A valuable learning experience, but not in a good way.
I'm having a grand time in my science writing class. I have decided that science writing is a field in which the practitioners get dessert first. However--
My instructor is a bit of a problem. Not that she's not a perfectly nice lady--she is. And not that she's not also not a competent science writer. To be honest, I have no idea. Never read anything by her. However, she was an editor for Science News for several years, which must mean something. However--
She makes no bones about that fact that she knows no astronomy or physics or math, and I suspect she doesn't really like them. She wanted me to define "cosmologist" in an article expressly written for an Astronomy Magazine-level audience, fer cryin' out loud. She is not my audience, nor would I normally be writing for something she's editing. HOWEVER--
Our final assignment, and essentially the lion's share of our grade, is an article for the College of Science and Engineering's yearly alumni magazine. So she *is* my editor. And she's also my teacher. I'm writing about a mathematician.
Not necessarily a disaster, but I have a bad feeling about this. She's asking me to nuke something which is rather central to the theme she wants me to pursue. Granted, I do understand that her not getting it is my fault, and my rough draft was rather scattered and overlong. We are required to turn in three drafts, and for the next one I'll keep what she wants me to nuke and do a better job explaining why it's relevant. If she still me to dump it after that, I'll--well, I'll see when I get there.
But, stuck as I am with an non-physics type as both editor *and* teacher, I'm feeling rather between a rock and a hard place. Plus the mathematician is a sweetie and I want to do a good job on this.
Maybe what I'm really peeved about is her accusation that I'm writing to sound smart instead of to help other people understand. That *really* pissed me off, actually. I honestly don't believe that an article written expressly for a specific market has to be understandable to people with no interest in that market. Plus this article is supposed to be written for a publication directed towards people with science and engineering degrees and she said, "Don't assume any math." WTF?
Anyway, I do understand that it's my ultimate responsibility to get through to her, but in this case--she's not my audience, and she's standing between me and people who *are* my audience.
I know, I know, these are special circumstances and I should just consider this an opportunity to try to win her over. But--it feels weird. Off, somehow.
Thanks for letting me vent. The math guy *is* a sweetie and I've been having a good time. It would just be nice to have a good time writing the article, too.
BTW, Sarah, she's nixed my quotes, so--thank you anyway. *sigh*
My instructor is a bit of a problem. Not that she's not a perfectly nice lady--she is. And not that she's not also not a competent science writer. To be honest, I have no idea. Never read anything by her. However, she was an editor for Science News for several years, which must mean something. However--
She makes no bones about that fact that she knows no astronomy or physics or math, and I suspect she doesn't really like them. She wanted me to define "cosmologist" in an article expressly written for an Astronomy Magazine-level audience, fer cryin' out loud. She is not my audience, nor would I normally be writing for something she's editing. HOWEVER--
Our final assignment, and essentially the lion's share of our grade, is an article for the College of Science and Engineering's yearly alumni magazine. So she *is* my editor. And she's also my teacher. I'm writing about a mathematician.
Not necessarily a disaster, but I have a bad feeling about this. She's asking me to nuke something which is rather central to the theme she wants me to pursue. Granted, I do understand that her not getting it is my fault, and my rough draft was rather scattered and overlong. We are required to turn in three drafts, and for the next one I'll keep what she wants me to nuke and do a better job explaining why it's relevant. If she still me to dump it after that, I'll--well, I'll see when I get there.
But, stuck as I am with an non-physics type as both editor *and* teacher, I'm feeling rather between a rock and a hard place. Plus the mathematician is a sweetie and I want to do a good job on this.
Maybe what I'm really peeved about is her accusation that I'm writing to sound smart instead of to help other people understand. That *really* pissed me off, actually. I honestly don't believe that an article written expressly for a specific market has to be understandable to people with no interest in that market. Plus this article is supposed to be written for a publication directed towards people with science and engineering degrees and she said, "Don't assume any math." WTF?
Anyway, I do understand that it's my ultimate responsibility to get through to her, but in this case--she's not my audience, and she's standing between me and people who *are* my audience.
I know, I know, these are special circumstances and I should just consider this an opportunity to try to win her over. But--it feels weird. Off, somehow.
Thanks for letting me vent. The math guy *is* a sweetie and I've been having a good time. It would just be nice to have a good time writing the article, too.
BTW, Sarah, she's nixed my quotes, so--thank you anyway. *sigh*