by kirupa | 20 October
2005We are always looking for great tutorials to
add to kirupa.com. This article is a compilation of answers
to questions many of you have asked over the years regarding
writing tutorials for this site.
First, if you are interested in submitting a tutorial, there is
no template or sample files for
you to download. Use whatever program you want to write a
tutorial, but try to follow the content style that tutorials
on this site use. In the past, users have submitted
tutorials in Word documents, HTML files, plain-text files,
etc.
You can e-mail tutorials to
kirupa.at.kirupa.com.
Any tutorial you submit still
belongs to you. You will get full credit for having
written the work, and you are free to submit your
tutorial to other sites without having to receive
permission from anyone on this site.
The following guidelines should tips on writing good
tutorials:
- Plan Ahead
A good tutorial engages the reader by giving them a
problem, having them create something meaningful that
solves that problem, and more importantly, teaches the
reader why the solution to the problem worked.
- Provide a Good Introduction
Having a good introduction is very important. It helps
both you and the reader to get a feel for what the
tutorial is about and what to expect.
- Create a Great Example
If you want the reader to be interested in your
tutorial, try to create a great working example of what
you are about to explain. The better looking your
example, the more eager your reader will be to try to
re-create the example based on instructions in your
tutorial.
- Keep Instructions Simple
More than likely, your tutorial will have the user
follow a series of steps in order to create something
interesting. Avoid introducing big-picture explanations,
commentary, etc. during this part. You will have plenty
of opportunities at the end of the tutorial to elaborate
on details.
- Explain Your Code
If your program involves coding, you must provide a
good explanation of what each line/section of code in
your program accomplishes. Your goal should be to help
your reader to not only reproduce your steps, but to
understand the reasoning behind your code.
- Write Casually
Your readers are humans! Try to make your writing
natural and more human-like. Be funny. A good tutorial
is a conversation. It is not a page from a dictionary.
- Use Images
Use images to enhance your explanations. Images help
give a visual cue to an instruction you are providing,
but they also help the reader to get a break from
staring at text for a long time also!
- Anticipate Problem Areas
When writing a tutorial and you feel that the user would
be confused by a particular step, feel free to provide
an explanation. A simple Note box helps inform the
reader that what you are writing may not be directly
relevant to the tutorial, but it may clear up any doubts
the reader may have.
I hope the information helped.
If you have any questions or comments, please don't hesitate to post them on the
kirupa.com Forums. Just post your question and I, or our friendly
forum helpers, will help answer it.
The following is a list of related tutorial and help resources that you may find
useful:
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Writing Tutorials
