From Heartline to Hardcover: Why You Need to Write The Story You’ve Been Too Busy to Tell

My love of writing goes back to the earliest days of elementary school. As a first grader, I wrote a story that won a writing award. Despite early success, I never considered writing as a career. I gravitated towards medicine, and viewed writing as a luxury, a nice thing to do, after all my other schoolwork.

Medicine requires an intense focus and time. Yet, I kept writing. The longer I practiced medicine, the more I began to see the problems that cried out for a pen. Writing became my outlet to shine light on not only the problems, but the solutions. And I started to get feedback that some of my ideas were truly unique.

In 2021, the career I once loved, felt like an abusive relationship. While I still loved medicine, I felt exhausted and unsure of my future. To climb my way out of this existential hole, I got a therapist and a coach. I also began reading and listening to everything I could on burnout, moral injury, compassion fatigue and emotional trauma. The more I learned, the more I could see the distress in others. Cautiously, I began sharing tips from positive psychology, coaching, and neuroscience. Colleagues replied with gratitude and relayed the novelty of the information I was sharing with them. The more colleagues I spoke with, the more I started to understand that physicians live busy lives. With the spare time we have, we’re trying to keep up on the medical literature, and if we’re lucky, have a hobby, along with trying to have a life outside of work. It was no surprise that many of my colleagues hadn’t explored these other disciplines that might alleviate some of their distress.

As I began to learn about the root causes of burnout and potential solutions, I couldn’t keep it in anymore. I saw too much suffering in my colleagues. I felt a strong, unyielding desire to put all that I was discovering into a book. I wanted a resource that I could share with any colleague that was struggling. I thought about all the great books that I had read by Dr. Brené Brown, Katherine Morgan Schafler, Daniel Coyne and I had instant imposter syndrome. 

Thoughts that went through my mind:

 “A book is so special, to have the idea that I could take up hours of people’s time with my thoughts, who am I to write a book?”

“How would I have the time?”

“Isn’t there a book out there that has my ideas already in it?”

I kept reading, thinking and writing. Finally, one day, I woke up and realized: No. No, there isn’t a book written by a girl from Iowa that was listening to the radio in her car on the way to high school that when she heard 9/11 happened, and thought, I’m going to be a Navy ER doctor. Then, not only would she grow up to be that Navy ER doctor, but she’d also go on to deploy to Iraq, deliver blood via walking blood bank, huddle under a table with her when there was incoming fire, and along the way, become a better doctor, citizen and person. Later, while serving at the iconic Navy Trauma Training Center at LA General, a pandemic would strike. She would be featured in a story in the Washington Post about doctors writing their own obituaries and getting their will in order while going off to take care of patients, unsure of the immediate or long-term impact of the virus inhabiting so many of her patients. The funny thing is that I didn’t think any of these experiences were remarkable. They were simply the backdrop that I used to share how physicians practice medicine wholehearted. It wasn’t until readers would send emails, text messages or say in person, “You’ve lived an interesting, and not easy life” that started to see that my story was unique.

Now, two years after my book came out, all I see is stories of physicians and healthcare professionals that need to be told. In between patients, the rooms with blood stained tiles, the myriad of emails asking something of us, we begin to lose our own stories. They seem like routine. Yet, as my good friend Dr. Orman reminds me, there is nothing normal about what we do as healthcare professionals. In fact, what we do is Supranormal, as his book is so cleverly entitled. That’s why I can’t stop thinking about the lessons that I’ve learned about not just writing a book but birthing a book into the world. 

Physicians are competitive at baseline, so if you want your book to be more than a paperweight or keepsake for your closest family or friends, it’s going to take as much work as writing it to make sure it finds your readers. That’s not a typo, you’re going to have to work just as hard on building your followers (potential readers), developing a recognized and respected brand, and ensuring that you have the time and energy to make your launch successful.

I’m proud of my book, and I loved my launch experience. Yet, there are hundreds of lessons I learned along the way. That’s why I created Heartline to Hardcover: A Group Master Class for Healthcare Professionals Ready to Write a Book and Launch Their Next Chapter. We will start each session with writing. I get that finding time to write as a healthcare professional is hard, so that’s why we’ll start each session with a motivational writing quote and 30 minutes of protected time to write. Then, we’ll move into a master class on topics that will help you get clear on your why, your ideal reader, and what success looks like. We’ll also consider how this book can be the opening chapter to a new phase of your career. Books can be a launching point for speaking, consulting and coaching. This isn’t accidental, rather it takes strategy and crafting an authentic and engaging call to action. Next, we’ll explore the various publication pathways. Gone are the days that traditional publishing is the only path; we’ll match your why to the pathway that will meet your timeline and ultimate goals. We’ll also discuss how you can grow your followers, how to pitch to various media outlets, and build that platform that you’ll need during your launch. 

My book has led to a lot of unexpected moments, from speaking on a variety of stages while traveling the globe, to more clarity in where I’ve been and where I’m going. While I know the book has been a gift to my readers, it has been the biggest gift I could have ever given myself. I want that for you. Learn more and register for Heartline to Hardcover today.