Technical writing vs creative writing

Concerning my recent post about Linux, Scott writes to ask:

-How has having a technical writing background made a difference to you as an author? Or would you consider your technology books to fall outside the technical writing arena.
I have one son who is highly imaginative and another who is direct and to the point. The first does well with creative writing classes, the second studying to be a medical lab assistant. When I was studying I found the technical writing class to be helpful and the creative writing classes fun. Neither were required for my degree.

Technical writing has been very helpful for fiction, because it’s been good practice in breaking down complex ideas for logical and orderly explanation. In terms of creativity vs clear exposition, I think you need both to write a novel, but clear exposition is probably more useful. You can have the best, most creative plot in the history of fiction, but if you can’t write about it clearly, it’s not going to do you much good.

You can see this sometimes in the first novels of new fiction writers. A first novel from someone who previously had a job that involved a great deal of writing – a journalist, a college professor, a law enforcement official (which involves the constant writing of reports) – is often better-written than the first novel from someone who has less experience writing nonfiction.

Besides, being able to write clearly and succinctly is a useful skill regardless of your career. A good example is Ulysses S Grant, who commanded the Union armies at the end of the US Civil War. Historians think that one of the keys to his success was his ability to write clear, direct orders that his subordinates immediately understood. This was long before any form of telephone or radio, and orders were given either verbally in person or through written directives delivered via messenger. Obviously the ability to make his orders clear via a written message without the need for further clarification was vital.

Granted, that’s something of an extreme example. Hopefully no one reading this will wind up commanding the armies of a major industrial power during a civil war! I’m sure we’ve all received emails from coworkers or business contacts that were difficult to understand at best and outright incoherent at worst. By contrast, this makes clearly written emails all the more enjoyable.

Being able to write clearly is useful in any career, but it’s definitely useful for fiction writers as well.

-JM