# 008: The Art of Storytelling in Docs
¡Hola, Tech Writing Friends!
Technical documentation doesn’t have to read like a textbook.
Incorporating storytelling helps you craft docs that engage and resonate with your readers.
In today’s issue, I’ll show you how to weave storytelling into your docs by focusing on diverse personas—from DevOps engineers to AI specialists.
What’s the Big Problem?
Technical documentation often feels generic and one-size-fits-all.
But here’s the catch: your readers aren’t all the same!
An AI engineer has vastly different needs from a DevOps manager.
Yet many docs fail to address specific personas, leaving users disengaged.
How Do Most Writers Solve This?
Many writers attempt to solve this by cramming all the information into a single doc and hoping it resonates with everyone.
But this approach creates:
Overwhelming walls of text.
Confusion about which sections are relevant.
Missed opportunities to connect with specific users.
Why Doesn’t It Work?
When docs try to be everything to everyone, they end up being nothing to anyone.
Different personas have unique goals, pain points, and workflows. Users feel lost or ignored without tailoring content to their specific needs.
How Storytelling Solves This Differently
Storytelling gives technical documentation structure and relatability by focusing on user journeys.
Here’s how:
Introduce the persona: Highlight who the reader is (e.g., “You’re a DevOps manager setting up CI/CD pipelines.”).
Define the problem: Outline their specific challenge (e.g., “Deploying code efficiently without breaking production.”).
Guide them to success: Show how your product or feature solves their problem, step by step.
Examples: Diverse Personas
Let’s explore how storytelling can address the unique needs of different personas:
🧑💻 DevOps Manager:
Problem: “I need to automate deployments without downtime.”
Solution: Show how to configure CI/CD pipelines in GitHub Actions.
Storytelling Tip: Use examples with deployment scripts and rollback strategies.
🤖 AI Engineer:
Problem: “How do I integrate my model into production?”
Solution: Guide them through APIs or MLOps pipelines.
Storytelling Tip: Include sample API calls and explain model versioning.
📊 Solutions Architect:
Problem: “I need a scalable architecture for this app.”
Solution: Illustrate architecture diagrams and provide best practices.
Storytelling Tip: Walk them through real-world use cases to demonstrate value.
Time For Some Action Steps!
Want to start weaving storytelling into your technical docs? Try this:
Identify key personas: List the main user types interacting with your docs.
Tailor your content: For each persona, write user-specific guides that address their goals and challenges.
Create user journeys: Build step-by-step narratives showing how your product solves their problems.
Engage with your users: Ask for feedback to ensure your docs resonate with their needs.
Remember, great technical docs don’t just tell—they show and connect at a personal level.
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¡Hasta luego!
Quetzalli
