Freelance Writing Direct with Estelle: Conversations with authors, journalists, agents, novelists, memoirists, niche writers, publishers, writing teachers, assigning editors and media experts. #127 Finding Scientific Angles on Any Story with The Open Notebook's Editor Siri Carpenter
Siri Carpenter is an award-winning journalist and is co-founder, executive director, and editor-in-chief of The Open Notebook, a non-profit organization widely regarded as a leading source of training and educational materials for journalists who cover science. She is also the editor of the book The Craft of Science Writing. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Science, Discover, Scientific American, Science News, bioGraphic, and other publications. She is a past president of the National Association of Science Writers and was the 2023 winner of the Online News Association's Community Award. She has a Ph.D. in social psychology from Yale University and lives in Madison, Wisconsin.
In this episode:
-
Siri shares the inspiration behind The Craft of Science Writing and what's new in the expanded edition. [3:34]
-
How the pandemic made everyone a science writer [4:34]
-
The rise of science writing across all beats—why every journalist needs to understand and implement research and data. [5:05]
-
How to craft compelling science stories without a science degree. [6:08]
-
The dos and don'ts of pitching –pitching hygiene —plus how to sharpen your story angle. [9:30]
-
How to write complex subjects in a reader-friendly way [13:48]
-
The goal of the Open Notebook to make science writing accessible and offer training opportunities and free courses [27:17]
-
Siri's thoughts on AI [30:22]
-
Submission info for The Open Notebook [34:37]
-
Why understanding research, statistics, and expert interviews is essential for today's writers. [37:16]
Connect with Siri via The Open Notebook
The Open Notebook
https://www.theopennotebook.com
https://www.facebook.com/theopennotebook
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-open-notebook/
BlueSky
https://bsky.app/profile/theopennotebook.bsky.social
Sign up for Newsletter and free courses
https://mailchi.mp/1b27e142c25a/theopennotebook
Editor, The Craft of Science Writing
SECOND, EXPANDED EDITION AVAILABLE NOW!
Connect with Estelle Erasmus
Estelle Erasmus: an award-winning journalist, is the author of WRITING THAT GETS NOTICED (named a "Best Book for Writers" by Poets & Writers Magazine), a Contributing Editor for Writer's Digest, and host of the podcast Freelance Writing Direct. She is an adjunct instructor for NYU's School of Professional Studies/Center for Publishing and Applied Liberal Arts, has written for over 150 publications, including The New York Times, Next Avenue/PBS, WIRED, The Independent,The Washington Post, and AARP: The Magazine, and was the editor-in-chief of five national publications. Find out more at estelleserasmus.com and follow her on Substack at https://estelleserasmus.substack.com
Her latest substack Post: My Predictions for Publishing in 2025
https://estelleserasmus.substack.com/p/my-predictions-for-publishing-for
Apply to be on Freelance Writing Direct in a coaching episode: email freelancewritingdirect@gmail.com and state three of the issues you are dealing with that you would like Estelle's help with.
FREE PITCHING GUIDE: Find out more about this episode at
https://estelleserasmus.com/podcast. You also get a free pitching guide if you sign up for her newsletter.
Sign up for Estelle's Personal Essay Class for Writer's Digest
https://www.writersonlineworkshops.com/courses/writing-the-personal-essay-101-fundamentals
Sign up for Estelle's NYU Classes
https://www.sps.nyu.edu/professional-pathways/faculty/e/1068-estelle-erasmus.html
Get Her Book
Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published: https://rb.gy/5ihwp0
Order Her Audiobook:
Sign up for her Substack https://estelleserasmus.substack.com (with craft advice and writing opportunities). Paid subscribers receive opportunities for pitch reviews, plus bonus clips from Freelance Writing Direct guests
Follow Estelle:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@EstelleSErasmus
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EstelleSerasmus
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/estelleserasmus.bsky.social