Link: The tension between telling a story and telling readers what is going on
An article by Chip Scanlan at Nieman Storyboard displays an insider’s knowledge of the nut graf, the part of a journalistic article that explains to the read...
All posts tagged with writing
Nature Genetics wants more context for citations, but doesn’t notice that bad context comes from word limits
Nature Genetics has a remarkable editorial in the current issue that makes a point of criticizing citation practices by authors in “articles we have recently...
Link: Steven Pinker on academic writers’ problems
Some words of advice from Steven Pinker about writing, in this interview with the Chronicle of Higher Education. I like the diagnosis:
Link: Demolishing the magnum opus myth
Joli Jensen in ChronicleVitae: “It’s time to demolish the magnum opus myth”.
Quote: E. B. White on procrastination
The Paris Review interview of E. B. White has several good passages about writing. Here’s one:
Quote: H.G. Wells on lacunar reading
From the preface of Mankind in the Making, by H. G. Wells:
Writing more accessibly is the watchword
Rachel Toor writes in the Chronicle of Higher Education in favor of academics finding a more polished approach to their prose: “Becoming a stylish writer”.
One way to make better science writing
Alison Flood in the Guardian notes the scientific interests of celebrated novelist Cormac McCarthy: “Cormac McCarthy’s parallel career revealed as a scienti...
McPhee on writing about science
The Paris Review has a long interview with writer John McPhee (“The Art of Nonfiction No. 3, John McPhee”). I like the writer interviews they have, and it is...
Mailbag: Loren Eiseley
Re: The ‘amazing’ Boskops:
Quote: Ellison on posthumous work
Writer Harlan Ellison has been saying goodbye to fans, according to the Madison independent paper, Isthmus. The interview is interesting, including this part...
LeGuin interview
Claire Evans interviews author Ursula K. LeGuin. It’s mostly about LeGuin’s outspoken opposition to the Google copyright grab:
Write with a knife
It’s that time of year again, when students all over the country are facing their first writing assignment. I always encourage a bloggy style – concise, jour...
Writing upward
Since I’ve already contributed to bellyaching about student writing assignments, it’s only fair to point to a Wired article that says students are getting b...
Teaching writing
College classes are starting around the country, but writing assignments haven’t been submitted yet. Time to brace yourself – Stanley Fish blogs about what c...
Does your Style have the right Elements?
I didn’t notice myself, but a number of writers have been pointing out the fiftieth anniversary of a familiar classic, Strunk and White’s The Elements of Sty...
Graduate students and blogging
I’ve received a tremendous response to my essay earlier this week, the first part of my series on blogging and tenure. I wanted to thank everyone for their c...
Quote: Vonnegut on writing style
Ann Althouse links to Kurt Vonnegut’s “How to write with style,”, which deserves to be linked.