since he is said to have burned 90% of what he wrote

(Batuman, 2010, as cited in Moore, 2018).

Although Anthony Burgess (1973, as cited in Acocella, 2014) refers to the notion of an

“American literary block,” what is certain is that writer's block isn’t limited to a single region or

language. Syndrôme de la page blanche and la panne de l’écrivain are French terms that refer to

blockage struggles (Moore, 2018). Writer’s block is also a reality among Spanish-speaking

writers (Phinney, 1991, as cited in Castillo, 2014). Furthermore, Lee and Krashen's (2003) study

reveals that Chinese college students experience writer's block related to premature editing and

failure to develop strategies, regardless of whether they composed in English or in Chinese.

Writer's block is a real, complex struggle that is more than a lack of inspiration. It is

experienced by novice and experienced writers alike. Writer's block is also a global struggle.

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 4

Studies have shown that writer's block is not limited to writers of a certain region or who speak a

certain language. This thesis project aims to develop a digital product that will help creative

writers overcome writer's block. Literary devices and storytelling tools are currently being used

in business writing. This thesis project borrows this notion of applying techniques from one field

of writing to another. In other words, the thesis product intends to provide technical writing tools

to aid creative writers struggling with writer's block.

Inquiry Questions

As a result, the development of the product designed for this thesis was guided by the

following inquiry questions:

● How does the Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers provide credible

content?

● How does the Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers satisfy readers’ need for

new content on writer’s block?

● How does the Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers keep content interesting

and relevant at the same time?

● How does the Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers acknowledge that it may

not be the right solution for every blocked writer?

Product Purpose and Project Expectations

This product design thesis has two main expectations. Its first expectation is to produce a

thesis report that is worthy of backing up the relevance and necessity of the designed thesis

product. In relation to the thesis product, it is expected to be a practical and accessible tool for

fellow creative writers.

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 5

The original aim of the thesis product was to offer professional writing tools as aids to the

creative writer’s block. However, it was concerning that professional writing is perceived as a

confusing term within the writing community. Schrijver & Leijten (2019) found in their study

that professional writing has diverse connotations. For example, Couture (1992, as cited in

Schrijver & Leijten, 2019) uses professional writing to signify “technical writing” as an opposing

field to “administrative writing.” Bathia & Bremner (2014, as cited in Schrijver & Leijten, 2019),

give "professional writing" a broader scope, using the term to refer to various types of

professional communications. Margaret Atwood (2004) uses the term professional writer to

refer to all writers who write as a profession, including novelists like herself ( p. 363). Thus, so

as to avoid ambiguity, the thesis project altered its focus from professional writing to technical

writing.

Writers in the field of technical writing are highly valued for their multiple skills.

Technical writers require skills to meet the needs of multiple audiences, adapt to different kinds

of documents, and manage multimodalities within the same document. Additionally, writers in

this field must adapt to the variations in pace and time of both their audience and the potential

technical changes they are writing about (Killingsworth & Gilbertson, 1986).

In summary, the thesis product proposes a digital handbook that provides technical

writing tools to aid creative writers in their struggle with writer's block. The following Literature

Review section provides background research on the main approaches to writer's block, the

difference between fluent writers and blocked writers, and an overview of technical writing.

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 6

LITERATURE REVIEW

Introduction

When discussing writer’s block, terms such as “resistance” (Thorn & Bohannon, 2020),

“writing apprehension" (Boice, 1993), and "procrastination"(Clark, 2016) are used as synonyms.

This may cause confusion when trying to find ways to overcome writer's block. For this reason,

in the context of this literature review, writer’s block is best defined as "the inability to begin or

continue writing for reasons other than a lack of basic skill or commitment" (Rose, 1984, p. 18).

This literature review takes a solution-oriented approach towards writer’s block, through its three

main sections.

The first section begins with an overview of the affective and cognitive causes of writer's

block. The second section of this literature review examines how fluent writers and blocked

writers approach their writing processes differently. It begins with a brief overview of the stages

of the writing process. Then, this second section identifies the three common skills that

differentiate fluent writers from blocked writers. These skills are audience awareness, flexibility,

and strategic planning.

Finally, the third section of the literature review aims to identify solutions to cognitive

causes of writer’s block within the field of technical writing. This section begins by exploring the

historical background of technical writing. Then it determines how technical writers use

audience awareness, flexibility, and strategic planning in their writing tasks. Lastly, this third

section concludes by identifying connections between technical writing and creative writing.

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 7

Two Main Approaches to Writer's Block

Research in composition shows that writer's block is a multifaceted problem (Baker-

Brodersen, 1988). A recent survey involving 146 fiction and non-fiction writers revealed that the

four most frequent causes of writer's block are physiological, motivational, behavioral, and

cognitive (Ahmed, 2019). These causes are commonly classified into two broad approaches:

affective (Boice, 1990) and cognitive (Rose, 1984).

Boice’s Emotional Causes of Writer’s Block

In the mid-1980s Robert Boice examined more than five thousand recordings of writers

thinking aloud during their writing sessions. Through this study, Boice found seven emotional

themes experienced by writers with high and low levels of writer’s block. These themes are work

apprehension, procrastination, dysphoria, impatience, perfectionism, evaluation anxiety, and

rules (Boice, 1985, as cited in Ahmed, 2019). In later years, Boice (1993, as cited in Moore,

2018) ranked the six most common emotional causes of writer's block. These affective causes of

writer’s block are (1) internal censors, (2) fear of failure, (3) perfectionism, (4) trauma from bad

writing, (5) procrastination, and (6) mental health disorder. The following paragraph briefly

explains each of these causes.

Boice (1990) explains that internal censors, the first most common emotional cause of

writer's block, is commonly known as a writer's “internal critics” (p. 8). The second most

common emotional cause is fear of failure. Boice associates fear of failure with writing

apprehension and writing anxiety (p. 9). The third common emotional cause is perfectionism,

which is defined as "wanting to produce something better than what is usually published" (Boice,

1993, p. 29). However, Boice (1990) denotes that some studies approach perfectionism as a

writing problem independent of writer's block (p. 10).

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 8

Regarding procrastination, the fourth most common cause of blockage, a survey on

students reveals two types of procrastinators. The first type responds to fears of failure

(evaluation anxiety, perfectionism, and low self-confidence). The second type of procrastination

was due to the students’ aversiveness towards the task of writing (Solomon & Rothblum, 1984,

as cited in Boice, 1990). As for the fifth common emotional cause, writer’s block may originate

from a negative early experience, such as from classroom trauma (Boice, 1993, p. 26). Finally,

Boice mentions poor mental health as the sixth most common emotional cause of blockage,

which he associates to a writer’s writing habits (p. 27).

Rose’s Cognitive Causes of Writer’s Block

While Boice's studies focused on the emotional causes of writer's block, Rose studied the

cognitive variables that influence writer's block. Rose (1984) defines the cognitive approach as

“a sometimes reductive but sometimes illuminating study of the way we deal with information

and solve problems'' (p.12). He states that there are six cognitive variables causing writer’s

block that are manifested when writers face complex writing tasks. These six causes are rigid

rules, misleading assumptions about composing, premature editing, poor or inappropriate

planning, conflicting strategies, and inadequately understood evaluative criteria (p. 10).

Studies reveal that Rose's cognitive causes of writer's block are directly related to

difficulties found in the writing process. The most frequent causes of blocking that appear during

the composing stage of the writing process are premature editing (Rose, 1984), incremental

planning, and working with inappropriate rules that slow them down (Baker-Brodersen, 1988, p.

50). A more recent study shows that students working in a classroom environment experience

writer's block related to teachers’ expectations, poor writing strategies and skills, difficulties with

complex tasks, and attitude towards writing instruction (Adams-Turkiendorf, 2008, p. 1).

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 9

Concordantly, Rose’s most successful study reveals that blocked undergraduates “were all

operating either with writing rules or with planning strategies that impeded rather than enhanced

their composing process” (Wimmersberg, 2015, p. 35). Although it’s been more than three

decades since the publication of their studies, Boice and Rose’s studies are still the most relevant

and prominent approaches to writer’s block.

