NACLA Update: Micropolitics and Autonomous Zones in the Andes

Three tips from February 7 Writing Workshop: Shaping Academic Work for a Wider Audience (co-hosted by CLACS)

Panelists: Patricio Navia, Christy Thornton, Rachel Nolan

• The hardest task for a journalist is saying complicated things in a simple way—you want to encompass the depth of an academic argument without the length or jargon. It’s like shortening the 10-hour-long wedding video down to a two-minute compilation of the most memorable moments.
• When you sit down to write, ask yourself why anyone would want to read each specific detail, and cut the rest. People call this “killing your darlings.” I say don’t kill your darlings—put them in a separate document and go back to them. You wrote them for a reason.
• People tend to type articles and then edit in their own heads. Try the reverse: handwrite your article so you're forced to think carefully about the need for each detail. Then, once you’re done, read it out loud to yourself. This last step is key to making sure it has the sound you're looking for.