From: "Strong, Lee" <StrongL at MTMC.ARMY.MIL>
To: "WSFAList (E-mail)" <WSFAList at keithlynch.net>
Subject: [WSFA] Writing Technical Matters
Date: Thu, 6 Feb 2003 08:07:22 -0500
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>

  Ted White opines that a writer should use the least technical
presentation necessary.  I generally agree but would express the principle
more subtly.  The writer's presentation of the story should be governed by
the essential idea of the story.  If the story benefits from a highly
technical presentation, then the writer should not stint on factual (and
pseudo-factual) material.  If the story can be adequately told without
larding it with technical jargon, then the writer should avoid unnecessary
facts and pseudo-facts slowing things down.  Last year's remake of _The Time
Machine_ benefited from a casual reference to Einstein's then contemporary
spacetime theories but was hurt by its use of bad lunar demolition science.