Recent Interpretations of Affective and Cognitive Approaches to Writer’s Block

Before the early nineteen-eighties, writing teachers used to consider the origin of writing

difficulties of their students to be primarily one of expression. However, in the early nineteen-

eighties, due to the kinds of struggles observed in their students, writing teachers began

embracing the cognitive approach to writer’s block (Bizelle, 1983, as cited in Baker-Brodersen,

1988).

More recent studies reveal an array of perspectives and labels used to classify writer's

block. Yet, there is a consensus acknowledging its two main approaches, affective and cognitive.

According to Moore (2018), there are two broad, interconnected impediments between a writer’s

creativity and their ability to produce satisfying work. The first impediment is the writer’s

“incomplete problem-solving process,” which occurs during their writing process. Such

impediment could manifest as a struggle to come up with the plot of a story or find a rhyme in a

poem. The second impediment is “emotional interference,” in context to which Moore cites

Boice's six affective causes of writer’s block (p. 351).

For Kaufman (2002) the two major categories that affect creative writers are internal

forces and external forces. He suggests that internal variables (e.g., intrinsic motivation,

instability, impulsivity) are more relevant influences than external variables (e.g., environment)

in the development of a creative writer (p. 27). Emphasis on this distinction is key in order to

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 10

separate emotional causes from cognitive causes, which are linked with the intricacies of the

writing process.

Herring (2016) classified blocks into writer-in-progress blocks and work-in-progress

blocks. Herring states that writer-in-progress blocks are connected to the writer’s feelings and

beliefs (p. 44). On the other hand, work-in-progress blocks relate to the issues of the writing

product, like issues with structure and plot (p. 48).

In summary of this section, by examining these two opposite approaches to writer's

block, it is plausible to situate writer's block in the context of the writing process. On the one

hand, there is writer's block caused by elements external to the writing process, associated with

emotions. Such causes include fear of failure, anxiety, and perfectionism. On the other hand,

there are types of writer's block directly linked to the internal aspects of the writing process,

which are associated with cognitive causes. Such causes relate to steps within the stages of the

writing process, such as, planning and editing.

This literature review has a solution-oriented approach towards writer's block. For this

reason, the next section takes on a cognitive focus based on the notion that the act of writing

requires two sets of cognitive processes. The first is a linear, routinary process associated with

decision-making. The second cognitive process is inclined to creativity, which involves the

writer’s ability to combine unrelated ideas in new ways (Kaufman, 2009, as cited in Ahmed,

2019, p. 12).

As an additional conclusive thought, regardless of their differences, Rose (1984) and

Boice (1990) both acknowledge that writer’s block is complex and multimodal. In this sense,

Rose suggests it is necessary to first determine if the blockage experienced by a writer is "rooted

in some complex emotional reality or social conflict" before searching for cognitive causes of

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 11

writer's block (p. 14). Similarly, Boice recognizes working to improve writing skills as an

effective antidote to writing problems (p. 123).

Understanding the Distinctions Between Fluent Writers and Blocked Writers

This second section of the literature review aims to comprehend how fluent writers and

blocked writers approach the writing process. This section begins with a basic overview of the

three stages of the writing process, as an attempt to familiarize with the writing scenario. This is

followed by an overview of the studies that show how fluent writers and blocked writers

approach different stages of the writing process. Finally, this section concludes by identifying

and exploring the three key skills that distinguish fluent writers from blocked writers.

Stages of the Writing Process

In the context of the writing process, it is important to consider writer’s block in relation

to its three basic stages, prewriting, writing, and rewriting. Although these are not rigid stages

within the process, they are the stages most writers go through (Murray, 1972). Beginning the

writing process with an understanding of these stages or subprocesses, helps determine how

fluent writers navigate through these stages. In this context, Murray (1985) states that

“experienced writers refuse to leave on a trip through a draft without a map. The map may be in

the head or on paper, but the writer needs a sense of destination" (p. 223). In consensus, Moore

(2018) denotes that, “not all writers have been formally taught, but all must go through some

version of the inner process in order to write” (p. 354).

Fluent Writers versus Blocked Writers

The key to overcoming writer’s block may come from understanding how fluent writers

compose (Baker-Brodersen, 1988). As Flower and Hayes (1980) conclude in their study of the

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 12

Rhetorical Problem, “good writers are simply solving a different problem than poor writers” (p.

30). In this context, studies in brain activity of creative writers reveal that novice and expert

writers use different parts of their brain during the creative writing process. Ernhald et al. (2014)

found that even before writers begin drafting, inexperienced and experienced writers show

activities in different regions of their brains. For instance, when brainstorming, novice writers

show activity in the visual center, while experienced writers’ brains show activity in the region

involving speech.

Studies from the 1970s and 1980s identified patterns in how fluent writers write in

comparison to struggling writers. Baker-Brodersen (1988) suggests that fluent writers rely on

intellectual skills (p. 19). These early studies identified patterns in writers’ skills related to

planning (Flower & Hayes, 1980), audience awareness (Flower, 1979), and the degree of

flexibility/rigidness applied when approaching rules (Rose, 1980). In support of these early

studies, subsequent studies examine how fluent writers and struggling/blocked writers differ in

their planning, audience awareness, and flexibility in their writing process.

Planning

Planning is defined as the predetermination of a course of action aimed at achieving a

goal (Hayes & Roth, 1979, as cited in Haas, 1989). Bereiter and Scardamalia (1982, as cited in

Haas, 1989) use the terms knowledge-telling and knowledge-transforming to differentiate the

planning strategies of novice and expert writers. Similarly, Hayes and Flower's (1986) study

finds that extended planning and drafting time is linked to increased text quality.

In Butch and Kitsch’s (2014) study, 56 undergraduate psychology students were observed

in the prewriting, drafting, and revision stages of their writing process. This study found that

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 13

when writers are aided by content prompts and rhetorical prompts before they begin their writing

process, they tend to invest more time in planning and drafting. Consequently, the time spent in

the prewriting stage can be reflected in the quality of the text produced by these writers.

Conversely, a lack of a plan for their work may lead to a writer abandoning their work

prematurely due to a lack of ideas (Ahmed, 2019). For this reason, it is necessary for writers to

plan strategically. Similarly, Mcphee (2013, cited in Castillo, 2014), who refers to the writing

process in journalism, suggests that having a preplanned structure eases the stress of writing and

results in a better organized and flowing article.

According to Rose (1984), the problem is “not simply that students don't know

strategies, it's that some of them don't truly understand the planning process. They learn a

pattern, but not the mental operations the patterns represent (p. 108).

Audience Awareness

Flower (1976) values audience awareness in her study on writer-based and reader-based

prose. When a writer uses writer-based prose they write for themselves. Conversely, writers who

use reader-based prose are those who deliberately attempt to communicate something to the

reader (p. 19). Flower suggests that “good writers strive for reader-based prose from the very

beginning: they retrieve and organize information within the framework of the reader/writer

contract” (p. 34).

In a more recent study on writer’s block, Rahmat (2020) states that good writers analyze

their audience before they begin their writing process (p. 4). Moreover, a previous study by the

same author examines how audience awareness affects undergraduates during their research

writing. This study found that students who were taught to focus on their audience became more

aware of the different stages of their writing process (Rahmat, 2016, p. 94).

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 14

Flexibility

One of the earliest researchers approaching the lack of flexibility as a problem for

struggling blocked writers is Mike Rose. As previously mentioned, a rigid approach to rules is

one of the causes of cognitive writer's block (Rose, 1984). As part of his paper Rigid Rules,

Inflexible Planning, Rose interviewed ten UCLA students on their composing process. The study

found that blocked students seemed to depend on inflexible rules and plans which are

inappropriate when composing (p. 30). Thus, Rose concludes that “rules about grammar, about

process, about style, about form should not be taught as dicta" (Rose, p. 104).

Research on writing suggests that students who are perceived as strong writers

demonstrate flexibility in their writing style (Snow, Allen, Jacovina, Crossley, Perret &

McNamara, 2015, p. 40). This is related to strong writers’ ability to effectively maneuver a

variety of subtasks while generating text (Flower & Hayes, 1981, as cited in Snow et al., 2015).

