by Jason Joyner | Jan 12, 2012 | Blog, medical, unforseen delays, writing, Writing Wednesday
Our regularly scheduled programming was delayed due to the family stomach flu making its presence known. After a day of being wiped out and generally useless, I figured it was time to talk about medical issues in writing.
If it hasn’t come out before, I work as a physician assistant. No, I’m not still working on finishing medical school as some people ask. Being a PA is its own profession. We just were saddled with an unfortunate title when we started. Some people want us to be physician associates(?), but I digress.
Obviously it is easy for me to write medically in my fiction, and it is a great way to introduce conflict, tension, or roadblocks to my characters. For those who aren’t in the medical field and want to make a medical condition a part of their book, it takes good research to make it believable. That’s true for everything, but there’s plenty that can go wrong in medical research. I read a novel with an astronaut who was hiding multiple sclerosis. No way would she have been able to hide such a thing, and it always bugged me when it came into play in the plot.
There’s plenty to be found on the internet these days, but you do have to be careful of your sources. Someone came to me today asking about “liver stones.” Google can be an enemy as much as a friend here!
I would suggest reading from reputable sources first of all. WebMD, CDC, your professional organizations like the American Heart Association – all of these would be good primary sources. If you want to address a controversial issue, look for those as well, but make sure you understand the foundation of the issue and both sides if you can.
Don’t just rely on the web. Most health care providers I know would be happy to give you some advice. I would be fine answering questions, and I have asked specialists at conferences about issues that were out of my field of practice. Be respectful of their busy schedules, and I am sure you can find someone who can help you out.
One person who has a specific blog for this is Jordyn Redwood’s
“Redwood’s Medical Edge.” She is a nurse with lots of emergency and pediatric experience, and she provides regular content on medical issues, from historical medicine to current issues. Want to know how fast someone would bleed to death?
She’s got the info for you!If I have one pet peeve, it is characters’ getting hurt in some way, and the author forgets about it. Mary Sue just leaped from her second story window to escape the Big Bad Guy, and hurt her ankle – but she still runs away a few pages later with nary a limp. Keep it real, people!
This is a quick discussion of medical issues in fiction. There are so many avenues to explore here. If there are specific topics anyone would like me to discuss, leave them in the comments and we can have fun with those.
Just remember to wash your hands people!
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by Jason Joyner | Nov 22, 2011 | Blog, blogging, Nashville, sweet tea, The World Is Calling, travel blog, writing
Hey y’all!
I have been expanding my writing repertoire as of late. I am an occasional editorial writer for the Post Register newspaper in Idaho Falls, Idaho. Now I’m expanding out a bit.
Starting with Nashville.
My wife and I had not had an extended getaway from the kids since…ever. We were lucky enough to have help from family to watch the little ones, and we took off to Nashville, TN over Memorial Day Weekend. Once we got there (stupid American Airlines) we had a fantastic time.
Of course, as a writer, I had to take advantage of it. I have been a fan of Lisa T. Bergren’s books since we read them for the CSFF Tour a few years ago. She also has the travel bug, and runs a travel blog, The World Is Calling. She writes it for family getaways, and she is willing to take guest posts.
Using time in the airport while trying to get home (stupid American Airlines), I got started, and between Lisa’s busyness and mine, we were able to connect. My post on our weekend trip to Nashville is now up and live at her blog. Find thrills, chills, and even a cicada encounter in this harrowing tale.
See you on the road!
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by Jason Joyner | Nov 22, 2011 | Blog, blogging, Nashville, sweet tea, The World Is Calling, travel blog, writing
Hey y’all!
I have been expanding my writing repertoire as of late. I am an occasional editorial writer for the Post Register newspaper in Idaho Falls, Idaho. Now I’m expanding out a bit.
Starting with Nashville.
My wife and I had not had an extended getaway from the kids since…ever. We were lucky enough to have help from family to watch the little ones, and we took off to Nashville, TN over Memorial Day Weekend. Once we got there (stupid American Airlines) we had a fantastic time.
Of course, as a writer, I had to take advantage of it. I have been a fan of Lisa T. Bergren’s books since we read them for the CSFF Tour a few years ago. She also has the travel bug, and runs a travel blog, The World Is Calling. She writes it for family getaways, and she is willing to take guest posts.
Using time in the airport while trying to get home (stupid American Airlines), I got started, and between Lisa’s busyness and mine, we were able to connect. My post on our weekend trip to Nashville is now up and live at her blog. Find thrills, chills, and even a cicada encounter in this harrowing tale.
See you on the road!
