Structure or Creation?

In editing and creating content for the website, I was reminded of the very bane of my writing existence:

Structure.

I just have so little patience for it! I fully understand it is a failing and I make no excuses for it; I hate editing! I loathe it! I despise it! If only I could write on-point, directly, and succinctly every time...

But my real problem with structure is that I am something of a rambler. Not in that Bluesy, rock n roll kinda way; I like to rant. I like to drop spicy bits of information into the ongoing narrative, even though I realize they work better elsewhere, grouped with like-minded sentiments.

In considering outline form, where I understand topics A, B, and C all need to be grouped together and in linear order, I tend to write in a style that more closely relates to A, C1, B, C. While the piece often succeeds on a scholastic level when I edit it to read "correctly," the truth is that it reads better when written in my rambling fashion.

I fought it for years - and, since the content I am concerned with here is gaming (largely rules and other "dry" information) - am fighting it even now, because I realize the information I am disseminating is better communicated by holding to this essay structure. But in rereading it, I am haunted by the same problems: it is technically solid, but reads like a technical manual...

So how do you handle things like this? Do you find the creative aspects of writing to be more problematic or the structuring? Do you try to hold to the Golden Rules or throw them out the window when it serves your purposes?

© C Harris Lynn, 2008