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You've run up against the "everyone can write" attitude.
Oddly enough, I was thinking about this very thing yesterday when I
had an idea for an analogy that might help people understand that
while everyone can write, not everyone can write *well*.
Singing. Yes, everyone can sing. But all you have to do is watch the
auditions for American Idol to understand that there's a big
difference between William Hung and Kelly Clarkson (insert your
favorite singer here...). And the difference is talent.
The point you need to make to your manager is that while yes, writing
is a skill set, it is one that builds on the writer's native ability
and talents. No amount of training will ever turn someone who is
tone deaf into an opera singer. Some people will benefit from a
little writing training, while others can earn Master's degrees and
never be great writers. (Yes, I've know at least two horrible TW with
Master's degrees.)
Hope that helps...
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Julie Stickler http://heratech.wordpress.com/
Blogging about Agile and technical writing
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