I never thought of myself as a writer. As a child, I was pushed towards STEM subjects, but sciences always left me with a creative itch that just wouldn’t go away. Even while doing my Ph.D. and postdoctoral research in molecular biology, I spent most of my free time on creative projects like playing in bands, scriptwriting, or photography. After a stint in academic research, I switched careers and ended up writing about science for a living – rather than doing it.
I’ve been a medical writer for fifteen years, and it’s done well for me. It’s taken me around the world, allowed me to work with leaders in medicine, and given me the opportunity to work on the latest developments in healthcare. That said, the creative itch never went away. After a few years in the profession, I had an idea for a story. Those I explained it to said it was worth pursuing. I started to write the story and figured hey, I’m a professional medical writer, writing fiction should be a cakewalk. But it wasn’t. I realized that while I could write a decent scientific article, I didn’t know s**t about writing a novel.
I decided to learn – reading a variety of fiction and books on writing. I educated myself about plotting, character development, structure, and numerous related topics. Time passed. I became a parent. We relocated to Singapore. One Christmas, I decided it was time to finish the job. My new year’s resolution was to complete the first draft over the following twelve months. The start was slow, but something happened that helped my process. The year was 2020 and the something was COVID-19. In Singapore, we spent most of the year in some form of lockdown. I worked from home and we stopped travelling altogether. For long periods we were unable to go out for meals or visit the cinema. The pandemic took many things away, but the one thing it gave back was time. Over the course of the year, I finished the first draft.
Over the following twelve months, I had it assessed, reviewed, and read, and I revised and edited it extensively. After exploring the next steps – and struggling with the traditional publishing route – I decided to go the indie way. In the summer of 2022, this book will finally be published. As I near this milestone, I’m finally starting to feel like a real writer. I am – however – still learning, and each step brings new challenges. I’ve come to embrace these situations as opportunities to learn and improve my craft. This blog is the next step. On this site, I’ll share key learnings and talk about how I’ve applied my years of editorial experience along the way.
I hope you’ll join me for this ride.
