For Rina, whose science class is looking at what science is required for careers; in her case, the career of an author.
Q. What type of science is in your career?
Library science! ::rimshot::
No, really. I mean, library science is seriously involved with my own career, because I am both an author and a librarian. But even if I wasn’t also a librarian, I’d still be using library-science-related skills, most notably research skills, in my work as a writer. Also:
- If you write science fiction, the more you know about actual science, the better off you’ll be. A lot of great science fiction has been inspired by developments in real-world scientific research.
- A lot of authors write both fiction and nonfiction. You can have a career as a science writer.
Q. Are there any science classes that you have to take in order to pursue this career choice, if so what are they?
It really depends on the kind of writing you’re doing. But no matter what, I’d definitely recommend learning about the scientific method. And insights from cognitive science about the way people think — confirmation bias, for instance — can be extremely useful to you as a writer and help you see beyond your own biases.