Moreover, “skilled writers do not simply reuse language or linguistic features in multiple writing

tasks, instead, they assess each writing situation and adapt accordingly (Graham & Perin, 2007,

as cited in Snow et al., p. 43).

Wallace (1987) states that “most composition teachers realize that even fluent writers

may be blocked because they cannot find the right approach to a particular subject” (p. 33). In

other words, fluent writers can overcome writer’s block by changing their approach. This means

that good writing is an ability, or a set of abilities, that are eminently teachable (Flower & Hayes,

1981).

This section of the literature review concludes on four positive notions. First, all writing

processes go through roughly the same stages of the writing process (Murray, 1972). Second,

writer’s block is a reality for experienced, inexperienced, fluent, and struggling writers (Wallace,

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 15

1984). The difference is in how writers prepare for and approach blockage when it occurs. Third,

fluent writers struggle less than blocked writers because they approach the writing process with

strategic planning, audience awareness, and flexibility. Fourth and finally, skills required in

overcoming writer’s block are acquired through learning (Flower & Hayes, 1981).

Technical Writing

This third and last section of this literature review explores the field of technical writing

where writers must be actively flexible, audience aware and plan strategically. This section

begins with an overview of technical writing as a field. This is followed by a brief explanation of

how technical writers apply audience awareness, flexibility, and planning in their writing tasks.

And finally, this section concludes with studies that correlate technical writing with journalism

and creative writing.

The History of Technical Writing

Wright (1987) states that “technical writing is cognitively more complex than

nontechnical writing because it merges with the general design and management skills" (p. 377).

To better understand this statement, it is necessary to explore the history of technical writing.

Today technical writing is a respected profession with many colleges and universities offering

solid degrees in technical writing. However, this was not always the case. (Robinson, 2020).

In the late 19th century, technical writing existed as a knowledge-sharing medium

exclusive to engineers and scientists (Longo, 1997). However, after World War II engineers and

scientists were required to focus on improving the efficiency of technology. Consequently, the

responsibility for the production of engineering knowledge shifted from engineers to specialized

technical writers (p. 61). At this time in history, technical writing instruction transitioned from

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 16

the sciences to the liberal arts (p. 63). In practice, technical writing became a separate practice

from engineering (p. 65).

As technical writing evolved, so did its conception of the audience. In the nineteen-sixties

and seventies, audiences were grouped organizationally by job function or by their level of

experience. Then, in the nineteen-eighties and nineteen-nineties, influenced by cognitive

psychology and social construction, technical writing treated its audience as doers, learners, and

collaborators. Today, "technical communicators often move back and forth through these various

approaches to the audience" (Houser, 1997, p. 156).

In summary, today technical writing is more inclined to engineering than to writing

disciplines that traditionally belong in liberal arts. Nonetheless, technical writing exists

independently as a profession with its own associations and journals (Robinson, 2020, pp. 264 -

265). Technical writing's historical background puts it in an interesting position among the fields

of writing. In other words, technical writers are hybrid equipped with knowledge familiar to

scientists and engineers, and the writing instructions familiar to creative writers and journalists.

Flexibility, Audience Awareness and Strategic Planning in Technical Writing

Technical writers are required to be flexible on multiple levels, such as, in adapting to

different document formats, using different style guides, foreseeing the needs of various types of

readers, and working with multimodal documents. In the early eighties, Hendry (1985) foresaw

the usefulness of flexibility in technical writers. “Using flexible, multi-operational plans and

strategies will not only help technical writers produce effective prose but also help them contend

with time and money constraints” (Hendry, 1985, p. 81). In technical writing there is no single,

universal approach that guarantees success, requiring technical writers to develop a diversity of

skills. (Wright, 1987).

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 17

Balzotti (2018) perfectly summarizes how flexible approaches, audience awareness, and

strategic planning are skills actively used by technical writers:

Effective technical writers must learn to employ informed and flexible processes for

writing and speaking, including finding or creating ideas about which to write, collecting

evidence and essential data, planning, and drafting, editing and proofreading, and

designing or presenting a message meant for specific readers. All of this requires

technical writers to analyze different aspects of audience, purpose, and context to convey

information clearly and efficiently in written, oral, and visual media (p. 1).

Technical Writing in Relation to Other Fields of Writing

This subsection of this literature review overviews studies that suggest applying technical

writing to other fields of writing. For instance, Olson (1989), an English and journalism

professor at Bartlesville Wesleyan College, contemplates the resourcefulness of applying a

technical writing technique for her students. Olson states that journalism students need

guidelines in how to analyze audiences and need to know that their audience may influence their

writing style. She claims there is an oversight of audience awareness within news writing.

In contrast, technical writing instructors offer detailed instruction on the topic (Olson,

1989, p. 3). For example, Houp and Pearsall’s (1988, as cited in Olson, 1989) technical writing

textbook provides its readers with the types of audiences and how each affects the content,

organization, and writing style of the writer. In summary, Olson concludes that “using technical

writing teaching methods and literature could help news writing students learn to consider their

readers (p. 6).

Moran (2009) suggests a connection between engineers and creative writers. He reveals

that a handful of acclaimed writers were formerly engineers. Such writers include Fyodor

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 18

Dostoevsky, author of Crime and Punishment, Nevil Shute, author of On the Beach, and L.

Sprague Decamp, author of the Conan and the Barbarian series (p. 1). This is also true of

current American novelists and poets who were previously engineers before becoming novelists

and poets.

Moran’s (2009) study serves as a basis to hypothesize that by borrowing writing

techniques used in technical writing, creative writers are sure to improve their writing skills to

the extent necessary to face writer’s block. In summary, the examples illustrated by Moran and

Olson both seem to suggest that a background in engineering knowledge and technical writing is

beneficial for writers in other fields. On the one hand, technical writing may provide better

audience awareness to journalism students. On the other hand, Moran identifies a pattern in

engineers who have become published fiction writers. This seems to suggest a positive influence

of technical skills on creative writing.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there are various ways to approach writer's block. The two main

approaches in the study of writer's block are the affective approach and the cognitive approach.

This literature review focuses on the cognitive approach due to its direct correlation to the

writing process. This literature review examined the writing process based on how fluent and

blocked writers approach it differently. It was possible to determine three skills that characterize

fluent writers: strategic planning, audience awareness, and flexibility. These three skills are used

in technical writing, a field of writing that has influences in engineering and liberal arts.

In response to this literature review, the product developed for this thesis project is a

digital handbook creative writers can use to aid blockage experienced at different stages of their

writing process. The conclusions of this literature review confirm the resourcefulness of

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 19

technical writing. Consequently, the thesis product aims to provide technical writing tools in

strategic planning, audience awareness, and flexibility, to help blocked creative writers.

The main section following this Literature Review section is the Methodology section.

This Methodology section aims to serve as a descriptive guide through the developmental stages

of the thesis product.

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 20

METHODOLOGY

This Methodology section is divided into four main subsections, Needs Analysis, Design

Implications, Product Description, and Limitations. The Needs Analysis subsection describes

how data was collected and analyzed in order to determine if there is a need for the thesis

product. This is followed by the Design Intentions section that explains the main goals for the

thesis product. Next, the Product Description subsection provides a detailed explanation of the

thesis product, by using the mockup of the product found in Appendix C. Finally, the Limitations

subsection discusses the challenges observed in designing the thesis product.

Needs Analysis

This Needs Analysis is divided into two sections. It begins with the Data Collection

subsection which provides a brief detail of the research for this thesis project. This is followed by

the Data Analysis subsection which examines the strengths and weaknesses of similar products

and consequently determines if there is a need for the thesis product.

Data Collection

This subsection briefly explains the stages involved in the data collection for this thesis

project, and consequently for the development of the thesis product. Appendix A assists this

section with visual aids to clearly explain each data collecting on stage.

Research for this thesis project was conducted online via a search of user-based opinions

of related and similar products. Instead of visiting popular platforms like Facebook and Twitter,

data was collected from slower-paced platforms like Reddit, Quora, and Goodreads. Markel

(2016) acknowledges the usage of online discussion boards as quick sources of practical advice

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 21

(p. 124). He states that successful communicators visit discussion boards to gain insight into new

ideas (p. 8). In these selected platforms, user opinions seemed to be more constructive,

argumentative, and varied.

