Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with writing and science

How to write a scientific literature review?

doctor.dan — Sat, 16 May 2009 04:18:25 -0800

I'm at that point in my PhD where my experiment is (almost) up and running, so I have more free time to do other stuff. I've decided that writing a general introduction to my thesis will be less beneficial than trying to get a review article published. How do I go about writing a review article, from the perspective of an unpublished graduate student? I'll be getting help from my advisers, both of whom are well respected in their individual fields. I'm looking at a number of different areas and trying to tie them together, which hasn't been done in any previous review (that should buy me enough originality, right?). I've done the obligatory Google search, but all the advice out on the intertubes is pretty generic, and usually aimed at small reviews instead of reviews aimed at publication.

I have more articles on the topics than I need, I just need to start writing something now. What do you guys do to streamline writing reviews (not just scientific, any kind)? Any tips on reducing the pain and increasing the fun? How do I go about planning this thing? Tips for writing it without drowning in information?

Who are the best feature writers out there?

reenum — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 09:21:10 -0800

Who are the best magazine and newspaper feature writers, past and present? I've been on a magazine and newspaper kick lately. I've gotten tons of articles by Michael Lewis, William Langewiesche and Jack Hitt. For sports, I love Gary Smith. I also like to read the in-depth articles put out by ProPublica.

Could you suggest others who write deep, delving pieces about a subject? The subject itself doesn't matter; I care more that the writer have the ability to engage a reader and explain a situation or subject in an interesting way.

Thanks!

How to break into science writing for magazines?

Wolfster — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 13:10:53 -0800

How to break into science writing for magazines? What are the strengths/weaknesses of using a traditional vs non-mainstream approach (eg, a blog). Sorry for the length/but I'd like to find a way to do this, if extraneous info helps provide a solution...

I asked a similar question a few years ago, and received great suggestions. After implementing those tips, I did break into medical education communication agencies and worked at such agencies for 2 years. A month from now I will go freelance but will will have very targeted products and clients (journal articles for medical journals in the area of oncology for investigators, pharma companies, and/or med ed agencies).

However, I am still enamored by the idea of writing for the popular press. More specifically, I used to teach a "Biology of Social Issues" course to non-science major college undergraduates and had a blast -- everything from stem cells, genetic engineering, to whatever seemed interesting to me or my students. I would use a story as a "hook" and teach a bit of science. Ultimately, I would like to write similar information and use a graphic providing a variety of "what is possible" pictures to pull the reader in followed by science information and explanations.

I know how to try to get published in mainstream magazines (eg, write a pitch letter, send off and wait a few months, get a response or no response, rinse and repeat). This process, however, takes months. Moreover, when I was given the chance to write something, I was required to write something that fit the newsletter , I wrote something that was just...boring (so the clip I have for consumers is boring and I don't want to write something like that). Also, when I study the model -- use sample A to get an opportunity to publish in a better magazine, it would take years to finally get into an interesting magazine.

For now I do not and probably cannot get access to the pre-embargo Euraka alerts. If my goal is to get good clips that I can later use to write for magazines of my choice, would these other approaches work? Why or why not and what would be unintended negatives?

Basically, if my goal is to write an interesting article about some of the new oncology drugs for Scienfic American, for example, which of these approaches would be better or more likely to succeed?

1. Doing the traditional "build clips", and build those to get into better magazines, etc.

2. A blog - publish the equivalent of a kids magazine for science on a blog. I would submit the blog in addition to journal articles for my "clips." I could write something like this in a matter of weeks (although there may not be many readers).

3. Just wrting an article and sending it off to Scientific Amercan with a letter asking if they are interested in the article? If they say no, send it off to another publication that is similar.

4. There is another model that I am sure would work and I will probably do this on the side -- contact university PR offices with science news paper type publications and offer to write something. Some of these publications do seem to hire people with my background so I am assuming they will let me write an article or 2, even if they are for free. I would have more to gain from the sample, however. But I wonder if a blog could help me get to that point faster or give me more options?

