on Gordon Comstock, a copywriter and frustrated poet in George Orwell’s Keep the Aspadistra Flying
“William Shakespeare wrote ‘We are such stuff as dreams are made on’.
William Blake wrote ‘Tiger Tiger, burning bright, in the forest of the night.’
Gordon Comstock wrote ‘corner table enjoys his meals with Bovex.’ “
[source?]
tech writing (or techwriting):
n.
- technical writing
- technology writing
- techno-fiction [alt. -philosophy, -poetry]
“As a technical writer, you communicate and interpret specialized information for your readers’ use. Readers may need your information to perform a task, answer a question, solve a problem, or make a decision. Whether you write a memo, letter, report, or manual, the document must advance the goals of your readers and of the company or organization you represent.
"Unlike poetry or fiction, which appeal mainly to our imagination, technical documents appeal to our understanding. Technical writing therefore rarely seeks to entertain, create suspense, or invite differing interpretations. Those of you who have written any type of lab or research report already know that technical writing has little room for ambiguity.
"To serve practical needs in the workplace, technical documents must be reader oriented and efficient.”
— John Lannon, Technical Writing, 7th edition, 1997
"I stand very firmly on my opinion that technical writing is poetry. A Technical Writer must conform to formats to convey his message as succinctly, meaningfully, and attractively as possible. He must envision a concept or a succession of occurences and translate it into digestible prose. He must know and empathize with his audience, and use careful phrasing to share his view of a subject with his readers. Technical writing doesn’t rhyme but it certainly has stringent guidelines the writer must stay within. Most of all, technical writing takes both talent and practice - without both of these things one can’t excel in the field.
"Maybe I’m overly romantic about technical writing, but when I see a well-written technical document it speaks to me, telling me it’s special, it’s beautiful, it’s rare."
Brian @ I'd Rather Be Writing, by Tom Johnson
