Article: The first thing to do when writing instructions is to know your audience. Who are you writing for? Are these people experts or novices? Knowing your audience helps you choose your words, your level of detail, and the way you structure the instructions. For example, if you were explaining how to bake a cake to a professional chef, you wouldn't have to explain how to fold in the ingredients, why it's important to bring the eggs to room temperature, or the difference between all-purpose and self-rising flour. If you were explaining this to someone who doesn't know how to cook, these definitions and explanations may make the difference between a good cake and a bad cake. Err on the side of caution and don't treat the audience as an expert. This ensures your instructions are always clear and able to be followed. Before you begin, you want to make sure you state clearly what is required to successfully complete the instructions. This might be a list of ingredients or a group of tools. One great way to get clear instructions is to go through the process yourself. This way, you can write down specific steps. If you try to do something from memory, you may not remember everything. Then have someone else perform the task. Ask them for feedback about any confusing or unclear steps. Be careful not to leave something out. If you skip important steps, you make it impossible for the reader to complete the task. Also make sure you don't write the steps out of order. For example, if you say, "Mix the ingredients with a mixer. Place in the oven at 350 degrees," the reader may think you place the mixing bowl in the oven.

What is a summary?
Know your audience. Identify any tools needed. Perform the task.