Once Reddit, Quora, and Goodreads were identified as the source platforms for data

collection, research began based on Qualitative Content Analysis (QCA). QCA is a research

method used to systematically interpret and describe the meaning of qualitative data (Schreier,

2012, p. 1). This research method seemed to be appropriate for this thesis project, especially for

its usage of patterns and themes. The data collection for this thesis project used keywords to

search for patterns and themes.

The first level of research aimed to identify books similar to the thesis product. Guided

by a premade keyword searching criteria (see Table A.1. in Appendix A) the objective was to

compile a varied but relevant list of similar products (handbooks on writing). Such similar

products include creative writing books and books written exclusively on writer's block.

Different selection criteria were used for different sources (see Tables A.2. and A.3. in

Appendix A). For instance, creative writing books were selected based on their role in aiding

writers and on whether they approached writer's block. However, books on writer's block were

selected based on whether they provide writing advice as solutions to writer's block.

The second level of data collection aimed to identify the resourcefulness of similar

products. Thus, the main source was Goodreads, the world’s largest book review website.

Goodreads book reviews of similar products were read in search for patterns and themes related

to similar products' strengths and weaknesses. Table A.3. in Appendix A compiles quotes and

paraphrases of the more frequent types of reader reviews of similar products.

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 22

Data collection also took place by examining the content of similar products. The list of

books on creative writing and writer's block that were read in search for relevant themes can be

found in List A.1 in Appendix A. were read in search for themes related to the thesis product.

Themes related to the thesis product include: (a) the usage of writing tools to aid writer's block;

(b) the usage of planning, audience awareness, and flexibility to aid writer's block; and, (c) the

usage of technical writing tools in creative writing.

In summary, a combination of concept-driven and data-driven strategies were used during

the data collecting stage of this thesis project. The subsection that follows intends to interpret the

data that was collected.

Data Analysis

The general aim of this section is to analyze products that are similar to the thesis

product. This data analysis section seeks to determine similar products’ approaches to writer's

block, and their strengths and weaknesses. Thus, the terms "similar products" and "books"are

used interchangeably when referring to books on creative writing with insight on writer's block,

and books written specifically on writer's block.

This subsection examines the limitations and strengths of similar products. It also

analyzes the most recommended and most similar products with the intention of identifying

qualities worth borrowing in the design of the thesis product.

Similar products and their solutions to writer’s block

Findings from the data collection reveal that around 60% of the books on creative writing

refer to the subject of writer's block. Regarding books specifically written on writer's block, an

estimated 60% provide writing tools and advice as solutions. The rest of the books on writer's

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 23

block provide non-writing solutions based on psychology, neurology, spiritualism, productivity,

and motivation.

From similar products that offer writing-based solutions, this study found more than 30

types of writing-related suggestions to overcome writer's block, as detailed in the following pie

graph. According to this data, the most frequently mentioned ways to treat writer's block are

freewriting, writing prompts, and writing exercises.

Figure 1: Types of solutions to writer’s block suggested by similar products

similar products

Needs Analysis Conclusions

This Needs Analysis subsection concludes on three reflective notions. First, a lack of new

content is the biggest weakness in similar products. On this note, readers have complimented

similar products that provide a different approach to using known techniques. Second, in

relation to how effectively similar products approach writer’s block, single approaches to

writer’s block do not seem to satisfy readers. For example, readers criticized similar sources that

offered too much information on neurology, motivation, or spirituality (see Table A.4. in

Appendix A). Overall, readers expressed a need for balance and combined aid for their writer’s

block. For example, readers appreciated how King and Clark's works balanced writing advice

with research and examples drawn from personal experience.

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 28

Third and finally, there is currently no similar product offering what is proposed by the

thesis product. In other words, it is safe to conclude there is a need for a product that offers

creative writers a solution to writer’s block based on building skills familiar to technical writers.

The following Design Intentions section states the priorities that need to be considered in the

thesis product.

Design Intentions

Guided by findings from the Literature Review and from conclusions drawn in the Data

Analysis, this subsection determines the following three intentions of the thesis product.

Design Intention 1: Inform on the Complex Nature of Writer's Block

First, the literature review acknowledges the complex nature of writer’s block.

Researchers from opposing approaches to writer’s block (affective and cognitive) recognize the

validity of treatments from both approaches (Boice, 1990; Rose, 1984; Moore, 2018).

Furthermore, Boice (1990) conducted a year-long experiment on college professors who were

experiencing writer’s block. His study found that applying a combination of motivational,

psychological, and writing help was the most effective way to treat writer’s block (p. 19).

The thesis product intends to inform its readers of the complex nature of writer’s block.

The goal is to help its readers identify the right approach for the type or types of writer’s block

they are experiencing. This intention aims to be accomplished in the Introductory section of the

thesis product.

Design Intention 2: Prioritize Strategic Planning, Flexibility, and Audience Awareness

The literature review also found that fluent writers have three skills that help them avoid

and overcome writer’s block. These three skills are audience awareness, strategic planning, and

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 29

flexibility. These skills also happen to be frequently used in the field of technical writing.

Consequently, the thesis product intends to offer technical writing tools focused on helping

creative writers build skills in audience awareness, flexibility, and strategic planning. This is

intended to be accomplished in Chapters 1, 2, and 3 of the thesis product.

Design Intention 3: Repurpose Commonly Known Writing Tools

Third, the data analysis subsection of this thesis project found that the most common

limitation readers observed in similar products is that they provide content readers already know

(see Figure 2 in the Data Analysis section). This thesis product intends to avoid this by

providing a technical writing angle to writing techniques that may already be known or familiar

to the intended audience.

Freewriting, for instance, is one of the most common writing techniques suggested in

similar products. When suggesting a well-known technique like freewriting, the thesis product

aims to go beyond offering what readers already know. In other words, the product intends to

explain how it is used by technical writers. Immediately following this explanation, the product

intends to suggest ways to use freewriting to build flexibility skills as creative writers. This is the

intended structure for every writing tool suggested in the thesis product. The section that follows

illustrates how these intentions were incorporated in the design, structure, and content of the

thesis product.

Product Description

The product developed for this thesis project is titled “A Technical Writing Handbook for

Creative Writers: A Guide to Overcoming Writer’s Block.” Due to the wordiness of the

product’s name, hereinafter it is referred to as “the handbook”, “the Technical Writing

Handbook”, or “the thesis product.” Likewise, for the purpose of avoiding confusion, the target

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 30

audience of the thesis product will be referred to as “blocked writers” or "readers." This Product

Description section provides an overview of the handbook's design decisions, content, and

structure.

Design

Regarding its presentation, the Technical Writing handbook is an electronic book

(eBook) that intends to be available on multiple electronic devices. According to research, the

preferred format used for eBooks is electronic publication (Epub) over PDF. This is due to most

electronic reader (eReader) apps (except for Kindle) being compatible with ePub (Harman,

2018). For this reason, the product aims to be formatted and available as an ePub document.

In its attempt to provide navigability the handbook takes into consideration the strengths

found in similar products (see Table in Data Analysis). This is reflected in its use of single color-

coded headings, a uniform sans serif typeface, and balanced use of white space, throughout the

whole document (see all Figures in Appendix B). The Table of Contents was kept concise in its

wording and layout to help with navigability (see Figures B.2. and B.3. in Appendix B).

Additionally, the handbook aims to have a professional but friendly appeal to its readers.

Following the examples of similar products written by Stephen King and Roy Peter Clark, the

handbook incorporates narrative elements and attempts to use a friendly, semi-formal tone.

Content

The Technical Writing Handbook consists of a “How to Read this Handbook”

introductory section, three chapters, and an Appendix. The “How to Read this Handbook”

section, provides a guide to approaching writer’s block and on how to read the book to meet their

needs. The second, third, and fourth sections make up the chapters of the book. Each chapter

contains tools related to Strategic Planning (Chapter 1), Flexibility (Chapter 2), and Audience

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 31

Awareness (Chapter 3). The last section of the handbook is the Appendix which contains

complementary material (recommendations of other books on writer's block and style guides).

