Welcome back for another installment of Ask TON. Here’s our latest question: What are the essentials of a strong proposal for a journalism fellowship? Fellowships can boost your career in many ways. They provide […]
My young science-writer friends recently disagreed over a question regarding embargoed studies. When seeking outside comment, some people send copies of embargoed studies to scientists in their initial email, while others will ask scientists to agree to the embargo before sending it along. What’s the correct approach?
What is a normal amount of time to spend on preparing pitches for magazine feature stories? Some people say they spend as little as an hour, and others conduct multiple interviews before pitching. What’s usually the best approach, practically speaking?
“What methods do you use to find patients for a medical story, and what kinds of questions do you ask them, or their doctors, or yourself, to vet whether a particular patient is the right fit for a story?”
I’d like to learn how to write faster, so I could turn a story around in just a few hours. Are there some good tricks people who write news use to get stories done on a tight timeline?
I’d like to make better use of university public information officers to find ideas for features and front-of-book stories for magazines. What is the best way to do this?
When I’m reporting, everyone I meet seems to basically look ‘regular’ to me. It doesn’t seem worth saying that someone wears glasses or has smoothly brushed hair … I know I’m supposed to look for meaningful traits … What am I doing wrong?
To get myself out of a bind without having to tell my editor I was so far behind, I hired another writer who I trusted to help me with my reporting and drafting. It all worked out … but I felt kind of gross. Was it unethical for me to hire a subcontractor?
You’re assigned to cover new developments in a complicated field. You know you have to include summaries of some results, and enough background to give readers a good overview. How can you bring some deliciously compelling narrative to a summary-type story?
If you’re assigned a Q&A with a well-known doctor or scientist, how do you approach it? What’s the one question you should definitely ask anyone, regardless of background? And how do you decide what to leave out of a Q&A?
You’re finally ready to sit down and write your feature. How do you organize your interview notes and research? Seasoned writers and editors share tips on how to break down your ideas and combine them into a great story—either by outlining, chunking them out, or just letting it happen.
Some scientists and other interviewees may not want to talk about controversial subjects; they may be wary of the media; or they’re just difficult to approach. This can be difficult if your source is a key character in a feature story. What can you do to break the ice?
How to Use Reporting Skills from Any Beat for Science Journalism
How Rebecca Skloot Built The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
Taking Good Notes: Tricks and Tools
Pitching Errors: How Not to Pitch
Asking for More: Negotiating Rates for Freelance Assignments
Storygram: Sarah Wild’s “Bones Specialists Try to Prise Secrets from the Veld Bodies”
The Science Byline Counting Project: Where Are the Women—and Where Are They Not?
Including Diverse Voices in Science Stories
How to Tell Science Stories with Maps
A Day in the Life of Sandeep Ravindran
Good Endings: How to Write a Kicker Your Editor—and Your Readers—Will Love
Tools: Planner Pad, the Funnel of Focus
Going Digital: Inside New Science Journalism Outlets
Trading the Pipette for the Pen: Transitioning from Science to Science Writing
Are You a Writer or an Editor? Part I: The Writers
Nailing the Nut Graf
How to Do a Close Read
On the Scene: Reporting from the Field
Activism and Science Journalism: Where Are Your Boundaries?
Read This! (Or Not): Writing Book Reviews
The Open Notebook has earned a GuideStar Gold Seal for our commitment to transparency in sharing information important to donors.
Follow Us