The message is simple and to the point, but many writers need to have it reinforced. Links to 600x405-pixel, 157K JPG . S cience writing is also an unusual meeting place, for this is where the writer turns blueprints into watercolors. But before the patrons enjoy the show, you have to draw them into the gallery. Don't make the reader work too hard.
Good writing is like clear thinking.
If you're going to write before you think, you're in trouble. A key element to keep in mind while writing is to assume that the reader is innocent - not ignorant, but unknowing and willing to learn. Scientists don't need to be made out as braniac geeks whose work is inaccessible. Science writers need to humanize their stories. Scientists are just people with the same problems as us.