Refactoring English

Effective Writing for Software Developers

by Michael Lynch

Many software developers think they’re naturally poor writers, but there’s no such thing.

Most software developers are weak writers because they don’t try.

You can improve your writing skills the same way you learned to become a better programmer: by learning best practices and understanding how to apply them.

Refactoring English will improve your writing in areas that matter most to developers, including:

  • Emails
  • Software documentation
  • Blog posts
  • Tutorials

I’m writing the book now, and it will be available as a digital download in 2025. Sign up below to receive updates and excerpts as soon as they’re available.

Book Contents

Refactoring English teaches everything I've learned over the years about applying effective writing techniques to the domain of software.

  1. Why Improve Your Writing?
  2. Good Writing Minimizes Strain for the Reader
  3. Verbs Drive the Sentence
  4. Stay Positive: How Negative Phrasing Reduces Readability
  5. Passive Voice Considered Terrible
  6. Brevity Is Performance Optimization for Your Writing
  7. Hooks: Show You're Worthy of the Reader's Time
  8. Why So Serious? Make Your Writing Sound Natural
  9. Consider Your Audience
  10. Accommodate Skimmers
  11. The Writing Process
  12. Editing is Valuable Because it's Hard
  1. Manage Writer's Block
  2. Common Writing Pitfalls for Developers
  3. Improve Your Grammar Incrementally
  4. Work with a Professional Editor
  5. Work with a Professional Illustrator
  6. Write Better Emails
  7. Write Better Design Documents
  8. Write Better Blog Posts
  9. Write Better Tutorials
  10. Build a Personal Writing Toolset
  11. Continuous Improvement: Long-Term Strategies for Your Writing

Contact

Do you have questions about the book? Want to tell me about things you’re hoping to learn?

Get in touch! I’d love to hear from you.