Engl 316Technical Communication

Discussion Material

Whether you like it or not—whether you believe it or not—no matter what you choose to do in your life, you will be a writer. You've probably already discovered that writing can be critical to your success in college. And the importance of good writing does not diminish once you become employed in a technical field. Research indicates that college students from technical, scientific, and mathematical majors (such as engineering, chemistry, or economics), can expect to spend about 20% of their work time writing. This is one day out of five. ¹

Similarly, the results from a survey of employees in technical fields indicate the following:

• 91% reported that writing was "important" or "very important" to their jobs.
• 80% believed that writing well had helped them advance in their jobs.
• 73% said that, as their responsibilities increased, the amount of time they spent writing also increased.
• 42% stated that they spent between 20% and 40% of their time writing.
• More than 28% responded that they spent over 40% of their time writing. ²

So what does all this mean? You'll be a writer, whether you like it or not. You're going to spend a lot of your life writing and, since much of your success and happiness may depend on your ability to do it well, you may as well know how to become a good writer. Isocrates, a famous teacher of rhetoric in ancient Greece, outlined five principles for developing good writing skills:

• talent
• theory
• good models
• desire
• practice

These principles still apply, not just to writing, but to success in any skill. There is no denying that talent matters. Writing just comes easier to some people than to others. But talent is overrated. The other factors matter much more. In this class, you will learn some of the theories behind good writing, and you will analyze good models. But to be frank, the most important part of becoming good at something is desire and practice. You have to want to be a good writer, and you have to work at it. Becoming a good writer requires steady application. The more you write, the easier it is to write. If you write all the time, it will become as natural to you as walking, eating or driving. As the poet Alexander Pope wrote, "True ease in writing comes from art, not chance, as those move easiest who have learned to dance."