The "how to read this handbook" section

Writer’s block is experienced differently by every writer. The "How to Read this

Handbook" section helps blocked writers identify their struggles and understand the different

ways to use the handbook.

This section begins by informing on the complex nature of writer's block. This is

followed by the ‘Writer’s Self Evaluation.’ It then concludes with a step-by-step guide of what to

expect from the Technical Writing Handbook.

The Writer’s Self Evaluation is the key element of this section. It was developed by

comparing the studies by Rose (1984), Boice (1990), and Ahmed (2019). The evaluation’s

primary intention is to help blocked writers identify their type or types of writer’s block. It also

encourages the blocked writer to reflect on their current writing situation based on where they

write and what they write about.

In the “Beyond What You Know” section, the handbook explains that many writers limit

themselves to writing what they know, when in fact they should write what they find interesting.

The difficulty to generate ideas being a common writer's block struggle, this section encourages

exploring the genres and themes that interest them.

Upon taking the “Writer's Evaluation,” there may be blocked writers who identify their

cause of blocking to be from external factors (emotional, environmental). For these types of

blocked writers, the handbook provides the Appendix section which includes a list of books on

psychology, motivation, and writing books best suited towards their needs.

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 32

Chapters of the handbook

The tools detailed in the Table of Contents were selected after revising through the

technical writing books detailed in List A 2. in Appendix A. The most consulted resources were:

Technical Communications by Mike Markel, Technical Writing Essentials by Jon Balzotti, and

The Microsoft Manual of Style.

The handbook has three chapters, one for each of the three main skills that characterize

fluent writers, strategic planning, flexibility, and audience awareness. By skimming through the

Table of Contents (see Figure in Appendix B), readers are able to determine a technical writing

tool in relation to one of these three main skills. Readers can also navigate through the handbook

with ease, guided by the color code on the top of each page.

Figure 4: Screenshot exemplifying the color-coded heading from the thesis product

The following provide an overview of each chapter and a brief example of how one

writing tool is presented in each chapter.

Chapter 1: Strategic planning provides technical writing tools to help blocked writers

improve their planning skills. As detailed in the Table of Contents, these tools include progress

reports, researching techniques, wikis, note-taking, and reading strategies.

An example of a technical writing tool that can help improve a creative writer's planning

skills is Note-Taking. This handbook provides insight into how technical writers take notes of

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 33

abstract ideas. Additionally, it exemplifies how technical writing involves active strategic

planning in stages as early as during data collection/research.

Chapter 2: Flexibility provides technical writing tools to help blocked writers build

flexible ways to approach their writing process. These technical writing tools include freewriting,

information evaluation, templates, Microsoft’s principles on style and voice, and design thinking.

This chapter exemplifies technical writers' flexibility skills, by examining how they use

templates. Being able to adapt quickly to multiple templates requires flexibility skills. This

chapter explains how technical writers identify good templates from bad ones, and the

considerations they take when drafting templates.

Chapter 3: Audience awareness provides technical writing tools to help blocked writers

build flexible ways to approach their writing process. These technical writing tools include cross-

culture communications techniques, style guides, audience profiles, and Microsoft’s guidelines

for testing jargon.

The subsection that follows provides a complete sample of Style Guides, a technical

writing tool that is part of this chapter (also available as part of Appendix B).

Structure

This subsection uses visual aids to illustrate how each writing tool within each chapter is

structured. To guarantee navigability each section on writing tools used the same basic structure.

As detailed below, each section begins with an explanation of how the tool is used by technical

writers. This is followed by tips on how to use it within the creative writing process. It then

concludes with a detail of the sources mentioned in the section.

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 34

Figure 5: Content screenshot informing on the structure of the sections on technical

writing tools

Based on this template, the following is an example of how Style Guides, a technical

writing tool in Chapter 3 of the handbook, is structured. The section begins with an explanation

of the technical writing tool.

Figure 6: Content screenshot explaining a technical writing tool

This is followed by suggestions on how this tool can be used by creative writers.

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 35

Figure 7: Content screenshot explaining how to use a technical writing tool to build

audience awareness skills in creative writing

The section includes a suggestion for a writing exercise related to the writing tool.

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 36

Figure 8: Content screenshot suggesting a writing exercise

Finally, the section concludes with a mini reference section.

Figure 9: Content screenshot exemplifying how sources are referenced in the mini

reference section

Mini reference section

The handbook attempts to provide credibility for the technical writing tools it provides.

At the same time, it attempts to avoid overwhelming its readers with hyperlinks or in-text

citations within the main text. For this reason, at the end of each description of a technical

writing tool, the handbook includes a small reference. This mini reference section makes it easier

for readers to consult the source related to the reading, without having to turn to the back of the

book. This reference section is added in addition to the global reference section found at the end

of the handbook.

The section that follows is the Limitations section. It provides insight on the areas that the

designed thesis product requires improvements.

Limitations

This section discusses any potential challenges or areas where the product requires more

work/or focus.

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 37

Length

According to reader reviews of similar products, a product is valued for the amount and

depth of content it offers. The thesis product offers compact content within a 60-page handbook.

Had the thesis product been lengthier, it may have provided more writing tools, but it would have

also risked offering information that overlaps with that of similar products. In summary, if this

product is to be published, it would be undervalued for its length.

Credibility of the Author

Handbooks are valued based on the experience and previous work of their author. Based

on this notion, a future concern for this product is that if it is sent to a publishing house, it may

be rejected for the lack of expertise of the author. Following this line of logic self-publishing on

Kindle is an alternative. Interestingly, among the similar products that were reviewed for this

thesis project, a selected few were digital eBooks that were self-published. Although readers

today are familiar with self-published eBooks, many readers on Goodreads approached these

self-published books with skepticism. Among the most frequent observations, readers addressed

the low price, poor editing, and lack of depth in self-published books (see compiled read reviews

in Table A.4 in Appendix A).

Originality

Drawing from resourceful textbooks and manuals on technical writing, the thesis product

aimed to remedy its author's lack of experience on the subject of technical writing.

Consequently, an extra effort was put into finding reliable credible content. At the same time, an

effort was made to add originality by drawing correlations between the technical writing tool and

a reference from the creative writing world.

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 38

Narrow Approach

Since the thesis product focuses exclusively on offering tools related to audience

awareness, flexibility, and planning, it risks not meeting the needs of a wider audience. For

future considerations, a solution to this limitation may lie in offering a product that provides

writing tools for each of Rose’s (1984) cognitive causes. These causes are rigid rules, misleading

assumptions about composing, premature editing, poor or inappropriate planning, conflicting

strategies, and inadequately understood evaluative criteria.

In conclusion, this Methodology section provided a lengthy insight into the stages

involved in the development of the thesis product. It began with the data collection and the data

analysis, through which a need for a product like the thesis product was determined. The

conclusions from the data analysis additionally guided the thesis product into considering the

readers' expectations. The developed thesis product was then described and preliminarily

examined in the Product Description and Limitations sections, respectively. The following

Product Analysis section provides an in-depth examination of the developed thesis product based

on the inquiry questions introduced at the beginning of this thesis project.

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 39

PRODUCT ANALYSIS

In the Data Analysis subsection, three key themes were found in the limitations and

expectations expressed by readers of similar products (books on creative writing and books on

writer's block). These three themes are: (a) a lack of new content, (b) readers' expectations for in-

depth writing help, and (c) an appreciation for a combined treatment to writer's block. This

Product Analysis section examines these themes by answering the inquiry questions that guided

the product development. These inquiry questions are as follows:

● How does the thesis product provide credible content?

● How does the thesis product satisfy readers’ need for new content on writer’s block?

● How does the thesis product keep content interesting and relevant at the same time?

● How does the thesis product acknowledge that it may not be the right solution for every

blocked writer?

These inquiry questions are paraphrased in the subheadings of this product analysis.

