Technical Writing:
* Purpose: To inform, instruct, or persuade in a clear and precise way about a specific subject, usually technical or procedural. The focus is on accuracy and ease of understanding.
* Style: Formal, concise, objective, and avoids ambiguity. It often uses lists, headings, visuals, and specialized terminology. Emphasis is on clarity and functionality.
* Audience: People who need specific information to perform a task, understand a concept, or solve a problem. This could be engineers, users, technicians, or anyone needing practical guidance.
* Examples: User manuals, instruction guides, technical reports, scientific papers, API documentation.
Literary Writing:
* Purpose: To entertain, evoke emotion, explore ideas, or express personal experiences. The focus is on creativity, style, and engaging the reader's imagination.
* Style: Can vary widely, from highly descriptive and figurative language to minimalist and understated prose. Emphasis is on artistry and impact. Ambiguity can be a stylistic choice.
* Audience: A broad audience, often seeking enjoyment, emotional connection, or intellectual stimulation.
* Examples: Novels, poems, short stories, essays (personal or opinion-based), plays, screenplays.
In short: technical writing prioritizes clarity and accuracy for practical purposes; literary writing prioritizes creativity and emotional impact for artistic purposes. They rarely overlap significantly. While a technical document *might* contain some literary flair (for example, a well-written user manual might be engaging), it will still ultimately prioritize clarity and functionality above all else.