To be a science writer—to generate creative ideas, meet deadlines, and turn around timely revisions—you have to have a routine. Mine starts with a dose of citalopram, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor that sometimes makes me nauseous but otherwise keeps me healthy. I’m still learning how to marry my mental illness with a science-writing career.
Almost all patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, die from respiratory failure, usually within two to four years of initial diagnosis. But sometimes, patients get better. Duke University neurologist Richard Bedlack investigates such ALS “reversals,” in hopes of discovering something such people share in common that could offer answers about the disease. In a January 2017 episode of the podcast Reply All, Peter Andrey Smith and Sruthi Pinnamaneni talked with Bedlack; here, they tell the story behind the story.
The trick to reviewing books well is to approach the task systematically, keeping a clear eye on what you’re trying to accomplish, and keeping in mind what your responsibility is to readers. Book reviews should give an idea of the quality and style of the book, helping readers figure out whether they want to read the book, but without providing so much detail that readers feel as though there’s nothing left to learn.
Tim Folger writes for Discover, Scientific American, National Geographic, and other national publications. He is also the series editor for The Best American Science and Nature Writing, an annual anthology published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. He has won a Walter Sullivan Award for Excellence in Science Journalism and an American Institute of Physics Science Communication Award.
Many successful science writers begin learning the craft through internships. Whether your goal is a staff job or a career as a freelance writer, getting to know the nitty-gritty of how publications and institutions work will definitely help you. Here, TON/BWF fellow Rodrigo Pérez Ortega explores what kinds of internships exist, how to find them, which internship is right for you—and how to convince the editor that you are the intern for them.
On Being a Science Writer and Managing a Mental Illness 
Tools: Planner Pad, the Funnel of Focus 
Taking Good Notes: Tricks and Tools 
Is a Science Blog Still a Viable Path into Science Journalism? 
Pitching Errors: How Not to Pitch 
Peter Andrey Smith and Sruthi Pinnamaneni Interview a Doctor Trying to Untangle ALS “Reversals” 
Feeling Like a Fraud: The Impostor Phenomenon in Science Writing 
Ask TON: What Does a Science Writing Master’s Program Get You? 
Ask TON: Repitching Killed Stories 
How to Ace a 300-Word Story: An Interview with Roy Peter Clark 
Michelle Nijhuis’s Brief Guide to Writing Reported Essays 
Trading the Pipette for the Pen: Transitioning from Science to Science Writing 
Are You a Writer or an Editor? Part I: The Writers 
Ask TON: How Much Time Should I Spend Preparing a Pitch? 
Read This! (Or Not): Writing Book Reviews 
How Rebecca Skloot Built The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks 
The Art of the Essay 
Carl Zimmer’s Brief Guide to Writing Explainers 
Are You an Editor or a Writer? Part II: The Editors 
Getting the Most out of Scientific Conferences 
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