Providing Credible Content

In order to answer the inquiry question related to providing credible content, it was

necessary for the thesis product to focus on providing quality content. This required strategically

examining reader reviews on technical writing resources. It was, therefore, necessary to learn

what criteria technical writers use to determine if a technical writing book or handbook is

"resourceful" or not. This thesis project the way readers found the following patterns expressed

on Goodreads reader reviews. First, readers described “rereading it” or “going back to it" to these

sources. Second, readers stated the book/handbook was recommended by someone in the field,

either a colleague or someone in academia. Consequently, using expressions like “reread” and

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 40

“recommended by someone in the field” as criteria to find credible technical writing books,

made it possible to compile a list of helpful technical writing resources (See List A.2. in

Appendix A).

The most consulted technical writing books for the thesis product development were:

Technical Communications by Mike Markel, Technical Writing Process by Kieran Morgan, and

Technical Writing Essentials by Jon Balzotti.

Once a relevant technical writing tool was identified in two or more of the mentioned

technical writing resources, this tool was then paraphrased and incorporated in the thesis product

(see Figure B.9 in Appendix B). To guarantee the credibility of the content, the designed product

provides a mini reference section that immediately follows the description of the writing tool

(see Figure 9 in the Product Description).

In summary, this thesis project ensured the credibility of its content first, during the stage

of data analysis, and later during the drafting of the thesis product.

Satisfying Readers’ Need for New, Interesting and Relevant Content

Readers’ need for new content is related to the product's originality, which was achieved

by providing creative ways to use a technical writing tool. This is done by explaining how the

technical writing tool can be repurposed to aid the creative writing process. This creative outlook

is supported with examples and suggestions of writing exercises (see Figures B.9 and B.10 in

Appendix B).

As mentioned in the Data Analysis subsection, readers of similar products preferred

books that provided writing advice using a narrative style of writing rather than those written in a

textbook-like style. This seems to be why readers recall the content of books on writing by King,

Clark, and Lamott, even years after reading them. Research during this thesis project determined

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 41

that handbooks on writing and on writer's block are valued for the writing advice they provide

but also by how enjoyable they are to read. For this reason, the thesis product attempted to use an

approachable writing style as shown in Figure 10.

Figure 10: Content screenshot from the Introductory section of the handbook

In relation to relevant content, during data analysis this study found a significant number

of valuable resources from technical writing books that are applicable to creative writing. For

example, Laplante (2019) provides ways to use rhetorical devices when composing, and a useful

guide to substituting the usage of the term ‘very’ (p. 31). However, such content was not

included in the handbook for two reasons. First, it would have risked overlapping with the

content found in general handbooks on writing. Second, it would have risked diverting from the

purpose of the product, which is to aid the creative writer's block.

For this reason, the following criteria were actively used while developing content for the

thesis product:

● criteria 1: content applicable to writer’s block, and

● criteria 2: content that isn’t offered with the same intention by similar products.

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 42

Acknowledging That the Thesis Product May Not be the Right Solution for Every Blocked

Writer

As found in the early stages of this thesis project, treatments for writer's block are just as

diverse as its numerous causes. In practice, the thesis product offers a solution to writer's block

that is limited to aiding the writing process through technical writing tools. It doesn't offer advice

on how to overcome writer's block based on productivity, motivation, or studies based on

psychology or neurology. It would therefore be deceiving to recommend or promote the thesis

product as the right or effect tool applicable to all types of writer's block.

As Boice (1990) concludes in his study on writer’s block treatments, to guarantee an

effective treatment for writer’s block it is necessary to consider all the elements that may be

causing it. Based on this notion, the ideal handbook would be one that offers a complete

combination treatment to writer's block.

While the thesis product is unable to offer such a complete and resource, it found a way

to offer an honest approach. The thesis encourages a combined approach, by acknowledging that

it is but one of many types of aids to writer's block. The handbook informs readers of the nature

of writer's block and encourages taking a self-evaluation to identify their blocking struggle. In

addition to this, the handbook provides readers with a list of what their books on writer's block.

Such acknowledgments/honest approach comes with the risk of readers abandoning the

handbook at an early stage of their reading.

For instance, a blocked writer whose sole cause of blocking is due to an inadequate

writing environment may find no use for this thesis product after taking the Writer's Self

Evaluation (see Figure B.6. in Appendix B).

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 43

Nonetheless, the thesis product intends to exist as a complementary resource to all other

handbooks/books on writer's block, by including three key elements.

The concluding and future implications section that follows summarizes the main

findings from this thesis project and its product development. A summary of the three main

sections of this thesis project that concludes with reflections on future implications is provided.

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 44

CONCLUSION

This Conclusion section provides a chronological summary of the main findings from the

Literature Review, Data Analysis, and Product Analysis sections of this thesis. The Literature

Review is worth mentioning since its findings acted as a significant preliminary step to

determining the need for the thesis product.

Conclusions from the Literature Review

The literature review helped show that among the various causes of writer's block, there

are those intrinsically related to the writing process. These causes are described as cognitive

variables (Rose, 1984).

It was also determined that the difference between a fluent writer and a blocked writer is

not due to fluent writers not experiencing writer's block. It is a fact that writer's block is a

struggle for both experienced and prolific writers. This said the key difference between a fluent

and blocked writer is in how they approach the writing process. Consequently, this difference

was reflected in how different writers approach struggles like writer’s block that come with the

writing process.

Studies examined in the literature review concluded that fluent writers have skills that

make it easier for them to overcome or avoid writer's block. In summary, these skills are

audience awareness, strategic planning, and flexibility, which happen to be skills habitually used

in the field of technical writing.

It was important to include the findings from the literature review in this conclusion

section since they provided a preliminary assertion of the need for the thesis product. The

purpose of such a product is to help creative writers build skills in audience awareness, planning,

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 45

and flexibility. Knowing this allowed the Methodology section to examine similar sources

(books on creative writing and writer's block) and collect relevant content for the thesis product

(technical writing books).

Conclusions from the Data Analysis

Through the Data Analysis subsections, this thesis project discovered three main

findings. Firstly, the frequency in recommending a writing tool does not guarantee it as being the

most useful. On the contrary, including a frequently mentioned writing tool in a book, is seen by

readers as a weakness, or as lacking new content. Readers of similar products, however, seemed

to appreciate when a book offers a different way of approaching a writing technique they are

familiar with.

Second, a balanced approach seems to be preferred regarding both writer's block and the

writing process. An example of this was seen in readers’ appreciation for On Writing by Stephen

King. King’s book provides a balance in writing advice, life advice, and good storytelling.

Finally, in relation to the thesis product, the Data Analysis safely concluded that no other

similar product offers aid to creative writer's block based on skill-building through technical

writing tools.

Conclusions from the Product Analysis

The development of the thesis product was influenced by the themes identified in the data

analysis. The three themes that helped answer the inquiry questions that guided this section are

related to new content, in-depth writing help, and a combined approach to the writing process

and writer’s block. Through an analysis that combined these themes and inquiry questions, it was

possible to draw conclusions summarized in the following statements.

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 46

First, the handbook developed through this thesis project provides technical writing tools

that were carefully selected from sources considered to be resourceful by technical writers.

Second, this handbook provides original content. It suggests ways to repurpose technical writing

tools for the benefit of blocked creative writers. Third, the development of the thesis product

used a set of criteria to actively avoid including excessive or irrelevant content.

The last and most important conclusion is that the thesis product aims to provide an

honest outlook on writer's block. Based on this notion, the thesis product intends to inform and

guide readers in their journey to find the right treatment for their writer's block. Even at the risk

of having readers realize that the thesis product is not the right product for their type of writer's

block.

Additional Findings

The main limitation encountered for this thesis project was the surprisingly limited

number of recent studies on writer's block and technical writing. This realization is both a cause

of concern and a wake-up call for future studies.

Most key studies about writer’s block and collected on technical writing were conducted

between the late nineteen-seventies until the early nineteen-nineties. For example, studies like

Rhetoric and Relevance in Technical Writing (Killingsworth & Gilbertson, 1986) offer useful

insight for technical writers and creative writers alike. However, this study dates back almost

four decades. On the subject of writer's block, the only recent studies that were found were those

by Moore (2018), Rahmat (2020), and Ahmed (2021).

Contrasting the scarcity of recent peer-reviewed research on writer's block and technical

writing there are currently numerous blogs and internet posts on either subject. However, the

excess content online makes it difficult to identify credible information.

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 47

Through this reflection, this study intends to encourage more studies on both writer's

block and technical writing.

