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.
I think it completely depends on how you do it.
- Firstly, are you trained medically? If not it might come across as forced, a sort of 'look what I learned to write this book'.
- Who is your intended audience? Not having enough medical lingo could dumb down the story and make it less satisfying for people who've worked in medicine.
- Sometimes we lose the authenicity when we try and explain things organically. A quick tell is often much better.