Health & Lifestyle Writing

A peek inside the world of science writing and the 5 ‘R’s that make it tick

Published Jul 20, 2020 Updated Jul 20, 2020 Education and Training

3 min

CREATIVE ROOM

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A peek inside the world of science writing and the 5 ‘R’s that make it tick

Gillian D'souza

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What if I told you writer’s block does not exist? And that there is such a thing as too much research? Here are some of my learnings over six years as a health writer and medical communications professional, that I hope you’ll find useful.

1. Research to build your narrative

If you’re writing healthcare content, it’s likely you’re no stranger to going down the rabbit hole of research. How extensive should your research be? And how do you know when it’s time to stop researching and begin writing?

Over the years I’ve learned to time myself with the research stage to avoid getting carried away with hours of endless reading. Allotting 20% of total writing time for this step tends to work best, especially if you make notes and highlight important points along the way. Shortlist