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Subject:RE: Individual vs. Departmental Writer's Voice From:david -dot- locke -at- amd -dot- com To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Tue, 12 Jun 2001 14:51:33 -0500
Style is not creativity.
We used to do peer edits. The person I edited wrote in an academic
style--long. And, I wrote short. He made mine longer. I made his shorter.
His style wasn't creative, because he always wrote long. My style wasn't
creative either, because I always wrote short. Ah, the war we had.
When writing for an organization, the writer has to sublimate themselves
into the organizational style. Speechwriters do this all the time. It is a
creative effort to write in what, for that writer, is an unnatural style. In
all artistic endeavors, it is the constraints that drive the creativity.
Consider the constraints to be a gift.
The same thing can be said for comdians, they aren't professionals until
they can put on a funny performance when they personally are not having a
great day.
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