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> In retrospect, a lot of the reasons editors gave me for rejecting my
> work were probably suggesting I was better suited for technical writing.
> I was too insistent on explaining things. I was good at describing
> objects and event, but not at creating sympathetic characters and
> evoking real human emotions.
Try reading some Golden Age science fiction sometime. Del Rey, Bradbury,
Asimov....These authors weren't known for their characterizations, but for
the "objects and events" they described. I'd say this type of work has some
similarities to tech writing, though admittedly with more excitement built
in. The 1956 novella "Nerves" by Lester Del Rey, for example, describes in
detail the steps of a nuclear meltdown and the subsequent corrective
efforts. That, and it's a darn exciting story.
> In fact, I'm working on a story *about* a technical writer.
Go for it! Have fun. I'm sure you'll find plenty of inspiration for
characters around this board :-)
Susan
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