Re: If you are not a tech writer...

[Peter Montgomery <MONTGOMERY -at- CAMINS -dot- CAMOSUN -dot- BC -dot- CA>]

> Date: Tue, 04 May 1993 08:36:35 -0500 Thus spake Len Olszewski
 <saslpo -at- UNX -dot- SAS -dot- COM>

Without context, I'm not sure that a mere dictionary definition will
help much. Obviously the definition of technical writing that I am
familiar with is diffeent from that used here.

LO>As I understand it, you become a professional writer when you write for
LO>money. The gist of this is that you can be a *professional* writer and

As I understand it ( and I don't profess to speak for 'you'), a professional
writer is one who professes to know how to write, whetjer one gets paid
for that writing or not.

LO>NEVER be a *technical* writer, and vice versa. You can, however, be
LO>both. Luckily for me.

LO>Although ALL writers have common needs, the needs of technical writers
LO>are quite different than those of, say, poetry writers. There might be

In my context, the special needs of technical writers, are those relevant
to the particular kind of engineering the writers are dealing with. Writers
connected with nursing (which has a very special concern with that
great feature of literature called narrative), would not think of calling
themselves technical writers -- human services writers maybe. In fact
the 'technical writing courses' requested by the engineers are so
requested because they are less focussed on essay content, and much more
focussed on filling in forms. They specifically do not want to belabour
their students with college/university level writing skills. OTOH, people
in our nursing/applied communications/criminal justice &c, &c programs WANT
their students to have a standard, university level composition course
to give those students the flexibility of going on to university.
Marketing instructors would LIKE their students to learn the skills taught in
creative writing courses, especially figurative language. Just about
EVERYBODY wants their students to learn the critical thinking skills
that are developed by studying literature. It is an accepted principle
here that the one dependable indicator of upward mobility in the job
world is skills in literacy.

This brief survey of different aspects of the situation, indicates to
some extent, why I find the name 'techinical writing' quite inadequate
to describe the kinds of interest in writing involved in our context.
An alternative name that comes to mind, is Career Writing.

LO>writing should demonstrate correctness, clarity, conciseness,
LO>consistency, continuity, construction and content, the so-called
LO>"7 C's". Other writing might improve if writers incorporated any subset

We would associate these writing concerns with ALL froms of writing, not
just with writing for one of our engineering programs --- our engineering
program people being the only ones asking for techinical writing courses
for their students (and the only ones not conerned about their students
going on to university).


Peter
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*  Peter Montgomery               Montgomery -at- camosun -dot- bc -dot- ca  *
*            Exitus effigium effigies exituum               *
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