Finding Good Writers

writing for fun is not always attractive

It is not necessarily about finding good writers in high numbers. Everyone can write, if not on Facebook, they can write on social media. It is not so much about not being good, but being motivated. Can you remember having to write thank you notes as a child after receiving a Christmas gift or a birthday present?

Didn’t you just hate having to write that note. It was so boring.

It takes effort and there are better things to do. Perhaps the problem lies behind the time it takes to write a piece. The effort of research maybe?

Then there is the lack of confidence to set words to the computer screen. Notice I use the word ‘screen’ and not paper. Few people write on paper these days. It is so easy to fall to the attraction of easy editing and spellcheckers, I know that I do.

Reading score = 67

I have started a series covering some of the thorny issues that a crop up and pull loose threads together. Watch out for these articles

Dyslexia

Then there are physical problems like dyslexia. Now that is where my problem arises. Hidden and unknown for my whole career I have had to challenge word blindness. That said, it’s all fixable. But this article is not about dyslexia or me, it is about making foot health stories shine out that help people.

Busypencilcase Reflective Communications is an independent publishing medium established in 2015

Helping people write

Busypencilcase Reflective Communications publishes my books and articles. As an independent publisher it is a non-profit making business that promotes foot health and podiatry. My aim is to find people who are happy to tell their story. It does not matter if you are a layperson, patient, or professional. Any foot health stories concerned with the foot all make good reading. It is for this reason I wanted to write a book that takes the technical side out of the narrative and yet show that we can all share the human side of foot health concerns – Podiatrist on a Mission.

The final cover design launched in February 2021

writing can bring pleasure especially when you see your words in print with a few illustrations perhaps

Those who write usually write well

When in practice I found many of my patients were willing to write up their experience. Their accounts after treatment were used in two of my patient books. I also have written several articles where patients have contributed. These really help bring alive the subject. During 2020 I established my Clinician Spotlight series and this continues to grow sharing what colleagues say or get up to.

Afni Shah Hamilton was hugely absorbed and passionate about the subject of foot cancer and the effects of cancer treatment her patient’s feet. She felt that she was not a natural writer but she was good at business, promotion and loved her patients. While writing she knew that the subject was unique and not covered by traditional podiatry. I wanted her to tell her story as it was a good one. She wrote for Podiatric Reflective Practice and her work has been invaluable to both her and colleagues and to Macmillan cancer support. Some of the biggest interest came from her series in 2019.

Other colleagues have written well. Many are born naturals. Some might be more at home with interviews and this method of capturing stories has been building upon. The Covid series during the summer 2020 was important and captured Trevor Prior’s unique experience in an intensive care unit .

If you don’t want to write – record by interview

Reflective Podiatric Practice (RPP) is unable to pay authors because it has no income base. Where I can I provide my books free to contributors.

RPP was launched to support the profession of podiatry and patients through its sister platform Footlocker. Strangely enough these easier to read articles have also become popular amongst readers who want more people stories, cases and articles about foot conditions. Stories can be shared with anyone or everyone. Just quote the source please which is just a simple polite request.

Thanks for reading my article ‘finding good writers’ by David R Tollafield

Published by Busypencilcase Reflective Communications Est. 2015 for ConsultingFootPain

Finding Good Writers