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----- Original Message -----
From: "Bruce Byfield" <bbyfield -at- axionet -dot- com>
Sent: June 17, 2001 6:39 PM
Subject: Re: Thinking Patterns (was RE: Interviews (5 Year Question))
> John Fleming wrote:
>
> >She commented, after talking about many times she got to rewrite
something produced by another >professional writer, that many writers
are not very good.
>
> If you ever get the chance to see another writer's work, either by
> seeing what they post to a web site or through a contest, do so. If
you
> are the least bit conscientious about your work or demanding with
> yourself, it will cheer you up no end.
I've had to rewrite a few pieces myself along the way. And after
rewriting another writer's piece of trash, I can't help but thinking,
"there's hope for me yet."
> Although good writers are out
> there, they tend to get lost in the general mediocrity. Listening to
the
> frequent discussions on this list about why tech-writers don't
receive
> more respect, I sometimes think that the reason is simply because
many
> don't deserve it. And, naturally, the competent writers get the same
> lack of respect until they prove themselves.
Perhaps you are right.
> Why the levels should be so low, I can only guess.
Your comment brings to mind something Tom Hopkins says about sales
work. "Sales is the lowest paid easy work, and the highest paid hard
work."
Perhaps we can say something similar about good writing. It is not
that easy.
> At times, I wonder if the perception isn't just my own ego. However,
I
> think I can rule that out. Not that I don't have my share of
writerly
> conceit (and then some), but I'm sufficiently interested in learning
new
> techniques that I'm not likely to brand a piece of writing as bad
simply
> because I would have done it differently; if a technique works, I'm
> likely to steal it, not deride it.
>
> Maybe the demand for tech-writers is still greater than the number
of
> competent applicants. Or, possibly, although some tech-writers have
no
> ambition to do anything except what they're doing, many still
secretly
> yearn to be star reporters or famous novelists. Or maybe, as
Theodore
> Sturgeon pointed out, most examples of anything are bad.
Perhaps there are also many mediocre writers who are very good at
marketing themselves. Even the best of us aren't going to go very
far, if we can't figure out how to get other people to hire us.
--
John Fleming
Technical Writer
Edmonton, Alberta
email: johnf -at- ecn -dot- ab -dot- ca
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