The Scout Report
November 7, 2014 -- Volume 20, Number 43
Every
week
at
Internet
Scout,
we
scour
the
web
to
bring
you
the
best
of
STEM,
humanities,
social
science,
and
other
inspiring
resources.
Variety
is,
indeed,
the
spice
of
Scout.
But
sometimes
a
special
month
calls
for
a
special
issue.
And
November,
which
has
been
named
National
Novel
Writing
Month,
is
just
such
a
time.
Now,
we
know
that
most
of
our
readers
aren't
aspiring
novelists.
But
we
also
know
that
every
one
of
our
readers
writes,
whether
it's
for
work
or
play,
for
business,
academia,
government,
tech,
or
some
other
field.
The
following
links
touch
on
fiction,
as
well
as
science
and
technical
writing.
They
link
to
novelists,
poets,
and
scientists
who
have
captured
the
public
imagination
with
their
words.
We've
also
included
a
pair
of
tools
we
think
will
help
anyone
who
aspires
to
put
themselves
at
a
desk
and
write
something
down.
We
hope
the
resources
listed
here
will
inspire
you
as
much
as
they
have
inspired
us.
In
the
great
words
of
C.S.
Lewis,
"You
can
make
anything
by
writing."
If you know of other great resources fitting this special edition theme, please let us know on our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/InternetScout ), by Tweeting @IntScout, or by emailing us at scout@scout.wisc.edu.
A Publication of Internet Scout
Computer Sciences Department, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Fiction
National Novel Writing MonthWriting and Publishing Solutions
How Writers Write Fiction
Fiction Writers Review
The Official SCBWI Blog
Technical & Science Writing
Introduction to Technical CommunicationThe Purdue OWL: Conducting Research
Scientific Reports - The Writing Center
National Association of Science Writers
Sentence Structure of Technical Writing
LabWrite for Students
Literary Greats
The Official Site for Alice WalkerFaulkner Collection
The Official Site of Richard Feynman
Charles Dickens at 200
Paris Review - The Art of Fiction No. 78, James Baldwin
Writing Tools
SelfControlMerriam-Webster
Copyright and subscription information appear at the end of the Scout Report. For more information on all services of Internet Scout, please visit our Website: https://scout.wisc.edu
If you'd like to know how the Internet Scout team selects resources for
inclusion in the Scout Report, visit our Selection Criteria page at:
https://scout.wisc.edu/scout-report/selection-criteria
The Scout Report on the Web:
Current issue:
https://scout.wisc.edu/report/current
This issue:
https://scout.wisc.edu/report/2014/1107
Feedback is always welcome: scout@scout.wisc.edu
Fiction
http://nanowrimo.org
Freelance
writer
Chris
Baty
declared
November
as
National
Novel
Writing
Month
in
the
fall
of
2000.
Since
then,
the
number
of
participants
has
grown
from
21
aspiring
authors
hacking
away
at
manuscripts
to
over
300,000.
The
project's
"No
Plot?
No
problem"
slogan
tells
it
all.
No
perfectionistic
haute
culture
here.
Participants
are
simply
encouraged
to
put
at
least
50,000
words
on
paper
between
12:00
am
on
November
1
and
11:59:59
on
November
30.
Scout
readers
can
explore
this
official
website
via
section
subheadings
such
as,
About,
How
It
Works,
Press
Information,
and
Testimonials
to
find
out
all
about
the
process.
Signing
up
to
participate
in
the
challenge
is
easy
and
free,
and
the
website
will
help
track
your
progress,
link
you
to
support
in
your
geographical
area,
and
provide
platforms
to
meet
fellow
writers
in
person
and
online.
NaNoWriMo,
as
it's
called,
is
a
great
resource
for
encouraging
novice
and
veteran
writers
alike
to
work
through
their
writer's
block
and
delve
into
their
creativity.
[CNH]
http://www.novel-writing-help.com
Anyone
who
has
ever
tried
to
write
a
novel
will
agree
on
at
least
one
basic
fact:
it's
deceptively
difficult.
This
site,
from
novelist
Harvey
Chapman,
provides
beginners
with
helpful
step-by-step
advice.
He
lays
it
all
out
in
simple,
digestible
categories
including,
The
Writing
Process,
Becoming
a
Writer,
Elements
of
Fiction,
and
How
to
Write.
Each
category
includes
helpful,
targeted
articles
designed
to
take
some
of
the
sting
out
of
putting
words
on
screen
or
paper.
