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docs need a protagonist too
Your documentation reads like furniture assembly instructions, and that's why nobody finishes it.
The user is a character. They have a goal, a frustration, and a time budget. They are not a faceless agent acting on the software — they are a tired human in a meeting trying to find one specific thing. We rebuild docs as scenes, treat the workflow as a plot, and turn dry pages into ones people actually read. Bonus: it's a better way to onboard, too. Your docs are storytelling whether you want them to be or not. Most are just bad storytelling. We fix that.
User as character · the diagnostic
| Generic doc | Character doc |
|---|---|
| 'The user clicks the button' | 'You're trying to find the export, fast' |
| No time signaling | Acknowledges the meeting in five minutes |
| Faceless actor | Specific persona, specific moment |
| Step-by-step list with no stakes | Workflow with stated outcome |
The doc-as-scene rewrite
- Pick one of your worst docs.
- Name the user. Give them a job and a time budget.
- Rewrite the opening as 'You're trying to X. Here's the fastest path.'
- Group steps by sub-goal, not by feature.
- Add an outcome statement at the bottom: 'You'll now have X.'
The user isn't operating your software. They're trying to leave the office on time. Write the doc for that human, not for the abstract one your spec describes.
— L.A. Walton, The Book Maven
From the Maven Catalog
- Master Course — Docs With a Plot
- eBook — The User Is a Character
- Toolkit — Technical Writer's Toolkit
- Planner — Doc Roadmap Planner
Name the user. Acknowledge their time. Write the doc as a scene. Your completion rate doubles inside a quarter. So does your reputation.