Lesson 3: The Importance of Word Choice and Consistent Writing
Use a consistent voice
Voice in writing is a nebulous thing. It's difficult to quantify and can be even more difficult to control. Voice is essentially the tone of the writing. Most educational books are very formal and dry, often concerned with testing or expanding the vocabulary of those reading. Most fiction tries to be true to one character, picking up his or her mannerisms and attitudes and showing them on paper.
There is no one proper tone for documentation beyond the need for consistency. Readers may not specifically think about voice, but a sudden change from friendly to terse will be noticed and detract from the reader's ability to focus on the information provided.
Many people feel a dry academic style works best while others prefer to be friendly and use simple language. Some types of documentation are best suited for a specific tone - introductory material generally works best with friendly inviting language and reference material is more geared toward short, terse language - but in general it doesn't matter what voice you use as long as it's consistent.
