Title
Craft and Narrative in DIY Instructions
Publication Title
Technical Communication Quarterly
Publication Date
2014
Document Type
Article
DOI
10.1080/10572252.2013.798466
Keywords
craft, narrative, DIY instructions
Disciplines
Rhetoric and Composition | Technical and Professional Writing
Abstract
This article examines tutorials from the Web site, Instructables.com, to highlight the rhetorical possibilities of including personal narratives in instructions. The narratives in these tutorials offer detailed accounts of their authors’ experiences when constructing their projects, thereby functioning as accounts of the authors’ craft knowledge. Pitched to amateur hobbyists, rather than the professional audiences of many forms of conventional technical communication, these tutorials offer new ways of teaching craft knowledge and techniques.
Recommended Citation
Van Ittersum, Derek (2014). Craft and Narrative in DIY Instructions. Technical Communication Quarterly 23(3), 227-246. doi: 10.1080/10572252.2013.798466 Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.kent.edu/engpubs/76