Barriers to writing

A friend once asked me how I was able to become an editor without having a degree in English literature, linguistics, or the like. How could I know correct punctuation, grammar, and usage without formal training, she wondered. She is a teacher turned elementary school principal, so despite my years as a medical editor, I felt momentarily insecure. Then I considered her question seriously, which lead me to thinking about formal versus informal training in writing.

Oregon Zoo, Portland Oregon
Photo by Ralph S. Pfeifer

My public school experience is really the only formal education I ever got in writing, and I don’t recall it being inspiring in any way. But I’ve always loved reading and writing to express myself, and I think that is by no means rare. Just look at a local or chain bookstore: Most have shelves filled with blank lined journals to write in. That leads me to think that most people love to tell their stories as much as I do.

The bottom line is that I became an editor by writing. And in all the fulltime positions I’ve held as an editor, I never once met anyone who targeted editing as a career, particularly medical editing. Most were avid readers and writers who loved science and could understand the material. But they came to a medical writing or editorial position through a door that opened to them serendipitously, not through one they aimed to open.

If you’re feeling blocked by a lack of education in medical writing, editing, or in just plain grammar and punctuation, know this: It may feel beyond you, but you are not trapped; you've acquired far more difficult knowledge in nursing school. Grammar and usage can be learned as well, and you are smart enough to learn it. Click on some of the links to the right and try a few other sites, like the Purdue Online Writing Lab (or OWL), for additional tips and answers to your grammar and usage questions.

Don’t let your nervousness about a lack of formal training stop you from writing. Writing well is not contingent on formal training, it’s contingent on honing your story to make it understandable and useful in some way to the reader. 

Letting go

The grounds at FDR National Historic Site, Hyde Park, NY
Photo by Gail M. Pfeifer, RN, MA

It’s hard to let an article go. If you let your writing sit a bit (and I recommend that you do so), you’ll start to see errors that you didn’t notice while you were writing. This is normal and does not mean that you are a bad writer. Everyone makes mistakes during the process, and you will not be an exception. But correct those errors now, let the article sit a few days more, then read it again as if someone else had written it. Ask whether the point is clear, whether the topic grabs you, and tweak it further if you can improve on either of those domains. If not, let it go. It won’t be perfect, but if it’s the best you can do, let it go off to the editor of your targeted publication. If the topic is worthy, the editor will tell you what to do next.

Tips on pulling together your article

Once you’ve written a piece and think it’s ready to submit to an editor, set it aside for a day or two. Then go back to reading it and ask yourself a few questions:

• Does your headline set up your lead? The title of the article should grab the reader’s attention without being sensationalistic, guide the reader to the first paragraph (the lead).  
• Does your lead explain why the reader should care about this topic? That’s your angle to the story, and it’s essential for making the reader want to read on.
• Does each statement provoke a question on the part of the reader? This prompts your readers to want to know what happens next. (And of course you’ll answer that question every time.)
• Have you used subheads effectively? Editors will scan these for a sensible chronology and an organized story.
• Did you use sourced quotes for each section of the story? Quotes always strengthen the content. If the quote is from an interview, make sure you are comfortable that all the quotes are accurate. If you’re quoting a referenced document, make sure you have included a citation (according to the publications style manual) and that it is a primary reference (not a reference that your reference document cited; those are secondary references).
• Have you included examples and anecdotes? If so, your main points will have added clarity.
• Does your conclusion “play” on your lead? This helps to bring your topic full circle, and you’ll be able to see if you brought your reader smoothly from beginning to end.

If you're happy with the answers to these questions, your article is as finished as it can be (more on that in a future post).

Hooded falcon*
Photo by Gail M. Pfeifer
*The hood protects the bird from distractions during a falconer demonstration.

How to be a good freelancer

The main goal when you freelance is to make life easier for the editor who has hired you. Here are some Dos and Don’ts:

Do:

• Follow the guidelines the editor sends to you; if you don’t have them, ask for them. (See the related post on author guidelines here.)
• Read the publication you are writing for and glean the typical style; you won’t get everything right, but you will please the in-house copy editors who do the final style edit.
• Suggest a change in story angle if you uncover new information that warrants the change, but be ready to back that up with a solid rationale.

Sunset Over Great Sound No.2, Stone Harbor, NJ
Photo by Gail M. Pfeifer

Don’t:

• Miss a deadline; you won’t be hired again, no matter how good a writer you are.
• Give frequent updates on the roadblocks you have encountered while writing; your editor wants your article, not your excuses.
• Share the obstacles you have overcome (I did the interview on the lunch hour during my day job; I skipped my planned vacation this weekend to get you this article, etc).

Using outlines

Train tracks en route to Banff from Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada
Photo by Gail M. Pfeifer

I tend to avoid outlines when I write (I like to plunge right in and fix it later; see my October 22, 2010 post on that approach), but some people love them. Here are a few tips that I’ve gleaned over the years, mostly from my notes listening to Alan Richman and Robert Santelli (see my post of February 13, 2011), both of whom are writers who taught community education courses I attended at Brookdale Community College, Lincroft, NJ, in the 1990s.

Tips: To begin an outline, start with the title or purpose, move to the lead, provide examples that amplify the lead, answer the question “What happens next?” then wrap it up with a conclusion that reconnects with your lead.

As you proceed through each step, remember to begin each subsequent paragraph with a “mini-lead.” And don’t forget to include transitions that help your reader move smoothly from one idea to the next; you may know a topic inside and out, but your reader needs to be lead by the hand to end up understanding the topic the way you do, from experience.

Call it a Train of Thought outline if you will: The snowplow, or lead, hits you first; the locomotive pulls you on track through each idea; the train cars, or mini-leads, support your theme; and the caboose wraps it up!

Jumpstart your creativity

Watercolor vase
Watercolor sketch & photo by Gail Molnar Pfeifer

Along the lines of my previous post on July 19th, Taking a break, you can use other art forms to boost your creative juices during a writing hiatus: 

• Go outside and sketch; you don’t have to be an artist to enjoy it
• Play with watercolors; remember how much fun you had with those as a kid
• Take photographs of people, places, and things you love; sketch from the photos if you can’t get outside

 You might be surprised at what trying another art form can do for your writing!

Taking a break

Sunset over Great Sound, Stone Harbor, NJ
Photo by Gail M. Pfeifer

Some writers call it a "block" when their writing lies fallow; I call it “taking a break.” It’s summer in the Eastern US, and I live near the coast, so life, and work, slow down a bit. Instead of berating myself for not writing more, like I used to do, I consider this a time to read, spend time with friends and family, and mull ideas. And I am always writing something in my head. I hope you are too. Happy Summer!