Re: Teaching a practical business writing class and looking for professional rubrics

[Nancy Allison <maker -at- verizon -dot- net>]

John Rosberg made some good points about the fact that a major aspect of our job is to support the business goals of the organization that is paying us.

I add that this is why business writing, including technical writing, is not an opportunity for the indulgence of personal whims, justified as "creativity." The need to create usable, professionally accepted documents is the reason we consult style guides and standards, and pay attention to whatever usability resources we have.

The problem-solving aspects of our work draw on all the creativity we possess; there is no need to scatter strange fonts and weird indentations all over a page, or put the front matter at the back of a book, or do other "innovative" things in order to satisfy our personal creative urges. 

Yes, I have had this, ahem, discussion (NOT argument! no, no!) with several tech writers over the years . . . 

--Nancy
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