For
instance,
How
to
Write
a
Novel
Step-by-Step
breaks
down
the
novel
writing
process
into
eleven
linear
stages.
Prose
Writing
101,
found
under
How
to
Write,
is
another
great
feature
of
the
site
that
details
the
importance
of
writing
with
a
clear,
concise,
and
uncluttered
style.
[CNH]
http://courses.writinguniversity.org/course/how-writers-write-fiction
The
International
Writing
Program
at
the
University
of
Iowa
is
often
considered
the
best
fiction
writing
program
in
the
United
States.
Not
everyone
can
dedicate
the
blood,
sweat,
and
two
years
it
takes
to
complete
the
program,
but
this
new
MOOC
series
allows
fiction
writers
to
engages
with
the
material
over
a
few
short
weeks.
The
course
is
free
and
the
teachers
are
extremely
well
known
literary
novelists.
After
signing
up,
access
to
videos,
transcripts,
assignments,
and
tools
will
be
at
your
fingertips.
Through
video
lectures
and
various
writing
assignments,
the
series
is
a
great
way
to
learn
about
the
writing
process
and
interact
with
other
students/writers
working
on
their
craft.
[CNH]
http://fictionwritersreview.com
If you want to write, read. And if you want to read about fiction writing, a good place to start is the Fiction Writers Review. Completely free and jam packed with writers writing about writing, this continually updated online periodical will fill you up with ideas and images. Start with the homepage, where you can explore numerous Features, ranging from interviews to essays. Then explore Popular Posts to see what other visitors have found valuable. There is a lot of fantastic stuff on this site, and author Philip Graham's praise is quite illuminating: "I no longer much bother reading The New York Times Book Review, and your site is one of the reasons- what great work you're doing for literature." [CNH]
http://scbwi.blogspot.com
There are many great resources for those who want to write stories for adults. But what if your market is more in the seven to twelve range? Well, then this site, the official blog of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), is for you. Continually updated, blog entries offer a variety of topics ranging from interviews with award winning children's book authors, editors, and publishers to advice on innovative marketing techniques, writing, and networking in children's literature. It is a must for anyone looking to engage in the wide world of writing and publishing for kids. [CNH]
Technical & Science Writing
http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/writing-and-humanistic-studies/21w-732-5-introduction-to-technical-communication-explorations-in-scientific-and-technical-writing-fall-2006/
What
if
you
could
take
a
technical
communication
class
with
a
world
class
professor
at
a
leading
university?
What
if
it
was
all
laid
out
for
you
-
the
readings,
the
lectures,
the
assignments?
And
what
if
the
only
thing
you
had
to
pay
for
was
a
couple
of
books?
That's
exactly
what
Dr.
Donald
N.S.
Unger
and
the
MIT
Open
Courseware
system
are
offering
here.
On
this
site,
viewers
can
browse
the
syllabus,
have
a
look
at
the
required
readings,
and
ponder
the
ten
assignments
that
form
the
foundation
of
this
writing
intensive
class.
Self-directed
learners
who
want
to
improve
their
technical
and
scientific
writing
need
look
no
further
than
this
web-based
adaptation
of
an
MIT
classic.
[CNH]
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/8/
Good research and good writing go hand in hand. This site from the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) introduces students to the principles of conducting good research. The clear and helpful information on the site is divided into six digestible categories: Research Overview, Conducting Primary Research, Evaluating Sources of Information, Searching the World Wide Web, Internet References, and Archival Research. Within each of these categories are numerous informative subcategories, such as Research Ethics and Searching with a Search Engine. This last area is a great tool for students learning how to conduct better searches, including information on Boolean operators. [CNH]
http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/scientific-reports/
Learning
to
write
a
good
scientific
report
is
no
easy
task.
Thank
goodness
this
handout
from
the
University
of
North
Carolina
at
Chapel
Hill
Writing
Center
provides
you
with
everything
you
need
to
get
started.
Beginning
with
Background
and
Pre-Writing
and
proceeding
with
explanations
of
the
Introduction,
Methods,
Results,
and
Discussion
sections
of
research
reports,
the
site
answers
such
burning
questions
as,
"What
should
I
do
before
drafting
the
lab
report?"
and
"When
should
you
use
a
figure?"
In
all,
students
new
to
the
art
of
technical
science
writing
will
be
much
comforted
by
this
detailed
and
user-friendly
explanation
of
the
entire
report
writing
process.
