Physicians face special challenges when embarking on a writing career. We may be very good at technical or academic writing, but developing the chops to become a published author in other genres can be daunting. As a still full-time practicing physician and now-published award-winning author of Kinship Medicine: Cultivating Interdependence to Heal the Earth and Ourselves, I had to train myself how to write a whole book. I’ve learned a lot of important lessons about becoming the best writer you can be in any genre, including self-help, memoir, narrative nonfiction, fiction or poetry. We’ll discuss other prominent physician-writers and consider their paths to greatness. Everyone’s road to publication is different, but it has to include developing your craft, and the tips I’ll share apply to every different journey.
Learning Objectives:
1) Writing is a team sport — how to assemble your team.
2) How to find inspiration and hooks, from your own life, the stories of your patients, and your research and curiosity.
3) How to overcome obstacles and writer’s block, and how to revise and learn from rejection.
4) Writing a book is a marathon, how to develop the intellectual stamina to make it over the finish line.
