So I'm currently writing a medical drama. Basically it revolves around two doctors - one who becomes the victim in a rail accident, the other who is a first responder to the accident. The novel rotates around the way both their lives change following the accident - both physically and mentally - and the way their shared trauma forges a friendship between the pair.
The problem I'm having is because I'm writing this from the point-of-view of not one, but two doctors, is that a lot of medical terminology is slipping into it, just by the virtue of them being doctors. I'm a bit worried if I write too much in medical lingo, that anyone who might read it might be alienated by it. At the same time, I feel like if I alter my language too much, it might not feel authentic.
Does anyone have any suggestions as how to balance the two? How much medical lingo do you think the general populace would understand?
Thanks.
Thanks Paul - that's some good advice!
Not sure I want it to be like what ends up on TV though - medical shows kind of bother me when they get the basics wrong! But I get where you're coming from when it comes to simplifying things.
And I might post some to see if I'm pitching it right.
Thanks everyone!
I think in that case keep it natural but explain anything complicated in the narrative. Think about how you would talk to your colleagues at a dinner party where non-medical people were listening. What bits would you stop and explain.
Some good comments especially from Katie. I'm guessing you are not aiming your book solely at medical people, so I would suggest you try taking some time to watch some daytime TV or read the equivalent books.
There are plenty of police, medical andother specialist dramas around, but the audience for daytime TV is far from genned up on these specialisms. The medical, police or other details tend to be the things ordinairy people would understand, with the occasional deeper entries into the field.
A friend of mine is a forensic pathologist and he tells me tht much of what you here or sea (or read) in murder mysteries and the like, is farely inaccurate once you scratch the surface. Much of it is correct at the surface level, but to avoid confusing or losing the udience, it is frequently, by necessity, 'dumbed down' to a small degree.
Good luck and keep on doing. Why not post some on this site?
Regards,
PabloJ.