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> Way back in the dark ages (1990s), I was willing to swear the creative
> writers could not be good tech writers. I've changed that opinion, but have
> found that people who were trained as descriptive and/or creative writers
> have a more difficult time with the limitations of technical writing.
>
In a way, "creative" writing is the exact opposite of technical writing. Clever language, humorous
asides, odd cultural or historical references, even narrative flow -- these are all painfully out of
place in technical communication. People find this hard to understand, even people whose backgrounds
are more technical than literary. And if you're worked hard to get a fancy degree that proclaims
your mastery of these skills, it must be hard to accept that they're worse than useless. No wonder
so many tech writers have ego issues!
That being said, I know a lot of really good tech writers who have a creative writing background.
Such people are smart -- and humble -- enough to know what they don't know. And they bring a
technical naiveness to that job that nicely offsets the attitudes of old techies like myself, who
often overlook the little details most people can't be expected to already knwo.
> I normally work contract writing software user documentation now, and have a
> strong background in training and process and procedures. I've seen some
> attitudes in developers, managers, and technical writers. BUT we call
> ourselves technical writers/communicators; they don't. As the technical
> writer/communicator on the job, I consider it my responsibility to go the
> extra length to try to establish communication within the team or group.
> It's to my benefit when it can occur.
Absolutely right. But remember that part of this communication is making people understand your
role. Which usually means overcoming a lot of misconceptions about what technical writers do.
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