Writers Tip #67: Three Tips from Carl Zimmer
Great tips for soon-to-be great writers
When you read your story, does it sound off, maybe you can't quite put your finger on it, but you know you've done something wrong? Sometimes–maybe even lots of times–there are simple fixes. These writer's tips will come at you once a week, giving you plenty of time to go through your story and make the adjustments.
Today's tip: Comes from Carl Zimmer, author of A Planet of Viruses, The Tangled Bank, and Brain Cuttings. He writes a regular column about science for the New York Times and a blog for Discover Magazine, where he is also a contributing editor and columnist. He is the author of ten books, the most recent A Planet of Viruses. Since I love writing about science (even have my own rarely-visited science blog), I'm drawn to people like Edward O. Wilson and John McPhee and…
Carl Zimmer.
Here are three of his pithiest thoughts about writing:
Do as much research as possible away from the Internet — with living people, in real places.
Be ready to organize vast amounts of data. Use a wall, or software like Scrivener.
Be ready to amputate entire chapters. It will be painful.
Jacqui Murray is the editor of a technology curriculum for K-fifth grade and creator of two technology training books for middle school. She is the author of Building a Midshipman , the story of her daughter's journey from high school to United States Naval Academy midshipman. She is webmaster for five blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice book reviewer, a columnist for Examiner.com , and a weekly contributor to Write Anything and Technology in Education . Currently, she's working on a techno-thriller that should be ready this summer. Contact Jacqui at her writing office or her tech lab, Ask a Tech Teacher.
Filed under: Journalism, writers tips Tagged: carl zimmer, science writing, writers tips
