The Science Writers' Essay Handbook: How to Craft Compelling True Stories in Any Medium

by Michelle Nijhuis

Though the essay form is more than four centuries old, it's perfectly suited to the digital age--and to science writing. The Science Writers' Essay Handbook will show you how Recognize and develop essay ideas* Research and report for the essay form* Organize your material before you write* Develop a distinctive authorial voice* Revise and polish your essays for publication* Apply your essay-writing skills to stories of all kinds, from magazine features to multimedia productions to social-media postsNo matter what kind of science storyteller you are, The Science Writers' Essay Handbook will give you new tools to bring out the best in your work.

Genres: Writing, Science, Nonfiction

94 pages, Paperback

Published February 1, 2016

Reviews

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to write an essay about this book.

[Laura Pritchett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've assigned this book for my "Writing about Nature and Science" grad class at Western Colo U --- and for good reason. Covers all the basics and more with humor, grace, wisdom. She's one of my favorite science writers / reporters out there. Recommend highly.

[Olivia Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a perfect guide for me to have while writing my dissertation :) Michelle Nijhuis does an amazing job at distilling the important elements of essay writing in a concise and interesting way. This was enjoyable to read and informative, and I am definitely going to keep this handy as I write to refer back to (for this dissertation and beyond). Highly recommend for science writers and writers in general!

[Bryn Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

For me, this quote early in Nijhuis's book captures the reason why her handbook is so important: "Essays allow writers to examine the mind and heart and speak to both." This is an extremely well-crafted exploration of the art of producing a memorable science essay and offers lots of little gems along the way (Montaigne wrote an essay on cannibals? Can you summarize the external and internal journey of Luke Skywalker in 3 acts?).

What makes this book such a pleasure to read, though, is how she interweaves an abundance of practical tips - especially on structure and revisions - with clear and inspiring examples. Nijhuis explores the nuances of the writing and the responsibilities of writers to meet readers (we are often "irrational rationalists") where they are. I left with a much bigger reading list, a slew of tips and resources, and a new desire to polish my own writing with what I learned. I can't recommend this enough.

[Corrinne Brumby · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so helpful! I love how concise and short it is, making it easy to reference back to. But just because it's short does not mean it's any less informative. I've learned more from this book than just about any other book on writing I have read. It breaks down how to write a good science essay, but I think could be helpful for any essay writing in general.

[Monya Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to read a preprint. This has a strong combination of clear examples and strategy for crafting compelling essays. It is suitable for both experienced writers and scientists ready to reach a general audience.

[Brian Welsch · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good overview of science essay writing. I'll likely refer to it in the future. I also appreciated the further reading suggestions. I also picked up 'The Science Writer's Handbook: Everything You Need to Know to Pitch, ...', to which this a companion book.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Science Writers' Essay Handbook
Michelle Nijhuis

This is a helpful handbook for writing essays about science. It has a lot of actionable advice when it comes to structure and method.

3/5

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well-written, solid advice. Her chapter on structuring essays was particularly helpful.

[Andreu Escrivà · Rating 5 out of 5]

Utilíssim.