Dave Thomas, one of the Pragmatic Programmers, is posting a series on writing a technical book. The series is a worthwhile read.

Some of the points Mr. Thomas makes:

• Have “genuine” reason for writing the book.
• Develop a narrative. (The Hero’s journey works particularly well.)
• Find your voice.
• Write for the spectrum of possible readers: novice, intermediate, advanced.
• Get feedback early and often.
• Do what is necessary to keep writing.

That’s just my condensed version of the series. There’s a lot more, and I really encourage you to read it.

Why am I gung-ho about the series? I think the advice that Mr. Thomas provides is not just for writing technical books. It also applies to blogging, giving a presentation, or even evangelizing a technology.

When I look back at attempts I’ve made at writing, presenting, or persuading, the successes involved most of the points listed above. The failures had few or none.