More impact for your research with a story

It was quiet in the stately room with brown paneling and lightly worn parquet floor. The modern chandeliers spread a soft light over the bowed heads. You could smell the somewhat dusty air of the impressive, centuries-old book collection, set up on the wall opposite the entrance. The workshop participants strained and scratched the paper of their notebooks. With a pen. No quill. Although it certainly wouldn't have been out of place here.

"Place and setting are much more than a simple backdrop: they shape a story's mood, influence its characters, and draw readers and audiences into the world we create." Professor Harini Nagendra, who was appointed honorary doctor in the Dies week, is not only an enthusiastic scientist. She is also 'keen on exploring how scientists can engage wider and more varied audiences through popular writing'. 

Create an immersive world

Writers are able to use senses, movement and emotions to create a believable and immersive world. And that is very important for communicating science, Nagendra believes. She invited workshop participants (researchers, teachers, students, communication advisers) to practise using sensory perceptions in their own stories on the spot: what do you see, hear, feel, sense, taste and smell?

With some simple tips, I can now communicate a message more narratively. For example, when I want to communicate scientific insights. By creating a story and a setting, I hope to really draw people in.

All details contribute

Climate, ecology and colonial history also influence the authenticity and atmosphere of a story. What kind of food is eaten? What do the houses look like? What clothes do people wear and what does that say about their role in society? According to the honorary doctor, every detail contributes to this.

Something unexpected

One of the assignments was to describe a scene, for example the dining hall of Hogwarts (from Harry Potter). Then to have a character from that world collide with our reality. Think of Hagrid walking around a contemporary school prom in Canada. ‘Start with something unexpected, then zoom out to the bigger picture, or vice versa,’ advises Nagendra.

Avoid info-dump

And so the professor rapidly hurled numerous tips into the room. Long explanatory pieces take the reader out of the story, she explained. "Avoid info-dump by interweaving information. For example, have a migrant observe the new landscape. Or depict a conversation between a character returning to a changed place and someone who has stayed."

As if you were walking around it yourself

Describe worlds that feel as if you were walking around them yourself, the honorary doctor concluded by advising. With mud under your shoes, spices in your nose and memories at every turn.

It was very inspiring to experience that with any scientific concept, you can use a story to convey a message. I definitely hope to apply this in my research and teaching.