Editor's Corner

Paragraphs organize your writing. Each paragraph represents a specific topic. And each paragraph must have a topic sentence that describes the main point of the paragraph. The rest of the sentences in the paragraph should support the main point.

When you are writing paragraphs, watch out for sneaky sentences that don’t support your topic. If you are introducing a new topic, create another paragraph with its own topic sentence.

To make sure information flows from paragraph to paragraph, include transitions to tie your information together. Transitions include single words, phrases, or full sentences. Transitions help readers understand how the information works together.

Documentation that contains multiple topics in the same paragraph or lacks transitions is difficult to understand. If you don’t organize the information in your documentation, it won’t be useful to readers and you won’t accomplish your writing goals.

We all receive information all day long, and a lot of it is not very well organized. Sometimes the way things are organized is just baffling—like the aisles in this store.

Jackie Solano | Technical Editor | Symitar®

8985 Balboa Ave. | San Diego, CA 92123 | Ph. 619.542.6711 | Extension: 766711

Symitar Documentation Services