Writing an article a day in your spare time is quite a challenge. Writing 400 words in half an hour is even more of one. That’s a word every 4 seconds or so. It doesn’t give you much time to think in between.

Therefore, you must start with something you already know well. Forget about looking anything up, even spelling. Use words you don’t have to check in the dictionary, unless your computer is doing spell-check for you.

Get a brief outline in your head to start with, but don’t take more than a minute or two to think it out. As a physician, I write many articles about common health problems, those that I see every day. Writing an article is a lot like seeing a patient. First I determine what the purpose of the visit is. Then I take a more complete history. This is followed by a physical exam, after which we discuss a course of action.

To write an article, first clarify your topic or the question you’re aiming to answer. Consider re-stating the question or goal in two or three ways, or identify one or two secondary questions. You may want to mention your experience and why you are a good candidate for answering the question in the first place.

Next, describe the problem further. What sort of issues have other people encountered? What benefit will your reader derive from finding an answer? What solutions have been offered by other experts, and what are the pros and cons of each?

In the following paragraph describe your answer to the problem as briefly and accurately as possible. Don’t use fancy words – just aim for clarity. Medical literature for patients is written at the 5th to 10th grade level. Your goal is for people to understand, not to think you’re a genius. People are looking for what’s in it for them, not how talented you may be.

Compare your solution to others that you’ve already mentioned, or describe them here. Explain why your answer is superior. Focus on the benefits, but don’t fail to mention potential drawbacks. People want to know the good, but they don’t want to be surprised with problems they should have been warned about.

Finally, a summary paragraph will reaffirm what you’ve already said, but in just a few sentences. In 400 words you can’t make more than one major point, two at most. Focus on the single idea you want your reader to remember. 

Time’s up. I wrote this article in 20 minutes and used 450 words. It helps to type fast! In summation: write about what you know well, write in simple terms, and aim to convey only one major idea. That’s it. Good luck!

Copyright 2010 Cynthia J. Koelker, M.D.

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Writing a novel is not for sissies. Sure, anyone can tell a story, but can you do it without putting your reader to sleep? Storytelling dates back to the dawn of humankind. When you ask someone what they did today, you’re looking for a story, not a statistical analysis of the day’s activities. Who did you meet? What happened at work? Why do you care? Characters, plot, motivation – all reasons we like a good story. Don’t forget this when you’re writing your book.

So far I’ve completed one novel and written half of another, and another, and another. It’s much easier to begin than to finish.

Here’s what I’ve learned from finishing the novel that is now under contract with an agent:

1. Choose a topic you’re passionate about. You’ll be spending weeks, months, years at the task. If you’re not passionate about your story you may lose interest before you finish – and when you think you’re done, you won’t be.

2. Write quickly. It won’t be perfect, so just don’t worry about that. When I finished my first manuscript, I thought it was perfect. I’m a member of Mensa after all! Wrong! Step #3 is as important as any other.

3. Put your manuscript away and don’t look at it. Take a break for a month or two. Reward yourself with a vacation or something else fun. You won’t be able to look at your manuscript objectively until you’ve been away from it for at least several weeks. Get it out of your head so you can approach it fresh when it’s time for step #4.

4. Have fun with editing. Laugh at your mistakes. Don’t get too attached to specific words or phrases. There’s a million ways to tell the same story, and odds are, you haven’t found the best one on the first go-around. Eliminate anything that interferes with the flow. Read it out loud and see how you like the sound. Be ruthless with adverbs and flowery language. Simplicity is always best.

5. Repeat steps 3 and 4. Going over your work once will result in dramatic improvement. Doing it twice is the icing on the cake. Even twice may not be enough. You learn as you go, after all, and by the time you get to the end you may have a different opinion of the beginning. But don’t edit your book to death. Unless it’s a classic that will stand the test of time, when you’re sick of editing, move on. Your next novel may be better yet.

 

That’s it. Nothing magical. Just perseverance and elimination of ego. If you get this far, finding an agent and publisher should be a piece of cake. 

Copyright 2010 MD Books USA