Work In Science And Want To Write? You're Invited To WBUR's 'Narrating Science'

Ahhh, the Science Times section. The spurts of wonder. The newly illuminated puzzle pieces. The people working so hard to figure nature out and bend it to our human benefit. It's a Tuesday morning treat.

So it is with great pleasure that I invite you to a WBUR event on Sept. 15, featuring David Corcoran, a longtime editor of the section and also editor of "The New York Times Book Of Science." He's just begun his new gig as the associate director of MIT's Knight Science Journalism Program, but is graciously willing to indulge Science Times fans by answering our questions about its sausage-making.

And most importantly, he's willing to share his wisdom about what makes a good science story. Because that is the real purpose of this event: to encourage people who work in science and are interested in writing first-person pieces about it for WBUR's general audience and beyond.

Sound like you? After David speaks, you'll have a chance to pitch your story ideas to a small circle of like-minded folks led by an experienced journalist. "Pitch circles" will be led by David, yours truly and STAT senior science writer Sharon Begley, a must-read byline if ever there was one.

You can register here. (Soft start is at 5:30 p.m., program start at 6 p.m.) If you can't make it, we'll be streaming the Q&A with David on CommonHealth's Facebook page here. You can post questions for him then — or now in the comments section below.

To clarify the basic idea of Narrating Science: WBUR's health (and some science) blog, CommonHealth, averages close to a million clicks a month. We provide the editing and the audience, including for possible on-air versions of some stories. You, the writer, share your story and retain copyright. No money changes hands.

Our goals are to inform and enlighten readers and listeners, enable and encourage writers, and create a warm, supportive community to help that happen. Our health care version of this platform, Narrating Medicine, has been a great success and a joy to run. Science narrative presents some harder challenges, but we're eager to take them on.

And your goals? You may be the next Oliver Sacks. You may be a longtime lab veteran who needs to share some hard-won wisdom. Or perhaps you just need some catharsis to fight burnout. Mostly, you have that burning feeling: You have something to say about current science that you want the general public to hear.

Hope you can make it! If you're interested but can't make this particular event, please drop an email to goldberg.carey@gmail.com with "Narrating Science" in the subject line, and we'll keep you in the loop. You can also ask to join our Facebook group, Narrating Science and Medicine, and will be approved within 24 hours.