Tips, suggestions, or real life examples would be great. Thanks

Add a new category to this list: Aliens, Monsters, Ghosts...

Flying Saucer — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 20:51:29 -0800

Aliens, monsters, and ghosts. The big three. But is there a fourth? I am working on a writing project and am struggling with a conundrum that I thought I'd bring to the hive mind.

It seems to me that in speculative fiction (which encompasses science fiction, fantasy, and horror), there are three major elements, or adversaries:

1. Aliens
2. Monsters
3. Ghosts

The brave souls who fight these creatures have been the basis of all kinds of exciting stories.

For example, in the comic book and the movie, the Men In Black fought aliens.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer fought monsters.

Ghostbusters fought ghosts.

Mulder and Scully fought all three.

So my question is...is there a fourth category? Spirits, maybe? Elves? Combining the categories has already been done -- remember the alien ghosts of "Final Fantasy"?

Any thoughts?

What should I do with my life?

Anonymous — Thu, 08 May 2008 18:12:06 -0800

20-something INTP, bored to death in his corporate gig, asks: What should I do with my life? I'm in my mid-20's. I studied philosophy at a very good school. I'm now working in a corporate job that would probably be a great job if I didn't completely hate it. It's well-paying, humane, and I'm surrounded by smart people. I think the problem is just me. I find I'm unable to work hard on stuff that I don't find intrinsically interesting. I get bored quickly, and I'm not motivated enough by money or approval to overcome it. Some people are able to profitably rent out their minds; I'm not.

I spend most of my time reading papers on the Internet, dwelling on philosophical, social, and scientific problems, and writing lengthy emails to friends and acquaintances about Big Ideas. I don't purport to claim any of this is productive or valuable. But what's clear is I'm not a good fit for my employers, my employer isn't a good fit for me, and I'm just wasting everyone's time and money. It's been this way in my last two or three jobs as well. The stuff I'm good at -- deep thinking, complicated problem solving, coming up with new ideas and working out their implications -- just doesn't seem to overlap much with the job requirements of most jobs.

The question is what to do instead. I've applied to law school for the fall and have gotten into some great programs. I think I'd be good at law. I'm an analytical thinker and I actually take pleasure in working through dense thickets of language. But I'm afraid if I wind up in law, I'll run into the same problems I face in my current job, only worse: I'll be stuck in an office all day (and all night), working on problems I don't find interesting, wishing I could just write and think and work on interesting problems instead. I don't know though -- if I totally hate the practice of law (I'm pretty sure I'll like law school), I could always practice for a few years, pay off my loans, then get out, with a lot more "options" available to me than I have now.

Alternatively, writing/journalism and academia both seem like decent choices. At least with those, I could write, think, and have a lot more control over my work day and the projects I pursue. But they both have their drawbacks: while I'm not out to get rich, I don't look forward to a life of instability, unease, and relative penury that seem to await many people in those fields. I do value security and comfort.

As you can see, I also tend to talk myself out of things. I'm a thinker and an over-thinker. In the process of trying to figure everything out, I just wind up taking the path of least resistance. Hence my current situation. So, before I plunge $180k into debt, please advise me: what should I do with my life?

How can I write better short stories (science fiction)

Wolfster — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 18:24:34 -0800

How can I write better short stories (science fiction) I wrote a few science fiction stories, and then sent them off to a few science fiction magazines.The stories were rejected (I'm sure they receive hundreds a week, so it isn't that humiliating).

Rather than to send the same exact stories off to other magazines, I'd like to improve the stories that I wrote,and then I'd like to try again.

I'm not quite sure how to improve or learn to write better on my own.

Things I've done so far (besides writing the stories):
-Edit, edit, and edit again
-Action verbs
-Read the short stories of my favorite science fiction authors or a collection of best Nebula awards scifi pieces (to learn what those authors did)

To be honest, I feel comfortable with the ideas,but I think I may miss things like character development, etc, - because that's not why I read but I think that is what the magazines would like to see.