Also
of
interest,
the
Other
Resources
section
links
out
to
more
useful
resources
around
the
web.
[CNH]
http://www.nasw.org
Founded
in
1934,
the
National
Association
of
Science
Writers
(NASW)
has
always
sought
to
"encourage
conditions
that
promote
good
science
writing."
Today,
the
NASW
boasts
a
roster
of
over
2,000
members,
almost
300
of
them
students.
The
site
itself
is
a
panoply
of
bustling
information.
Featured
articles
(for
instance,
"Coming
soon
to
this
planet:
More
of
us")
touch
into
issues
relevant
to
science
writers
and
bloggers,
but
also
will
appeal
to
anyone
with
an
interest
in
empirical
research.
A
Twitter
feed,
ripe
with
science-y
links
and
hashtags,
is
available
on
the
homepage
and
more
than
a
dozen
writer
resources
are
on
bold
display.
If
you
think
science
writing
might
be
in
your
future,
look
here
for
the
latest
on
how
it's
done.
[CNH]
http://web.mit.edu/me-ugoffice/communication/technical-writing.pdf
This
visually
clear
treatise
outlines
"Good
Tech
Writers
Practice"
in
three
pieces
of
sage
advice:
Plan
your
project,
understand
good
technical
writing,
and
know
that
writing
is
a
habit
that
takes
time
to
develop.
Presented
as
lecture
materials
from
Nicole
Kelley
at
MIT,
this
24-page
PDF
leads
students
of
technical
writing
through
seven
steps
(planning,
clarity,
brevity,
simplicity,
word
choice,
active
voice,
committing
to
writing
as
a
process),
and
is
ripe
with
graphs,
charts,
tables,
and
other
compelling
visuals.
Adapted
from
The
Craft
of
Scientific
Writing
by
Michael
Alley
and
"The
Science
of
Scientific
Writing"
by
Gopen
and
Swan,
this
is
a
great
resource
providing
the
basics
of
technical
writing
in
an
easily
digestible
format.
[CNH]
http://www.ncsu.edu/labwrite/
This National Science Foundation funded site from North Carolina State University "guides you through the entire laboratory experience, from before you walk into the lab to after you get back your graded report." Start with How to Use LabWrite for a comprehensive Powerpoint overview of the program. Then, navigate slowly through the steps of PreLab, InLab, PostLab, and LabCheck, each of which provides careful instructions on everything from formulating a hypothesis to presenting results. Teachers will especially recognize this tool as a welcome supplement to in class discussions of best lab practices. [CNH]
Literary Greats
http://alicewalkersgarden.com
Alice
Walker,
who
has
won
the
Pulitzer
Prize
and
the
National
Book
Award,
is
one
of
America's
best
known
and
well
loved
writers.
Since
publishing
her
first
book
of
poems
in
the
late
1960s,
she
has
been
churning
out
books
of
essays,
novels,
short
stories,
and
poetry
at
a
prodigious
clip.
Productivity,
however,
is
not
her
real
calling
card;
what
Walker
is
known
for,
above
all,
is
her
compassion
and
clarity.
This
official
site
contains
dozens
of
Walker's
recent
blog
posts
on
a
wide
range
of
literary,
artistic,
and
social
issues,
from
her
thoughts
on
books
and
paintings
to
her
fierce
musings
on
the
state
of
the
Palestine/Israel
conflict.
The
About
section
provides
a
great
biography
of
Walker
and
her
work.
Additionally,
Books
and
New
Books
allows
viewers
to
browse
her
ample
collection
of
literary
achievements.
[CNH]
http://faulkner.lib.virginia.edu
William
Faulkner
was
born
in
1897
in
Oxford,
Mississippi
and
toiled
away
in
relative
obscurity
until
unexpectedly
winning
the
Nobel
Prize
for
Literature
in
1949.
His
novels
henceforth
earned
him
two
Pulitzer
prizes,
and
several
of
them
are
almost
always
listed
on
"best
of"
lists
for
20th
century
literature.
This
University
of
Virginia
site
is
a
Faulker
treasure
trove.
From
the
homepage,
visitors
can
navigate
to
Contexts
for
an
overview
of
Faulkner
and
his
times.
Next,
the
Browse
section
provides
a
list
of
Faulkner's
recorded
lectures
and
classes
at
UVA
-
a
rare
and
wonderful
peek
at
a
man
from
another
era.
Readers
can
also
search
the
site
by
Tapes
&
Transcripts
and
Rest
of
Archive.
