21W.035: Elements of Science Writing for the Public
Thea Singer
Profile, based on in-person interview
4-5 pages (1,000 to 1,250 words)
Post articles on Stellar. Everyone is responsible for printing out the Profiles of their two other group members, commenting on them, and bringing them, along with a letter to each member, to class on Tuesday, October 30. We will workshop the articles then.
Come up with a story idea and interview someone in person about the idea. Produce an article that allows that person either to make an argument or tell a story through you. The key word here is story. An edited Q&A transcript is not an acceptable form for this assignment. Q&As have their place, but the point of this assignment is to give you experience developing a narrative enlivened by quotes. You will need to introduce us to your subject, account for why the person and the story idea you discuss should command our attention, and let us see inside his/her world.
You may interview anyone either within or outside the MIT community. The person could be a seasoned professor, a post-doc, or even a graduate student or upper-classperson, as long as that person is involved in a meaningful scientific, engineering, or medical enterprise. You have wide latitude as to how you will focus your article. You could concentrate on a scientific topic, asking about the significance of a recent study or discovery. You might try to expose something of the daily life of a scientist. Anything that combines an individual’s voice, knowledge, and perspective with some real link to science is fair game.
Tuesday, October 23: Bring a short write-up to class outlining your plans for the paper: whom you intend to talk to what you want to get out of the conversation, and at least six questions around which you plan to build your session with your subject. You may choose to interview your subject before that due date – but if you do, please submit your interview plan to me by email (tsinger@mit.edu) before you sit down to talk to the person so I can give you feedback.