They're not the same thing, author Ben Yagoda says in this Time Newsfeed Q&A. Yagoda discusses some writing sins — using the wrong word, writing in all caps — but says that's only part of the secret: "The not-writing-badly thing is a skill that can be learned, by reading, by following principles, by using the dictionary, by slowing down and all those things. Writing well is a little more mysterious. It's art. There's inspiration. There's individual talent and style."
Science writing news
Dave Bricker has some "look before you leap" advice for self-publishers. Be realistic, he says, about your costs and potential profits, your markets, pricing, and whether it's smart to take advantage of every last marketing opportunity: "If you’ve written a book about sailing, yacht clubs may be happy to have you as a guest speaker but consider whether selling a dozen books at a presentation will make a dent in your original investment — or is even worth your time."
What's an up goer? Well, it started with the idea that you should stick to the 1,000 most-used words, so as to make your writing better. Then came a funny drawing about outer space. Now there's a place where you can try it yourself, and another place where you can see how doctors might use it, and also one where you can read about another world in up-goer words.
ScienceOnline2013, the big annual conference on science and the web, begins today in Raleigh, N.C., with pre-conference workshops. If you're not there, you can take in some of the proceedings at one of more than 20 watch parties around the world, or keep an eye on the meeting's Information Central page. Also check the blogroll page for a list of posts discussing ScienceOnline2013 and its attendees.
We are pleased to announce that NASW members are eligible to receive free access to the journals of the American Physical Society. This resource allows users to access to the full-text articles in the APS journals and includes archives back to 1893. Read more to learn how to apply for access.
Nieman Storyboard gives the annotation treatment to Mary Roach's 2008 National Geographic story on the chimps of Senegal and what their tools can teach us about human evolution. On her use of metaphors, like comparing salt stains on sweat-drenched shirts to those on a snowy winter's boots, Roach says, "It’s the part of writing that I love. Knowing there’s a good sentence to be had, and mucking around til I get it right. And the fleeting satisfaction of nailing it."
Google can't get at a lot of Facebook's data, but the social media giant's new Graph Search can, and journalists can take advantage, Vadim Lavrusik writes. You can see a preview here. But privacy concerns are already being raised by, for example, Alex Fitzpatrick: "Like 'Toy Story 3?' If your likes are public, that like is Graph Searchable by all." More from Steven Levy at Wired.
Hey, kids! Let's clone a Neanderthal! Why? Human genetic diversity! Alien communication! Effects of agriculture on human evolution! Because we can (maybe)! Or, none of the above. Get real, it's an absurd notion. Also, coming next week: ScienceOnline 2013! aka #scio13 UPDATED!
The NASW Education Committee is again sponsoring its annual mentoring program at the AAAS meeting in Boston, February 14-18, and we need at least 30 volunteers to act as mentors. We match veteran writers with students in graduate science writing programs or undergrads who have displayed a serious interest in science journalism. We've had a lot of interest so far from students across the country!