A technical writing instructor often said to our class, "It's not enough to write so that you can be understood. You must write so that you cannot possibly be misunderstood."
When writing or editing medical, technical, industrial, or related material, I make that kind of clarity my goal. I imagine how someone who is new to this material will perceive it. If the content can be misread or misinterpreted, I revise it to make sure that it can't possibly be misunderstood.
When writing or editing poems, short stories, or other creative pieces, that goal is not as important. For example, a poem may seek to create a sense of awe or mystery or may have more than one meaning, which enforced clarity would negate. Or a short story may contain a secret that should not be revealed until the end. (Like in a murder mystery, you wouldn't want to know "who done it" on page one.) Nevertheless, creative writing requires clarity in word choice, quotation attribution, and other areas.
So here's the key point: Technical writing can never have too much clarity. Creative writing can.
When writing or editing medical, technical, industrial, or related material, I make that kind of clarity my goal. I imagine how someone who is new to this material will perceive it. If the content can be misread or misinterpreted, I revise it to make sure that it can't possibly be misunderstood.
When writing or editing poems, short stories, or other creative pieces, that goal is not as important. For example, a poem may seek to create a sense of awe or mystery or may have more than one meaning, which enforced clarity would negate. Or a short story may contain a secret that should not be revealed until the end. (Like in a murder mystery, you wouldn't want to know "who done it" on page one.) Nevertheless, creative writing requires clarity in word choice, quotation attribution, and other areas.
So here's the key point: Technical writing can never have too much clarity. Creative writing can.
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