Future Implications

Motivated by the abovementioned conclusions, this thesis project suggests the following

implications to consider for future related studies or product developments.

Considerations for Different Mediums

Writers must consider writing not only for multiple audiences but also for multiple

channels and devices (Tidwell, Brewer & Valencia, 2020, p. 118). Future studies may find

correlations between the devices used by readers to read on (kindle, tablets), or their preference

for a particular format (eBooks, audiobooks). Considering the target audience's medium

preferences may provide writers with insight on how to adapt aspects like structure, hierarchy,

and pace to these considerations.

During research for this study, it was found that there is a significant amount of books on

writing available as audiobooks. To date, on Audible there are more than 1400 titles available

under the subgenre Writing and Publishing. For this reason, it is necessary for informative and

educational writers to consider adapting a narrative style of writing.

Obtaining Content from Academia

During my time in NYU's MSPW program, I found valuable reading material that I find

myself revisiting and recommending. During the development of this thesis project, I revisited

three of these valuable reads. These texts include Technical Communications by Mike Markel,

Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott, and Information Architecture by Peter Morville and Louis

Rosenfeld. Based on this notion, in future studies, it would be interesting to compare

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 48

recommended books used by different curriculums of technical writing and creative writing

programs.

Given the historical background of technical writing, which was discussed in the

literature review, it would be interesting to examine how the types of books used academically

changed over time. In order to see patterns in the types of course texts used in these writing

programs and validate their resourcefulness by comparing student reviews to the reviews found

in online discussions.

Future Implication for Similar Products

Through the research conducted for this thesis project, it was possible to draw

connections from two very different fields of writing, creative writing, and technical writing.

Based on the research method used and platforms visited in this thesis project, this study

encourages exploring correlations among other fields of writing.

Overall, the findings for this thesis project are optimistic and humbling. On a positive

note, it was possible to determine a need for a Technical Writing Handbooks for Creative

Writers: A Guide to Overcoming Writer's Block. But more importantly, acknowledging that the

thesis product alone cannot solve every type of writer's block, placed a higher value in

combining approaches. For instance, offering a combined treatment to writer's block has the

potential to accurately aid various types and forms of writer's block. Similarly, this study

suggests the benefits of combining techniques from different fields of writing.

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers                                                                  49 
 
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https://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/19/science/researching-the-brain-of-writers.html

Zinsser, W. (2006). On writing well. Harper Collins.

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 55

Appendix A

Data Collection

This appendix contains tables and visual aids that inform in detail the stages that were

involved in data collection for this thesis project.

Table A.1.

Keywords and Patterns used to Guide the Stages of Data Collection

Data collection after literature review

Search for patterns in reader reviews (Goodreads)

Sources type:

user reviews, user forums (Goodreads)

Keywords used to guide data collection

best + helpful + recommended + creative

writing books, writing books, writer’s block

books, technical writing books

Search for patterns in similar products

Source type

Creative writing books, writing guides, books

on writer’s block, books on technical writing

Keywords used to guide data collection

In creative writing books and general

writing guides

writer’s block + writing habits, blockage,

writing struggles, fluent writers, writing

process

In books on writer’s block

writer’s block + Fluent writers, writing habits,

writing strategies, writing skills,

writing process, writing tools

In books on technical writing

writing tools, writing skills, writing strategies,

writing process, flexibility, rules, structure,

strategy, reader-awareness, audience

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 56

awareness

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 57

Table A.2.

First Set of Criteria used to Select Relevant Similar Products

Book Categories

Criteria on Reddit

Criteria on

Goodreads

Criteria on Quora

Creative Writing

Recommended by

more than one user in

a single discussion

group

Mentioned on the list

of most popular

creative writing

books

Recommended by

more than one user in

a single discussion

group

Writer’s Block

All books that

resulted from

searching “writer’s

block” were included.

*Not enough discussion groups were

available (less than two) on Quora. Instead,

all the books on ‘writer’s block’ that made it

to Google’s recommended list of books were

included.

Technical Writing

Recommended by

more than one user in

a single discussion

group

Mentioned in

Goodreads’ list of

best technical writing

books

Recommended by

more than one user in

a single discussion

group

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 58

Table A.3.

Second Set of Criteria used to Select Relevant Similar Products

Book categories

Criteria used to select books to consult for the content

development of the Creative Writer’s Handbook

Creative Writing

Mentioned in more than one Reddit discussion group or

mentioned in more than one Quora discussion group

Writer’s Block

More than 10 reviews on Amazon and more than ten reviews

on Goodreads

Technical Writing

Mentioned in more than five Reddit discussion groups or

mentioned in two or more discussions on both Reddit and

Quora

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 59

Table A.4.

Compilation of Goodreads Reader Reviews

Book

Writing-based solutions

to writer’s block

Compilation of reader reviews

The Midnight

Disease by

Alice Flaherty

n/a

n/a (Doesn't provide writing-based suggestions)

Four Seasons

of Creative

Writing by

Bryan Cohen

n/a

Writing ideas that are "too close to home" - readers

expressed having expected more enlightening

ideas, fresher ideas; topics familiar for to only

American readers/writers; readers expected

writing techniques

Writing Habit

Mastery by

S.J. Scott

Approach to overcome

writer's block by

turning writing into a

habit

Reader expectations: "what I look for in books on

writing is inspiration to write, and interesting

research"; The good: The advice revolves

around making time to write, committing to

writing, and sticking with it", brief, organizing,

easy to read; The bad: "on the surface it

succeeds, and yet there is nothing new or overly

interesting

Around the

Writer's Block

by Rosanne

Bane

Freewriting, time

management habits

The good: helpful on procrastinating, applicable to

creative endeavors additional to writing, self-

help book, focus on play; approach explaining

brain functions was appreciated; The bad:

"clunky writing", needs organization, "focuses

mostly on brain science"; "aside from the focus

on play, didn't contain much I hadn't read

elsewhere"

Conquering

Writer's Block

by K.M.

Weiland

Freewriting, write a

letter to oneself, plot

twist, new angle,

enjoy writing, read,

take a break

The good: Short and concise (brevity is

appreciated by most readers), easy to read (many

readers reread the book), readers are skeptical

because the author admits to not believing in

writer's block; The bad: Doesn't offer anything

new but rather reminders of well-known

strategies

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 60

Book

Writing-based

solutions to writer’s

block

Compilation of reader reviews

The 7 Secrets

of the Prolific

by Hillary

Rettig

Strategies used by

prolific writers:

overcoming

perfectionism, non-

writing techniques

(time management,

coping with

rejection), writing

tips: freewriting,

working backwards,

reading out loud,

nonlinear writing,

enjoy writing

The good: inspirational, encouraging, reorganizes

good advice writers already know; The bad:

readers expressed discomfort with hyperlinks

and disorganization within the book;

motivational, repetitive, too much author's

opinion, various users mention being offended

by the use of stereotypes, opinionated, good first

sections but the second half wasn't well received

by readers

The Story

Template by

Amy Deardon

Writing exercises,

ways to overcome

writer's block during

writing: "introduce

another problem",

preplan scenes;

freewriting, story

building exercises

(character, plot,

setting development)

The good: good on story structure, practical

exercises; "the closest it can get to a formula

about writing a story"; concise; The bad: basic

content

On Writer's

Block by

Victoria

Nelson

n/a

n/a (Doesn't provide writing-based suggestions)

The Writer's

Process by

Anne Janzer

Freewriting, generating

ideas, productive

writing habits

More for beginner writers, validation of existing

material, no new material, readers expected more

cognitive science approach to writing, repetitive

The War of

Art by Steven

Pressfield

n/a

n/a (Doesn't provide writing-based suggestions)

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 61

Book

Writing-based

solutions to writer’s

block

Compilation of reader reviews

On Being Stuck

by Laraine

Herring

View of writer's

block as a "pause",

a sign to pay

attention to

something.

Treatment based on

making self-

inquiries;

encourages creating

a "foundation too

kit" consisting of

practices, prompts,

movement

activities, playlists

Provides motivational/inspirational help. The

good: short, easy to follow chapters; The bad:

repetition of content, advice not taken seriously

by readers, small font; Reader expectation:

more help on crafting than self-help.