Selected
clips,
organized
by
the
author's
novels,
are
also
available.
[CNH]
http://www.richardfeynman.com
The
video
on
the
homepage
of
the
Official
Site
of
Richard
Feynman
is
reason
enough
to
visit.
It
features
Feynman,
the
theoretical
physicist,
Nobel
Prize
winner,
and
best
selling
author,
lecturing
to
a
group
of
undergraduates
on
the
topic
of
scientific
and
unscientific
understandings
of
nature.
The
talk
is
wildly
entertaining,
vivacious,
and
intellectually
clear;
viewers
are
left
with
a
vivid
sense
of
who
this
man
was
and
why
he
so
deeply
impacted
the
popular
imagination.
A
detailed
About
section
provides
information
on
Feynman
and
his
work,
as
well
as
quotes
and
a
small
photo
gallery.
The
Notable
Works
section
lists
his
writings
for
scientific
and
popular
audiences,
though,
sadly,
none
of
them
are
available
on
the
site.
[CNH]
http://www.themorgan.org/collection/Charles-Dickens-at-200
The
Christmas
Carol,
which
Dickens
wrote
in
the
six
weeks
leading
up
to
the
Christmas
of
1843,
has
continuously
been
in
print
ever
since,
spawning
adaptations
into
the
forms
of
plays,
films,
TV
specials,
mime
performances,
abstract
performance
art,
and
opera.
This
online
exhibition,
hosted
by
the
Morgan
Library
&
Museum
in
New
York,
features
a
leather
bound
manuscript
of
the
author's
first
draft,
presented
to
his
friend
and
debtor,
Thomas
Mitton,
just
before
it's
publication.
This
excellent
site
allows
viewers
to
visit
half
a
dozen
pages
of
the
original
document,
replete
with
cross
outs
and
scribbles,
corrections
and
revisions.
The
accompanying
essays
cover
topics
such
as
Dickens
at
Work,
which
explains
the
sense
of
Dickens
"writing
at
a
fast
pace,
usually
enacting
second
thoughts
and
changes
of
mind
in
the
heat
of
original
composition."
[CNH]
http://www.theparisreview.org/interviews/2994/the-art-of-fiction-no-78-james-baldwin
Born
in
Harlem
in
1924,
James
Baldwin
moved
to
France
in
the
late
1950s
because
he
didn't
want
to
be
read
as
"merely
a
Negro;
or,
even,
merely
a
Negro
writer."
He
lived
the
rest
of
his
life
in
Paris
and
the
French
Riviera,
publishing
fiction
and
essays
that
deeply
influenced
American
literature
from
afar.
This
interview
with
Baldwin,
published
in
the
Paris
Review
a
few
years
before
the
author's
death,
touches
on
such
topics
as
his
choice
to
permanently
leave
the
United
States
for
Europe,
his
writing
process,
and
his
thoughts
on
race
and
racial
justice.
It's
a
rare
gift
to
find
a
freely
available
window
into
this
revered
writer's
thoughts
and
feelings
in
his
later
years.
[CNH]
Writing Tools
http://selfcontrolapp.com
Whether you're writing the Great American Novel or just trying to finish a term paper by tomorrow morning, the biggest threat to productivity is distraction. And the biggest progenitor of distraction is the very machine you are working on to write that novel or term paper. This open source app blocks access to distracting websites, as well as mail servers and everything else on the internet. Just set the timer, and write. [CNH]
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary-apps/android-ipad-iphone-windows.htm
Every writer needs a dictionary. The Merriam-Webster app provides "America's most useful and respected dictionary," plus synonyms, antonyms, example sentences, and many other bonus functions. It's free, it's easy, and it's available for iPhone and iPad (iOS 7.0+) as well as Android (2.3.3+). [CNH]
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| Internet Scout Team | ||
|---|---|---|
| Craig Hase | [CNH] | Editor |
| Catherine Dixon | [CBD] | Managing Editor |
| Debra Shapiro | [DS] | Contributing Editor |
| Edward Almasy | [EA] | Director |
| Rachael Bower | [REB] | Director |
| Kendra Bouda | [KAB] | Metadata and Information Specialist |
| Sara Sacks | [SS] | Internet Cataloger |
| Elzbieta Beck | [EB] | Internet Cataloger |
| Corey Halpin | [CRH] | Software Engineer |
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For information on additional contributors, see the Internet Scout staff page.