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by Jason Joyner | Nov 16, 2011 | Blog, blogging, horsing around, writing
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| “Heading” in the right direction? |
Full disclosure – I’ve never actually fallen off a horse. Not a literal horse. I’m talking about the figurative horse. Of course.
Anyhoo.
Last week the best laid blogging and writing plans were up-ended by crises. Yes, multiple. The different situations are still working themselves out, but some of the consequences are trying to get back to everything.
I’m working on getting regular blog content in here, and missing a week was not in my best-laid plans. Also, I was building up some momentum in my WIP, and it’s thrown me just a little (not as bad as this cowboy though!).
What’s a writer to do?
Get back in the saddle, of course. It is easier for some to pick up where they left off and keep moving. Others have to ease back in. I’ve always struggled with getting back into it if I lose momentum. I lost the last idea I had for a blog post. So as a good writer should, I’m turning THAT into something to write about.
I bet the guy in the picture above sure got on another horse (maybe not that one, but still…). It shouldn’t stop us either. I had a good excuse from last week, but last week is gone, and I can’t use it as an excuse any more. What will get me back in the saddle?
Doing my routine. Get out the cell phone, set the time, and get writing. That turns off the internal editor, and the rules are “NO internet” during this time. It gets me 300-500 words in a 20 minute shot, and that’s more than I’ll get if I putz around, or sit in the dirt feeling sorry for myself.
Besides, if I stay in the dirt, that darn animal might come back for another crack at me.
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What say you? What has thrown you from your game before, and how do you get back up?
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by Jason Joyner | Nov 16, 2011 | Blog, blogging, horsing around, writing
|
| “Heading” in the right direction? |
Full disclosure – I’ve never actually fallen off a horse. Not a literal horse. I’m talking about the figurative horse. Of course.
Anyhoo.
Last week the best laid blogging and writing plans were up-ended by crises. Yes, multiple. The different situations are still working themselves out, but some of the consequences are trying to get back to everything.
I’m working on getting regular blog content in here, and missing a week was not in my best-laid plans. Also, I was building up some momentum in my WIP, and it’s thrown me just a little (not as bad as this cowboy though!).
What’s a writer to do?
Get back in the saddle, of course. It is easier for some to pick up where they left off and keep moving. Others have to ease back in. I’ve always struggled with getting back into it if I lose momentum. I lost the last idea I had for a blog post. So as a good writer should, I’m turning THAT into something to write about.
I bet the guy in the picture above sure got on another horse (maybe not that one, but still…). It shouldn’t stop us either. I had a good excuse from last week, but last week is gone, and I can’t use it as an excuse any more. What will get me back in the saddle?
Doing my routine. Get out the cell phone, set the time, and get writing. That turns off the internal editor, and the rules are “NO internet” during this time. It gets me 300-500 words in a 20 minute shot, and that’s more than I’ll get if I putz around, or sit in the dirt feeling sorry for myself.
Besides, if I stay in the dirt, that darn animal might come back for another crack at me.
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What say you? What has thrown you from your game before, and how do you get back up?
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by Jason Joyner | Nov 2, 2011 | Blog, NaNoWriMo, party pooper, writing
Call me Scrooge if you want.
November is the month writers come out of the woodwork, participating in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo to the uninitiated). It is a great time of fellowship with fellow writers, all encouraging one another to write a 50,000 word novel in one month. There are groups that meet all over the country and internationally. It is a big deal in the writing community.
And I’ve learned I need to sit it out.
I’m not saying NaNo is bad at all. It can help people who have always wanted to attempt a novel to take the plunge and start writing knowing they have company. Experienced writers can use it as a jumpstart to a new project. Technically, it is supposed to be a new project and not a previous work, but I know many people use it as a time to get more writing done.
I’ve found it doesn’t work for me.
I’ve tried it twice now. One time I participated in a group and made some friends there that I still keep up with on Facebook. It just doesn’t help me in my writing. Both times, I’ve plowed ahead trying to keep to the 1667 daily word pace required to finish in thirty days. Both times, it drove me into a wall with my writing that took me a couple of months to get around.
I don’t know why it makes me crash. I’ve realized that forcing it won’t work for me. I was even tempted to try it again this year, but a
good article by my friend Becky Miller helped me identify my problem during NaNo:
…the pace doesn’t allow the new writer to collect himself when the story bogs down, to learn what might be the problem, and to discover how to get out of it.
I will be trying hard in November to keep BIC (butt in chair) and press ahead with my story, especially since I’m in a good place with my plot. I’ll be cheering on all my writing buddies doing NaNo as well. I just won’t be going for the 50,000 goal with you, but best of luck to you!
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Have you done NaNo before? If so, how did you do? Please share!
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