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Re: Technical Writing - What's the catch?

Subject: Re: Technical Writing - What's the catch?
From: Dick Margulis <margulisd -at- comcast -dot- net>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Date: Fri, 01 Apr 2005 13:17:17 -0500




Brian Jennings wrote:

I'd recommend checking out an essay by Orwell that, I think, better
explains his reasoning behind the rules. I guess you don't have to agree
with him, but I like his advice. This is where I was exposed to them and
they are a little different than those provided.

Orwell says a writer should ask himself:
1. What am I trying to say? 2. What words will express it? 3. What image or idiom will make it clearer? 4. Is this image fresh enough to have an effect?


And that list is quite revealing of the difference between self-expression and technical writing.

For most of us the questions are something more like this:

1. What is the audience?
2. What information do they need?
3. What is the clearest, simplest way to convey that information to the audience I've identified?

The focus changes from projecting my oh-so-important self into the culture to getting information to the people who need it. Orwell isn't wrong, if the advice is directed at the budding memoirist, novelist, or poet. But it is not the right advice in this forum.



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RE: Technical Writing - What's the catch?: From: Brian Jennings

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