An example of writing from ideas in the last post: “I remember…”

November flowers, Key West, FL
Photo by Gail Molnar Pfeifer

Our yard in Middletown, New Jersey, was so shady that impatiens were pretty much the only summer flower I could grow. By autumn, when the impatiens finished blooming, they started to leave behind small pods. At times the pods looked so much like early buds it would be hard to tell the difference save for the season. As the weeks passed, though, the pods grew distinct; shiny green wormlike shells filled with the seeds of next year’s flowers.  

Autumn, Middletown, NJ
Photo by Gail Molnar Pfeifer

As a young child, my daughter noticed and picked these pods, although she never picked the flowers. Sometimes the pods were sturdy and endured the harvest, and sometimes they were so ripe that just your breath alonge would burst them. We called them “poppers,” because the shells would unfurl like a wet, used straw wrapper, spewing seeds all over and startling us both into laughter every time. This autumn ritual went on for years.

I don’t recall the exact moment when my daughter stopped noticing our poppers. And I don’t recall the exact moment she turned from sheltering and planting the seeds of her future self and flowered into the woman she has become. But every autumn, when I pass my neighbor’s impatiens, bolted in the summer sun of our new neighborhood, I look for poppers. I find them and hold them in my hand, and, smiling, wait to see what happens. 

Reducing anxiety by writing

Here is another perk of writing: A study published in Science magazine on January 14, 2011 (read the abstract here), showed that when students wrote down their thoughts before taking an important text, their exam scores improved. So if you’re anxious about writing for publication, well, write about it.

Historic trail, Yorktown, VA,
Photo by Gail Molnar Pfeifer

One of my favorite books, which you may find helpful in this regard, is Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within, by Natalie Goldberg. (Read an excerpt here.) Goldberg gives a good overview on beginning to write, and devotes a whole chapter to topics for writing practice. Here are a few examples of her suggestions from that chapter, to help you start writing:

What is your first memory?

Begin with “I remember…”

Write about leaving (the house, a job, a marriage)

In the book, Goldberg also shares her own experiences with writing, how it felt for her to be a beginner, and the insecurity writing can evoke.

Your first publication might not be your last

Writing a short essay or letter to the editor can open doors to regular writing. When I first began my writing and editing career, it was in line with my hobby, wheel-thrown pottery. I started reading letters to the editor of Ceramics Monthly in detail. When I found that what readers were asking for dovetailed with my own interest in a community pottery studio where I worked in clay, I pitched a story on our studio renovation to the editor. They liked the idea, and told me to go ahead. I wrote the piece, accompanied by my own photos.

Assateague Beach, Chincoteague Island, VA
Photo by Gail Molnar Pfeifer

I also had an interest in hand-built Native American pottery. When I learned that an expert potter was exhibiting in New Jersey, I queried Clay Times about an article on his work, and the editor gave the assignment to me. It turned out to be the July/August 1997 cover story, “The Spiritual Pottery of Al Qoyawayma.” I was offered more work.

Although pottery and nursing may not seem all that connected, writing about what you know and what you love are connected. As a nurse, do not dismiss how much you know, and what you would like to see in the literature. Then begin. 

Nursing jobs in editing and writing

In my last post, I mentioned that medical editors and writers often are not schooled in the discipline; this plays out as an advantage for the registered nurse who wants to write. You already know basic anatomy, physiology, and most medical terms that describe an array of diseases. This is a huge advantage when starting a career in medical publishing. Your ability to read and understand scientific and medical articles can translate into a new career if you choose to do so. Starting small, with an essay or letter to the editor can open the door to work. I'll describe how in my next post.