The Tech Writer Highlight - Kanaye Varma
Kanaye is writing Elucidate: for the curious coder, where he talks about algorithms, data structures, and coding in general.
Hello, tech writers and readers. In this edition of the Tech Writer Highlight, we talk to
, author of , a newsletter about algorithms, data structures, and coding in general.First, tell us a bit about yourself. Who are you, what is your day job, what are your professional interests?
Hi! I’m Kanaye. I’m a student and recently started writing here on Substack. As you can probably tell from my publication, I really enjoy coding! I’ve been coding for nearly eight years now, and I am passionate about writing about it too!
Now tell us about
. What is it about? What topics do you cover? Who is your intended audience?As the title suggests, my publication is written for all curious minds who like coding! I am an informatics olympiad silver medalist. I decided that I’d like to share the knowledge I gained from all that practice and study to share with the world. It’s not really intended just for competitive coders. Rather, all people who enjoy coding have something to learn from what I write. The main purpose was to expose people to a new realm of creative problem-solving, that is unlocked by what I learned.Â
How, when, and why did you begin writing about technical topics on the Internet?
After winning my medal, a few things came to mind. Mainly, I realized that I didn’t want all my learning to just end after this, I wanted to share it. I learned so much from studying competitive coding that people can actually apply to their lives and to real-world coding problems! But, I don’t want people to have to dive down the rabbit hole and study rigorously as I did, so I decided to write these articles to spread the knowledge that I gained. I also wanted to gain a new skill, writing, so I decided to give it a try!
What role does technical writing play in your job and life?
Writing Elucidate is my passion. I feel genuinely happy when I write about what I learned, that’s the reason I code in the first place! When I think about a reader enjoying my work, I smile. It’s the joy you get from helping others I know everyone has experienced.
How is your writing process? How do you organize your writing schedule? How much time does writing take you, on average?
Generally, I try to post something new on a weekly basis. Writing every article takes several hours of dedication. First, the topic comes to mind. I have so many topics to write about that this part is not the main challenge. After the topic is decided, I then start writing. I always imagine the article in my mind before a single word is typed. If I were reading, what would I want? Once that’s in mind, I start typing. The journey from introduction to conclusion is a thrilling one. All illustrations are either hand-made by me using OneNote, or using Bing AI. Occasionally, I use other sources and credit them. I research new problems and modify them, then write and explain the solutions. Also, I ensure to leave my readers with a challenge problem at the end of every article, good to stimulate the mind :)
What kind of advice could you give people considering or getting started with technical writing?
Passion is important. If you are truly passionate about your work, you will continue writing even during the first few tough months when nobody reads your work. I encourage anybody considering this to simply go ahead and start writing. Any topic will do, as long as it truly interests you. Don’t think too much, you’ll get stuck in analysis paralysis and end up doing nothing. After that first post, consistently post, promote your work, and look for like-minded people. Writing about what gives you joy while educating others on tech-related topics is really an amazing thing to do. Good luck!
Any closing words you’d like to share with the readers of The Tech Writers Stack?
Thanks a lot to all readers for reading this. If after reading you’re interested in reading Elucidate: for the curious coder, you can check it out at kanaye.substack.com. I also would like to thank the entire community for being so kind, and for providing an avenue for writers such as myself to find an audience. Thanks a lot guys :)
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Nice to meet you guys!
Great introduction. Glad to meet!