... off your monitor (see free writing) .
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writing, see these details before you start. Don’t wait for the finished
piece; show them ... them.
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format? Is there an example ofthe kind of conference report they
like (and perhaps one they don’t)?
• At the conference, ... copy of our paper which proves for the first time that
writing covering letters of more than 200 words increases dramat-
ically the chance of being published.’ Putting the title at the top of
the...
... calculated all kinds of things with this theory. The first
thing I calculated was the rate of disintegration of the
muon and the neutron. They should be connected to-
gether, if this theory was right, ... you at the bar?” Ten minutes later,
while the grousers were presumably at the bar, I walked by
the room of exchange copies—and there was John Bethell,
combing through other people’s magazines ... going to be all of them, or al-
most all. This is going to be awful!—an old-fashioned epi-
demic like none of us has ever seen!” The better the scien-
tist, the larger the scruple and the more he...
... of 27
medical emergencies per 1 000 inhabitants per year [7].
However, the definition of an emergency was wider in this
study than the classification of a red response based on
the Index ofMedical ... html?id=193493.
4. Office ofthe Auditor General of Norway: Riksrevisjonens undersøkelse av
akuttmedisinsk beredskap i spesialisthelsetjenesten. (The OAG’s
investigation of emergency medical preparedness in the ... Hunskaar
1,3
Abstract
Introduction: There is a lack of epidemiological knowledge on medical emergencies outside hospitals in Norway.
The aim ofthe present study was to obtain representative data on the epidemiology of medical...
... anticipated. These factors significantly
reduced the power ofthe study. Based on their findings, the
authors estimate that more than 100 hospitals would be
needed to show the 30% difference they ... have reduced the
likelihood of demonstrating a benefit. After the education
period, the maintenance ofthe MET system was left to the
local hospital. No efforts were made by the investigators ... self-evident that the goal of identifying
and treating patients early in the course of their illness is
preferable to waiting until more serious signs and symptoms
have developed. Certainly, at the University...
... Publications
31
FUNbook of C
REATIVE
W
RITING
A
BOUT
THE
B
OOK
Below are suggestions for expanded use ofthe
FUNbook ofFUNbook of
FUNbook ofFUNbook of
FUNbook of
Creative WritingCreative Writing
Creative WritingCreative ... students love to read them aloud and even come up with their own
ideas.
The FUNbook of Creative Writing can be used with large or small groups. Write one of
the story starters on the board before ... Fun Folder
of Creative Writing.
S
UGGESTIONS
The attention-getting, humorous story starters in this book
will surely spark the imagination ofthe most reluctant story writer.
The antics of characters...
... fer-
tilize and weed. There is work to be done. But the work pays
off biggest when the plants are right for the soil and micro-
climate ofthe particular garden.
Is there some subject or writing style ... trigger their adrenaline. So they often
thrive as staff, goaded on by the rest ofthe group (not to
mention the boss). Gregarious types may not need goad-
ing but wilt in a life that leaves them ... splitting.
i. Writing was not for enjoying.
After schooling like that, it’s no wonder that many of us tense
up when we sit down to write. But fortunately, the How of
writing is not the heart ofthe matter,...
... off by 7 percent.”
Then I remember the 9 percent. It was like a prediction
for me: I went home and got this theory that says the neu-
tron decay should be off by 9 percent, and they tell me the
next ... “un-
sure,” even when they are sure (in the ordinary sense), because
their idea of truth is so lofty. Also, they feel responsible not
to scare the public.
I well remember from the early 1980s not ... part, the best scientists agree on the current
best theory, which they recognize because, well, it fits. It an-
swers the most questions with the greatest precision and the
fewest loose ends. There’s...
... interest in it.
Science writers and editors needn’t start off knowing
much science. Some ofthe best of them do, but some of the
best of them don’t. They must, though, be able to learn sci-
ence, be ... one way or the
other, sitting beside her at her desk, the manuscript on the
sliding desk tray between us, I learned.
I can attest to the wisdom ofthe writerly injunctions
you’ll find in these pages ... intelligent
questions, and shake off the high intimidation quotient of a
dense, jargon-laden article in the Proceedings ofthe National Acad-
emy of Sciences. Elise was a member of this breed; she was...
... you at the bar?” Ten minutes later,
while the grousers were presumably at the bar, I walked by
the room of exchange copies—and there was John Bethell,
combing through other people’s magazines ... Attitude
5
terial as they do with the readers. Indeed, their curiosity and
its fruits are a large part of what the reader senses, of what
lets the reader trust them—a process that begins with the
first sentence.
When ... interesting about how the world
works, and then another something, and another, and an-
other. For the rest of your working life, you will get paid to
talk to people and pass along the great stuff...
... of Being that in
turn gives rise to appropriate Doing.
You can spot the best mentors, like the best parents and
the best shrinks, because their former protégés are out there
doing the work. They ... parties,
people often tell me that they have decided they want to be
writers, and they’ll get started as soon as they have more
time, or when they have their study fixed up, or when they
get a new ... professional
network as well, but the network is the least ofthe gift, be-
cause a so-called “network” is really more like a tribe. If you
are the right breed of cat for your mentor’s tribe, the net-
work quickly...
... whole class of story ideas arrives from the other
direction: from outside the world of research, in the form
of a question, observation, or piece of news.To under-
stand the phenomenon then brings ... of stars,
from the bottom ofthe ocean to the everyday flutter of the
human heart. Unseen worlds are daily becoming visible.
These stories have special appeal, not only because of their
novelty ... as for the rest of us, ideas spark each other off, showing their
full size only as they connect. Sometimes it’s hard to know
what you think till someone asks the right question or offers
one...
... the
Insured, the Uninsured, the Doctor, the Insurance Company,
the Taxpayer, the Hospital, the Residents and Medical Stu-
dents, theMedical Teachers, the Makers ofMedical Parapher-
nalia . One ... it.
The beauty of case studies is that they carry the reader
along on the wings of story, to which you can append pods
of explanation as needed. At the same time, they anchor is-
sues in the ... expertise
to the table .The science writer knows how to translate
science for the public, while the scientist knows the sci-
ence. Whenever you start writing about any particular piece
of research,...
... too. The
researcher will not mind. In fact, the better the scientific
team, the more the leaders seem to want to credit the junior
Research
and the
Interview
53
large, basic chunk of knowledge; the ... Why this line of research and not some
other? Why now and not before? Guaranteed, there must have
been other ways to approach the issue, so what was the advan-
tage of this one? The answers are ... agencies. As a
group, they care only about the opinions of a few illustrious
persons of whom you and I may never have heard. They may
begrudge time that gets them a lot of publicity, yet not...
... inter-
views, the machine took enough attention that my rapport
with the other person suffered, plus I often lost track of the
content. The problem is that, when I’m typing at the speed
of speech, the ... out the other side, be-
cause then you’ll know in your bones that feeling hopeless is
just a phase. After that, you’ll probably find the process
rather fun. It has all the joys of solving the ... you’ve got the person
thinking, not answering by rote. If she’s talking along, then
trails off and gazes into space . keep your mouth shut. Let
the wheels whir. The next thing out of her mouth...