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Subject:novelists part II From:Doreen Mannion <DoreenM520 -at- AOL -dot- COM> Date:Mon, 31 Mar 1997 22:16:49 -0500
The quotes are purposely anonymous.
<<Yow! I get this attitude from some engineers, but have never seen it put
quite so blatantly from a colleague on this list. I'd be interested in
learning why being "vested in their words" is a negative attribute for a
writer! >>
Because a tech writer who cannot tolerate being edited is a tech writer I
cannot afford to have on my staff. As one poster so thoughtfully stated,
being vested is probably a trait more common in beginning writers. And, it's
strange, but I actually consider engineers my colleagues....
<<If you eliminate all tech writers who want to also write novels and all
tech writers who were English majors, then yes, I think you probably have
passed up some terrific tech writers. When you overgeneralize, especially
based on such spurious criteria, then you really do shoot yourself in the
foot.>>
You, and many others, are guilty of "select reading" of my original post. I
stated that "all other things being equal" I tend not to hire people who
would rather write novels or who were English majors. I never said I
"eliminate all tech writers who want to also write novels and all tech
writers who were English majors." A hiring manager has to make tradeoffs. And
if a hiring manager has found a formula that works, hey, "if it ain't
broke...." I'll put my staff of non-novelist, non-English majors up against
any in the country.
I love it when people jump to flame before reading! As for your accusation
that I am "flame baiting," quite frankly, I have better things to do with my
time. It is amusing when a reader not only cannot correctly interpret what is
written, but then has to project a motive onto the writing as well.
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