I have several writing methods. In part I think this stems from my varied background in writing. My main job is to write scientific grant applications. Writing grants is an enormous undertaking that takes many years to master. That is if anyone can be called a grant master. No one has a 100% success rate for grants submitted so there are failed grants coming from the so-called masters.

Other than grants, I blog, write papers for trade journals as well as magazines. I also write science text books as well as novels. I’m currently writing my third novel. Note the follow up novel after My Ambulance Education is complete and in search of a publisher. Any takers?

With the eclectic mix of writing tasks, I have ended up with different writing strategies to get the job done. Some methods can be applied to multiple tasks so I end up with a pleasant mix of attack plans for every writing duty I come across.

The scientist in me has trained me to work from a “lab book” when documenting science work. The lab book is a time tested icon of every researcher where our written notes form the foundation of discoveries and patents. I then work off of the lab book to write grants and papers using the computer.

I find that when I’m writing on paper or “old school” the text comes in one of two ways. In one style, I write slow cursive script in a clear flow of thought and syntax. Conversely the other writing style is when I write fast and furious. The text is a mixture of script and print with numerous abbreviations, science symbols and a lack of syntax. This is the writing style I perfected after 9 years of college to take lecture notes. No other human can read the random code that results, but I can decipher it. I guess that is all that really matters because it eventually ends up on the computer.

Don’t get me wrong in thinking I do not live on the computer. I do. I compose nascent text on the computer all the time. I simply engage different strategies to put words down on paper or on screen.

When composing My Ambulance Education I generally wrote the text directly onto the computer. I would often sit in my comfy reclining chair, the notebook on my lap and the computer screen being the only light illuminating my fingers on the keyboard. With one or two cats helping, my eyes closed, the chapters would flow with great speed and emotion.

Yes, I can touch type and pretty fast too. This stems from one typing class I took as a senior in high school. Often 3 to 5 thousand words could be produced in an evening after a day of science writing. On business trips 10,000 words would often result from time spent sitting on a plane or in airports. These free association ramblings always needed heavy proofing and editing but it was a requisite step to get events on “paper.”

Kind of like I have a fast and slow technique on paper; I have a fast and slow method on the computer. When writing science stuff on the computer my slow method has me watching the text very closely on screen. I write, re-write and edit every word and phrase to ensure clear, cogent and acceptable science writing. Even with close scrutiny during composition this science text will of course need to be proofed and polished. This style can be performed with my cat accessories as well. They have learned to not play with the keyboard when I’m typing though I know they are only trying to help when they play at the keyboard.

That about wraps it up for my writing methods so the other thing I wanted to address is the dreaded writers’ block. I pretty much can’t get writers’ block. My work and avocation require writing and not writing is not an option. However I have found that if I’m not productive at science writing I can switch to medical writing and often with success. Generally this switch will be accompanied by a switch in venue. So if I dry up writing science in my comfy chair at home, I’ll head upstairs with the cats and a composition notebook to do some composing in bed with pen and paper. The cats like the bed because there is more room.

When I was younger and I contracted a case of writers’ block (remember I can’t get it now) while writing by hand. My strategy was to go out and buy a new pen. The shopping distraction and the feel of a new pen in my hand got me through many bouts of writers’ block back then. Now however, I guess if I were to get a bad case of writers block I could go shopping for a new cat.