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Library

Topic: Craft of writing
Article

Beyond the Gene: Why Metaphor Matters in the Story of Cancer

"Metaphors are more than linguistic tools in science communication. They are framing devices—cognitive shortcuts that shape what we see, what we ignore, and what we imagine as possible. And nowhere is this more apparent than in the long and layered story of cancer."
Book

Books on Science Writing

Article

Eight Tips From Environmental Reporters in Covering Climate Crisis

"Eight environmental reporters across the U.S. described how they cover the climate crisis in these days where the media space is overloaded with unverified information and social distrust is growing. Some of these journalists have been working on the beat for just a few years, others for 25 years. The reporters gave advice for those who have just entered or may be thinking of entering into this growing field of climate journalism."
Article

Science Writing and Story Structures

Erika Hayasaki writes from the 2024 National Association of Science Writers conference in Raleigh, North Carolina, offering resources and books from one of the panel discussions, plus "seven story structures that can be useful for thinking about longform pieces, as well as links to a few examples of each style."

Article

From Fear to Fascination — A New Insect Narrative

"Media coverage of 'bugs' is often sensationalistic and centered on fear and disgust. But conservation photographer and writer Danae Wolfe says journalists should be highlighting the importance, beauty and plight of insects and spiders. Reporting that offers alternative perspectives on these essential creatures can inspire curiosity and admiration, and encourage efforts to protect them. Wolfe on why to write about insects."
Article

Risk Journalism: A Guide to Clear Reporting on Any Topic

"This guide is designed for journalists who cover stories about risks in any sector: health, environment, artificial intelligence etc. You will identify the concepts that will help you explain, for example, why false flood alarms occur, the pros and cons of installing a nuclear plant in a certain area, or the uncertainty of a study that finds a particular diet increases the risk of developing cancer."

Article

Placenta-on-a-Chip: How One Reporter Explained the Complex Tech

AHCJ

"As the 2023-2024 Sharon Begley Science Reporting Fellow at STAT, AHCJ member Deborah Balthazar, a freelance journalist, covered several stories about biotechnology. One recent article delved into how researchers are studying the impacts of drugs and toxins on pregnancy using a tiny model of the placenta in the lab, known as placenta-on-a-chip. 

It’s worth a read not only for an update on what’s happening in this fascinating area of investigation but also for Balthazar’s expert descriptions of this microtechnology, likening it to the size of “a rubber eraser, etched with tiny channels through which fluids move.”

Here, she tells AHCJ what inspired her story and offers advice for lively tech writing."

Newsletter

Your First Byline

"You want to get an entry-level job in journalism but you don't know where to start. We're here to help." Find tips and advice, and read stories about those who've gone before and how they forged a career in journalism, by Ryan Teague Beckwith, a Substack publication with thousands of subscribers.
Academic program

Science Writing I: Online Class at UCLA Extension

"Learn what it takes to translate scientific concepts and discoveries into prose that readers can understand and enjoy." Amber Dance, an award-winning freelance science writer based in Southern California, teaches an introduction to science writing at UCLA Extension — evenings PT. Next class will be Winter 2026. Email to receive notification when the class goes live.
Book

Avoiding Common Pitfalls in Medical Writing: An Editor’s Advice

"Avoiding Common Pitfalls in Medical Writing is a useful companion text to comprehensive style guides for the biomedical sciences. This book walks authors through best practices for writing scientific papers and grant proposals in a concise and accessible format. Authors and teachers worldwide will benefit from these shared insights of an experienced scientific editor." This book is available to download for free under a Creative Commons license.
Resource Database / Guide

Tip sheet: The story behind award-winning stories: A conversation with Usha Lee McFarling

CASW Connector

When it comes to finding story ideas, Usha Lee McFarling has a simple tip: “Have your curiosity hat on,” she says. McFarling, national science correspondent for STAT, was the featured guest at an October 9 Connector Chat. She has won numerous awards throughout her career, including being part of a team that won the 2007 Pulitzer Prize in explanatory journalism. Most recently, McFarling was named the recipient of the 2024 Victor Cohn Prize for Excellence in Medical Science Reporting. Facilitating the conversation was Steve Padilla, writing coach and Column One editor at the Los Angeles Times.
Video

Writing about climate change for kids

The Highlights Foundation

In this virtual event from The Highlights Foundation, authors Pam Courtney, Andrea Loney, and Crystal Allen discussed writing about climate change for children. The conversation identifies ways that "children’s books can offer a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness between social justice, racial equity, and caring for our planet."
Resource Database / Guide

Science Reporting Quick Tips — The Open Notebook & SciLine

SciLine, The Open Notebook

"To cover science well, journalists have to enter the scientific world a bit themselves, by reading research papers, interviewing scientists, and evaluating evidence. Whatever your background, these are concrete skills that any journalist can sharpen. To pave the way, The Open Notebook and SciLine have teamed up to distill key science reporting skills into a series of quick-hit resources for journalists with deadlines to meet." The series includes:
  • Addressing Science-Related Misinformation and Disinformation
  • Covering Science-Related Policy
  • Vetting Scientific Sources
  • Vetting Science-Related Claims
  • Go-To Questions for Interviewing Scientists
  • Interviewing Scientist Sources
  • Planning Interviews with Scientist Sources
  • Making Sense of Scientific Studies
  • Stats Terms for Covering Science
  • Finding and Including Diverse Sources
  • Finding Expert Scientific Sources
Video

Talking shop: When debunking climate disinformation gets labeled “censorship”