Write. 10 Days

to Overcome

Writer's Block.

Period by Karen

Peterson

Parallel monologues,

brainstorming, to-

do lists

Too much focus on the left/right brain talk.

Writing Tools:

50 Essential

Strategies for

Every Writer by

Roy Peter Clark

Writing techniques:

planning, mission

statement;

Motivational on

approach to writing,

draft sooner than

later, rewriting,

keeping a daybook,

reading for form

and content and

genre, types of

reading. Technique

suggested on

overcoming writer's

block: lower your

standards

The good: readers value practical writing advice

and the notion of a writer's toolbox, concise,

simplifies complex ideas, easy to understand;

The bad: seasoned writers indicate advice is

mostly useful to novice writers; Distinction

from thesis product: has a "particularly handy

for journalism and persuasive writing"

Break Writer's

Block Now! by

Jerrold Mundis

Exercises to get

going on writing;

scheduling

exercises

The good: a concise read, blend of psychological

tips and writing exercises, several readers

recommended it for stressed writers; The bad:

most advice is what they already knew

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 62

Book

Writing-based

solutions to writer’s

block

Compilation of reader reviews

Robot Coconut

Trees by

Kelsey Horton

Freewriting

The good: "the best self-help book"; inspirational;

The bad: "reinforces stereotypical ideas about

writing"; "expected more specific advice"; Note:

criticized for offering "advice as a self-

published writer"

Bird by Bird by

Anne Lamott

"I no longer think of

it as a block. I think

that it is looking at

the problem from

the wrong angle";

advice: acceptance

The good: resonating; encouraging, "enjoyable

read", rereadable; "uses examples, metaphors,

analogies that help you understand"; "manages to

hit the fears about writing"; "has an enviable

conversational writing style"; The bad: "learned

more about the Anne Lamott than I learned about

writing"; advices are too familiar; "doesn't say

much that hasn't been said"; "good as an

autobiography"; dislike of the author's voice or

as an individual

Three Story

Method:

Foundations

of Fiction by J

Thorn and

Zach

Bohannon

Approach based on

the six elements of

Aristotle's Poetics:

plot, structure,

genre, them,

character and world

and story

archetypes.

Acknowledges two

types of writers,

pantsers and

plotters

The good: useful in story structure and general

writing advice; The bad: Much of the examples

are based on Star Wars, readers unfamiliar with

Star Wars felt at loss; Readers complain about

the "three story method" not being explained or

not explain with sufficient depth; Reader

expectations: new writing advice, not a

repetition of advice the authors provided in their

podcast

Story,

Substance,

Structure,

Style and the

Principles of

Screenwriting

by Robert

McKee

Do research

Overall: lengthy read, written for screenwriters

but appreciated by writers from other genres;

academic; The good: "the rare writing book

where I learned something major in every

chapter"; clear advice; deep/dense in a good

way; The bad: verbose, "pompous" writer's

voice

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 63

Book

Writing-based

solutions to writer’s

block

Compilation of reader reviews

On Writing by

Stephen King

Thematic thinking

The good: enjoyable read, "mix of tried-and true

pieces of advice"; "book that makes you want to

write"; anecdotes appreciated by most readers -

even for readers who don't read King's books;

reliable advice ("trust" used several times in

reviews); The bad: "more autobiographical than

about the craft"

Zen of Writing

by Ray

Bradbury

n/a

n/a (Doesn't approach writer's block)

Writing Fiction

by Janet

Burroway

(Ref. Natalie

Goldberg) "the best

way out is any wat

that help you avoid

the cycle of guilt,

avoidance, and

pressure"

Overall: a long read, appreciated in a classroom

setting, solid content; The good: useful prompts;

solid, "a good textbook for an undergrad English

major"; The bad: "formulaic approach"; author's

opinions and assumptions weren't appreciated

Writing Down

the Bones by

Natalie

Goldberg

(Borrowing the idea

from a Zen saying)

"Write when you

write. Stop battling

yourself with guilt,

accusations, and

strong-arm threats"

The good: enjoyable writing style; inspirational;

practical, easy writing exercises; The bad: not

for everyone (Zen, spirituality); repetitive; "I

would have liked the content to cover a wider

range of the writer's craft"

On Writing

Well by

William

Zinsser

"Forget the

competition and go

at your own pace.

Your only contest is

with yourself"

The good: solid advice (most mentioned for: target

audience, uncluttering, editing); focused on non-

fiction writing; content and style compared to

'Elements of Style'; The bad: repetitive content;

extensive-read (mostly unappreciated): "this

book could have been shortened to 50-100

pages"; author's humor isn't for everyone;

appreciated for the first two sections, not for its

entire content

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 64

Book

Writing-based

solutions to

writer’s block

Compilation of reader reviews

The Art of

Fiction by

John Gardner

n/a

n/a (Doesn't approach writer's block)

Reading Like a

Writer by

Francine

Prose

n/a

n/a (Doesn't approach writer's block)

The Emotion

Thesaurus by

Angela

Ackerman

n/a

n/a (Doesn't approach writer's block)

Draft No. 4 by

John McPhee

"Get away from the

computer, lie down

somewhere with

pencil and paper"

Overall: collection of essays; memoir-like; The

good: good narrative style; humor and

conversational style appreciated by readers; good

advice on structure; The bad: "more stories than

writing advice"; "unhelpful use of diagrams"

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 65

List A.1.

List of Revised Similar Products

Creative Writing Books

Story, Substance, Structure, Style and the Principles of Screenwriting by Robert McKee

On Writing by Stephen King

Writing Fiction by Janet Burroway

Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg

The Emotion Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman

On Writing Well by William Zinsser

The Art of Fiction by John Gardner

Reading Like A Writer by Francine Prose

Draft. No. 4 by John McPhee

Books on Writer’s Block

The Midnight Disease by Alice Flaherty

Four Seasons of Creative Writing by Bryan Cohen

Writing Habit Mastery by S.J. Scott

Around the Writer’s Block by Rosanne Bane

Conquering Writer’s Block by K.M. Weiland

The 7 Secrets of the Prolific by Hillary Rettig

The Writer’s Block: 786 Ideas to Jump-start your Imagination by Jason Rekulak

The Story Template by Amy Deardon

On Writer’s Block by Victoria Nelson

The Writer’s Process by Anne Janzer

The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

On Being Stuck by Laraine Herring

Write. 10 Days to Overcome Writer’s Block. Period by Karen Peterson

Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer by Roy Peter Clark

Break Writer’s Block Now! by Jerrold Mundis

Robot Coconut Trees by Kelsey Horton

Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott

Three Story Method: Foundations of Fiction by J. Thorn and Zach Bohannon

The Successful Author Mindset: A Handbook for Surviving the Writer’s Journey by Joanna

Penn

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 66

List A.2.

List of Consulted Technical Writing Books

Books on Technical Writing

The Microsoft Manual of Style

Handbook of Technical Writing by Gerald J. Alfred, Charles Brusaw, and Walter Oliu

Technical Communications by Mike Markel

Developing Quality Technical Information by Michelle Carey

Technical Writing Process by Kieran Morgan

Pocketbook of Technical Writing for Engineers and Scientists by Leo Finkelstein

Technical Writing: A Practical Guide for Engineers and Scientists by Philip Laplante

Technical Writing Essentials by Jon Balzotti

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 67

Appendix B

Thesis Product Mockup

This appendix contains previews of the developed thesis product.

Figure B.1.

Product Mockup - Cover Page

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 68

Figure B.2.

Product Mockup - Table of Contents Page 1

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 69

Figure B.3.

Product Mockup - Table of Contents Page 2

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 70

Figure B.4.

Product Mockup - Content Page 1

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 71

Figure B.5.

Product Mockup - Content Page 2

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 72

Figure B.6.

Product Mockup - Content Page 3

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 73

Figure B.7.

Product Mockup - Content Page 4

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 74

Figure B.8.

Product Mockup - Content Page 5

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 75

Figure B.9.

Product Mockup - Content Page 6

Technical Writing Handbook for Creative Writers 76

Figure B.10.

Product Mockup - Content Page 7