Q: (edited to remove specifics about the manuscript) In the book my one lead character – a Brain surgeon – will be performing two major surgeries during the life of the book, one on [an animal], and the other she will be performing a radical operation on the male lead. Could you in as short as possible give me an overview of what happens during such a surgery, the big picture and any suggestions you could give me that would make the scenes believable. Even if you can point m

What happens when you read? How does your brain derive meaning from words on a page? My writing buddy Livia, attempts to answer these questions by explaining some of the latest in neuroscience research in a way that will interest science buffs, writers, and readers alike (not that these groups are mutually exclusive :) ).  I may be biased because Livia is my friend (and I got to read and comment on some of the early versions!) but this is a highly fascinating read. Definitely

Q: From writer DH (question edited for clarity): If you don’t mind, I’m having a hard time writing a scene for childbirth, and I can’t seem to stomach watching the youtube videos detailing birth. So I was hoping to get some pointers. I’m doing a third person narrative during the scene, not really focusing on any one viewpoint for any long time period, except maybe the OB/GYN for obvious reasons. A: Okay, so it seems like the basic question is one that every writer faces: How

Abbreviated/edited email: Dear Amitha, I’m working on a short story that takes place in a hospital. The patient is in the room with his family when an orderly shows up. What does this orderly say?  Does he introduce himself in a friendly way or is the relationship strictly analytical and dry?  How can I avoid clichés when describing this scene? Is a clipboard mandatory? Would they wear scrubs and a stethoscope? Also, what should I avoid in the “doctor-talking” between patient

I’ve gotten a bunch of emails about my “How to Write a Hospital Scene” guest post from writers curious about how to fix their manuscripts. I’m working on a followup blog post, but until then–got a medical fiction question? Email me! amitha [at] amithaknight dot com. I’ll do my best to answer them (if I don’t know the answer, I’ll look it up) and I might even post your question to my blog! (note: Be aware that I will not respond to emails asking for personal medical advice. I’

Head over to  the GLA blog to check out my guest post called “How to Write a Hospital Scene in Your Novel“! Let me know what you think. #writing #writingtips #blogs #medicaltips #Medicine

Autism and Me: Sibling Stories by Ouisie Shapiro is a book of testimonials from children about what it’s like to have a sibling with autism. The stories are accompanied by large photographs of the siblings playing together, smiling, reading, hugging, etc. Honest and touching, the stories are each unique and yet completely relatable. One boy named Troy admits that his brother Sam, “bugs [him] a lot of the time” and then goes on to say that he doesn’t let his brother into his r

ABC Doctor: Staying Healthy from A to Z by Liz Murphy is a list of doctor’s visit terminology in alphabetical order, ranging from “A is for Appointment” and “B is for Bruise” to Z is for “A Zillion times better” (which is how you feel after going to the doctor!) The collage-style illustrations are visually cheerful and engaging and there is a multicultural mix of boys and girls depicted throughout the pages (and bonus points: the book shows both male and female doctors). Whil

My Friend the Doctor by Joanna Cole is a very cute book about a young girl named Hannah who goes to the pediatrician to get a checkup. The text is sweet and even funny at times–my favorite line is when the doctor is about to do an abdominal exam and asks Hannah, “Did you bring your belly button today?” Very cute! The illustrations are friendly and accurate. While Hannah is getting her shots, her mother distracts her by showing her a poster on the wall and Hannah looks interes

Along that vein (pun not intended), I recently came across the website for the Help Autism Now Society. Because autistic kids often have trouble with new situations, HANS is developing a series of free online read-along stories for kids that show step-by-step what to expect at a doctor’s visit. The stories feature kid-friendly drawings accompanied by a cute recording of a child reading the text aloud. So far they only have two titles (“Getting Blood Drawn” and “Going to the D