So you have this great idea. You’ve looked into every corner of the Internet and no one else has done it. You can’t get the idea out of your head, but how do you make it pay? You have a passion project! “It’s important to find time to do projects that are important to you but that you aren’t sure are going to pay off,” said Brooke Borel, who moderated the session “Making passion projects happen” at the ScienceWriters2014 meeting in Columbus, Ohio. Borel was the first of five science writers who shared their experiences to a packed room. The speakers’ stories were as varied as their projects.
ScienceWriters meeting coverage
The National Association of Science Writers honored some of the year’s best science writing at its annual ScienceWriters Awards Night gala Oct. 18 at the Center of Science and Industry in Columbus, OH. The Science in Society Journalism Awards, sponsored by the National Association of Science Writers, honored journalists in five categories: book, science reporting, long form, science reporting for a local or regional market, and commentary and opinion.
Starting a blog for a university or institution requires convincing the higher-ups and sometimes breaking away from the serious tone that is common among research publications. “Don’t think of it as a blog. Think of it as a really light, lean, and flexible web platform. When you pitch it, call it a really cheap way to disseminate information,” said Carol Clark, senior science communicator at Emory University and a panelist for Saturday’s session titled, “Blogging for institutions.”
A freelance writer wears many hats. There’s the writer hat, of course, but also accountant, marketer, strategist, and even social media consultant. As a freelancer, in other words, you’re both a lowly worker and CEO, accountable to no one but yourself.
After a good night’s rest following Friday’s conference kick-off, science writers from across the country gathered at the NASW business meeting Saturday morning for updates on the work the committees have been doing over the past year and their visions for the future.
NASW members can access selected video of workshop sessions from the ScienceWriters2013 conference. Members can read more for the link and access code.
Throughout the year, we will be releasing videos or excerpts of selected NASW professional development workshop session to share with those unable to attend [ScienceWriters2013](http://www.sciencewriters2013.org). The first session released is [The XX Question](http://www.sciencewriters2013.org/sessions/d1-xx-question.html), taped on Saturday, November 2, 2013.
NASW members and other ScienceWriters2013 meeting attendees have contributed photos from conference events. Use the "read more" button to see them.
Few people would assume that starting a publication is easy. But the take-home message of Saturday afternoon’s session on the topic drove home just how taxing the process can be. “It will leave you nerve-wracked and reaching for sedatives,” said panelist Bobbie Johnson, co-founder of the online publication Matter, which has been publishing long-form articles about science, technology, medicine and the environment since November 2012.
Sunday morning began as sweetly as the late Lou Reed’s until Maryn McKenna stepped in. Leave it to “scary disease girl” to scare a captive audience with a panel on pandemics. Grab a raisin danish and tune into a talk about a new SARS-like virus sweeping Saudi Arabia and cholera in Haiti.