Interlude: Grit, Space, and BioGPT
I recently finished a book called Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth. In the book, Angela shares data and stories that highlight how grit has twice the value of smarts in achieving success.
At the end of the book, she shares a poem on how grit helps us succeed with the challenges of writing.
“The challenge of writing
Is to see your horribleness on the page
To see your terribleness
And then go to bed.
And wake up the next day
And take that horribleness and terribleness,
And refine it,
And make it not so terrible and not so horrible.
And then to go to bed again.
And come the next day,
And refine it a little bit more,
And make it not so bad.
And then to go to bed again.
And do it again the next day,
And make it maybe average,
And then one more time,
If you’re lucky,
Maybe you get to good,
And if you’ve done that,
That’s a success.”
I really appreciate how this poem reminds us that with grit (passion and perseverance), we can do the hard work of transforming a bad first draft into a good final draft.
Now onto this week's round-up...
💌 Round-up
📆 Upcoming
Find Your Flow: Connect Ideas to Guide Readers Through Your Writing – October 28, 2023, 9:30–10:30 am ET
I'm thrilled to be invited to speak at the upcoming American Medical Writers Association conference in Baltimore, MD. I'll be speaking about how to synthesize your writing to create a smooth flow that guides readers through your writing with ease. Registration for the conference is open, and you can get the summer rates until the end of August.
👓 Reading
BioGPT: a useful tool or cause for concern?
"Microsoft’s biomedical-specific BioGPT, which generates text based on millions of published research articles, has huge potential, but many medical publications professionals remain cautious about its use and call for appropriate guidance to be established."
How to Use the Psychology of Space to Boost Your Creativity
"Experimental data and construal level theory support the idea of a direct relationship between proximity and cognitive style. Near things elicit narrow focus. Far things elicit a holistic outlook....Since early stage ideation (think brainstorming, sketching, first drafts, etc.) relies on abstract, big-picture thinking, the greater our intimation of spatial distance, the more predisposed we will be to idea formation."
💬 Quote
"Perseverance. The greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it." – Moliere
💭 Thoughts
Learning to write well is like learning to drive a car.
At first, you really need to pay attention to how you are controlling the vehicle or the writing.
With practice, the skills become more natural and instinctive.
📝 Challenge
Look around your workspace and think about what you can change to help you narrow your focus or broaden your outlook while writing.
Thank you so much for reading.
Warmly,
Crystal