So what should I do? Can books walk me through this (any suggestions?) and give good examples? Did anyone just keep resubmitting the same old stories and - voila, someone bought them? Any other ideas would be appreciated. Should I try writing exercises?

Thanks

My god, it's full of Stars

Artw — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 18:27:24 -0800

I'm looking for a series of hardback science fiction anthologies I dimly remember from childhood (sometime in the mid 80s). I think it had a one word title with a number, and the series went up to at least number five. I remember two stories in particular... In one a childs home starmaking experiment goes wrong when he puts too much matter into his simulated universe, creating a spinning cylindrical black hole which escapes and destroys the earth.

In another two creatures, essentially sentient stars, play a game in which they throw their cores at each other. The cores are of different colors, and the color difference is analogous to a gender difference. In the end the "male" star impregnates the "female" star but loses it's core. As a dying act it creates life on an earth like planet and then flings the planet out into space.

Any ideas?

How can I acquire newswriting skills?

Wolfster — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 20:33:10 -0800

How can I acquire newswriting skills? Currently I am working as a 'Scientific Associate', and I occasionally write reports for physicians and specialists.

I would really like to learn to write well. More specifically, write like a journalist and write short news pieces that can engage the average person on the street.

My work schedule is unpredictable so I cannot commit to a class (set in a physical classroom at a preset time). I also frequently work more than 40 hours a week so will not have time to write for a newspaper (although on my own, I will try to acquire 'clips').

So, hive mind, can anyone recommend an online
introductory news writing class? One that frequently provides individual feedback? Or a really good textbook for the journalism basics? Any outside the box suggestions?

Thanks

How to Write Interesting Computer Science

gadha — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 07:34:30 -0800

I need help in learning how to write. Specifically, technical writing in the area of computer science. Most specifically, paper writing. I am actively involved in computer science research. My biggest problem is writing about it. I am quite good at actually developing the problem, solving it and measurement. However when it come to writing I often find myself with the following recurring problems:

1. Most importantly -- terseness. I really have a problem expanding on what I'm trying to say. Mostly people liken my writing to reading telegrams. When I do try and expand I end up in the opposite direction where people comment that I'm explaining basic stuff and avoidable detail. Often I will hone in on the problem and solution without any regard to the other solut

2. Flow and composition -- Most of my writing reads like a users manual or a physics experiment, which, while getting me my degree, makes for extremely boring reading. I need help in developing how to make my work interesting to the reader.

I know the mantra with writing is re-write and re-vise. But I often find myself throwing away 3 or 4 copies of written material because they just aren't conveying what I want them to convey. In situations where I have been successful the layour and structure is almost always initiated by others.

I would appreciate any tips others may have in actually helping me fix these problems.

Help me find an obscure R.A. Lafferty quote.

rwhe — Mon, 28 Aug 2006 06:53:41 -0800

Help me find an obscure R.A. Lafferty quote. Just saw Little Miss Sunshine and was struck by its message of embracing one's own utter dorkiness. It reminded me of a quotation by SF writer R.A. Lafferty about finding or inventing for yourself a field of knowledge or an art form so unique (excuse me; you know what I mean) that you will be the first to study it and create in it, and since the first, therefore the best. Knowing Lafferty's inclination to use Biblical allusions, Adam may have been mentioned in there as the first to do a lot of things.

Lafferty has always been an inspiration to me. Ghod knows he certainly lived his advice, and didn't just spout it. Can you help me find it?

What are some real scientific areas that would make good fiction?

adrober — Sun, 19 Dec 2004 20:44:52 -0800

I have to write something fictional about science that involves REAL science (as opposed to fake science, i.e. "Star Wars"). Since I'm a non-science person, what are some areas of science that are full of good story possibilities? [Note: many people are already doing DNA and cloning.] Thanks!