A monthly letter from Gotham’s dean of faculty, Kelly Caldwell (usually writing advice)
Recently I opened an essay by a student, started reading, and my heart sank. Not because the writer’s story was poorly written (it was gorgeous), or because the subject was difficult. No. It was because the student opened with a three-page apology for daring to write their story at all. Continue reading “Your Story”
Awhile back, I wrote a very short essay that was mostly about wintertime and my mother, but also included a scientific reference. When it was about to be published, I felt it necessary to confirm that science with sources from Cal Tech, Space.com, and NASA.
What was the highly technical data I was checking so obsessively? That Earth’s orbit around the sun is elliptical. Continue reading “Writing About Science”
Recently, Gotham’s own Elane Johnson gave a lecture called “Don’t Kill Me With Your Words: Writing Dialogue That Doesn’t Suck.”
Which is perfect, because if you want to know what good non-sucky dialogue is, just listen to Elane talk: Continue reading “Authentic Dialogue”