Engineering writing prompt

Questions for a Pioneer Engineer

Imagine you're interviewing a pioneering engineer from the 20th century. Prepare a list of insightful questions you would ask about their greatest challenges, their most significant innovations, and the ethical considerations they had to navigate in their career.

Suggested length: An essay or article: 800 to 2,500 words

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Three ways to take this prompt somewhere nobody else will.

  1. Find one surprising fact and build around it.
  2. Use one example from your own life.
  3. Open with a specific story, then widen out to the big idea.

Writing essays

A mind at work, one subject at a time.

An essay collection gathers short nonfiction pieces: personal, critical, funny or all three. What ties them together is the writer's voice and way of seeing.

What readers expect

  • A distinctive voice
  • Personal stakes
  • Surprising connections
  • Pieces that stand alone

A tip before you start

Follow a question, not a thesis. The pleasure of an essay is watching someone think.

More about essays in our book genres guide

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