Interlude: Paper, Possibility, and Productive Communication
Someone once asked me, "What do you think is the greatest invention?"
So many things came to my mind: the wheel, the lightbulb, motor cars, penicillin, the Internet. My mind flooded with options.
What was their answer?
Paper.
I was so surprised. Paper didn't even occur to me. But paper has added incredible value to our lives.
Before the digital era, we used paper to write letters, record history, share news, develop ideas, document policies, create art, print money, and so much more. Paper has been the gateway to modern life and to many other inventions. And paper has been essential for documenting the science that has led to the advances we make today.
Even though paper has been a powerful tool in science, many of us overlook this power and, instead, feel dread when we need to fill a blank page with words.
But a blank page—analog or digital—has incredible power. That power is possibility.
Now onto this week's round-up...
💌 Round-up
💻 From My Desk
12 Powerful Ways to Persuade Your Reviewers
Many authors believe that they need to use hyperboles and adjectives like “cutting-edge” and “novel” to be persuasive. But these phrases only inflate writing. To persuade effectively, you need more than a few embellished words or phrases.
👓 Reading
Carl Braun’s Writing Lessons for Clear Thinking and Productive Communication
"Most people write to sound smart when they should write to be useful.
Communicating to sound smart lowers your potential for impact. The harder people have to work to understand you, the less they want your input.
Writing to be useful means writing what you would want to read."
The Importance of Powerful Storytelling in Writing
In this article Ben gives excellent advice on how writers can connect with readers: “My advice: envision the sentence as a walking trail or path. A writer’s job is not to bludgeon readers and drag them through the sentence. A writer’s job is to clear the path of problems to let readers enjoy walking along at their own pace.”
🧰 Tools
ImpactStory
Do you want to know the online impact of your research? This tool will help you track buzz on Twitter, blogs, news outlets, and more. "We're like Google Scholar for your research's online reach."
📝 Challenge
The next time you're confronted with a blank page, take a moment to shift your mindset and remember that a blank page is filled with possibility.
Thank you so much for reading.
Warmly,
Crystal
