Class Description
In this course, students will learn how to translate complex scientific concepts for general audiences while finding hidden narratives that captivate readers. They'll practice the tricks of the trade when it comes to researching, reporting, and interviewing as they develop pitches and write news articles, profiles, essays, and/or feature stories. They will also have the option to turn their writing into a visual, multimedia story through the use of a digital storytelling platform. Whether it’s a cutting-edge research breakthrough or their own unique perspective on nature, students will discover ways to interweave character profiles with facts and figures to create stories that explain the world, and help us to understand our place in it.
Each week, students will complete a new assignment informed by the weekly lecture. Select assignments will be discussed in class and all students will receive instructor feedback. This course is most suitable for beginner- to intermediate-level science writers as it will review the key foundational elements of science and nature writing, including the inverted pyramid style news story and how to develop structure within a feature story. Students will leave with several workshopped story pitches as well as three pieces, including a news story, an essay, and a feature story.
*Note that while our handy dandy "Schedule" tab states a 6-7pm class time, there are actually no live meetings for this class! Assignments and deadlines will be given by your instructor. Students will have access to the online class portal starting at 5pm on the first day of class. Instructions for logging onto the online portal will be emailed to registered students before 5pm the first day of class.
Did you know that we have scholarships available for all GrubStreet classes? To apply, click the "APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIP" button in the top right corner of this page. In order to be considered for a scholarship, you must complete your scholarship application and await our Scholarship Committee's decision before registering for the class. Scholarships cannot be applied retroactively.
Thanks to the excellent literary citizenship of our donors, scholarships are available for all GrubStreet classes. To apply, click the gray "APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIP" button. In order to be considered for a scholarship, you must complete your application at least one week before the start date of a class. Please await our scholarship committee's decision before registering for the class. We cannot hold spots in classes, so the sooner you apply, the better. Scholarships cannot be applied retroactively.
For more detailed information about GrubStreet scholarships, including how to contribute to scholarship funds for other students, click here.