Covering Climate Now

"Increasingly, disinformation peddlers are protecting their lies by accusing anyone who fact-checks or debunks climate disinformation of censorship, bias, or being anti–free speech and debate. How can journalists preempt such charges, or deal with them, as we continue to tackle climate disinformation on the beat? In this press briefing, co-sponsored by Covering Climate Now and Climate Action Against Disinformation, experts detailed strategies used by disinformers to discredit journalists and how you can protect your reporting and serve your audiences. Kendra Pierre-Louis of Bloomberg; Marco Silva of BBC News; and Wudan Yan, freelance journalist, fact-checker, and entrepreneur, joined moderator Amy Westervelt, executive editor of Drilled, for a one-hour conversation."
Video

Making obscure animals and ecosystems compelling main characters

SEJ

Pandas and forests are out. Moths and peatlands are in. During this session at the 2024 Society of Environmental Journalists annual meeting, a panel of wildlife writers discussed how to get readers deeply invested in stories about wildlife and ecosystems that are not traditionally charismatic. These could be obscure creatures and places that some readers have never heard of, or animals that many people consider icky pests.
Article

How ProPublica journalists reported on cancer-causing industrial air pollution

"ProPublica journalists Al Shaw and Lisa Song sifted through tons of data to deliver “Poison in the Air,” an award-winning reporting series in which they — alongside fellow reporters Lylla Younes, Ava Kofman, Maya Miller, and photographer Kathleen Flynn — identify hundreds of industrial air pollution cancer-risk hot spots across the U.S. using publicly available EPA data. They even corrected reporting errors by the agency. "In this 'How I Did It,' Shaw and Song discuss their reporting approach for this series and offer tips to fellow journalists interested in covering industrial cancer risk."
Article

Sharpening ideas: From topic to story

"As science writers, we learn about fascinating topics daily, and explaining that complexity is one of the joys of our work. But to sell the story to our editors, we need a good angle and often a compelling narrative approach. This can challenge even experienced writers."
Article

Is this a story? How to evaluate your ideas before you pitch

"When a journalist is on the prowl for a new story, every yarn spun by a friend, every press release, every vacation adventure, and every quirky local news item can seem like the beginning of a great story idea. But most glimmers of inspiration turn out to be just that—transient inklings. Only a few will be real gems. The most successful freelancers can quickly sift through their ideas and see whether an idea deserves to exist as a story, and what kind of story to pitch. This evaluation is usually an intuitive process, honed over years of practice. But learning the right questions to ask about your ideas can help accelerate the learning curve."
Article

Finding the science in any story

"Not all science writing has to be deeply academic or focused on dense concepts. Science writing can be crowd-pleasing, and shareable, and even sarcastic or funny. And it can belong in publications whose focus might seem far removed from science, such as magazines centered on fashion, business, food, public policy, sports, parenting … or just about anything else. For a freelancer, finding a scientific angle on a trending news topic can make a pitch pleasantly unexpected, and more likely to pique an editor’s interest."
Video

Exploring mathematics’ uncrowded space for journalists and writers

International Center for Journalists

This webinar, part of a series about mathematics reporting, discusses how journalists and writers can cover this topic. The session was led by Erica Klarreich, a mathematics writer whose work has been featured in many well-known publications and multiple editions of The Best Writing on Mathematics. Klarreich explained how to uncover captivating stories and opportunities for covering mathematics.
Annotated story

Storygram: B. “Toastie” Oaster’s “Pacific lamprey’s ancient agreement with tribes is the future of conservation”

The Open Notebook

"In October 2022, Indigenous affairs journalist B. “Toastie” Oaster wrote a High Country News feature about the fate of Pacific lamprey. This lushly written story explores how Indigenous peoples in the Pacific Northwest are working to conserve a culturally important species in the face of dam construction, mismanagement, and climate change. Oaster combined research into the region’s Indigenous history and ecological knowledge with talented storytelling. The result? A beautifully crafted narrative feature about the past and future of Pacific lamprey, told through the lens of Indigenous ecological knowledge, that challenges readers to think about science research—and science journalism—more critically."
Resource Database / Guide

Mental health journalism online resources

The Carter Center

This list of links — assembled by the Carter Center, which administers fellowships for mental health journalism — includes training opportunities, mental health organizations, government resources, resources by disorder, publications, and more.
Video

Kavli Conversations on Science Communication at NYU

NYU, The Kavli Foundation

"What happens when leading journalists who cover science and eminent scientists who reach mass audiences get together to exchange ideas? What do their differing perspectives tell us about how science communication is changing and how we can do it better?" Science writers can participate in this ongoing event series either in-person in New York City or online, with videos from past events hosted on the NYU website. The series is sponsored by the Kavli Foundation and the Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Program at NYU.
Book

Ideas into Words: Mastering the Craft of Science Writing

"In Ideas into Words, Elise Hancock, a professional writer and editor with thirty years of experience, provides both novice and seasoned science writers with the practical advice and canny insights they need to take their craft to the next level. Rich with real-life examples and anecdotes, this book covers the essentials of science writing: finding story ideas, learning the science, opening and shaping a piece, polishing drafts, overcoming blocks, and conducting interviews with scientists and other experts who may not be accustomed to making their ideas understandable to lay readers. Hancock's wisdom will prove useful to anyone pursuing nonfiction writing as a career. She devotes an entire chapter to habits and attitudes that writers should cultivate, another to structure, and a third to the art of revision."
Book

Science Blogging: The Essential Guide

"Here is the essential how-to guide for communicating scientific research and discoveries online, ideal for journalists, researchers, and public information officers looking to reach a wide lay audience. Drawing on the cumulative experience of 27 of the greatest minds in scientific communication, this invaluable handbook targets the specific questions and concerns of the scientific community, offering help in a wide range of digital areas, including blogging, creating podcasts, tweeting, and more. With step-by-step guidance and one-stop expertise, this is the book every scientist, science writer, and practitioner needs to approach the Wild West of the Web with knowledge and confidence."