Practical Strategies to Improve Your Writing: Lessons Learned From Public Health Practitioners Participating in a Writing Group

Abstract

Many public health professionals (researchers and practitioners) do not regularly spend time writing. We often receive no formal training in the practices that lead one to become a productive writer. In addition, many internal (mental/emotional) and external (schedules/distractions) barriers make writing consistently even less appealing and may lead to a cycle of avoidance followed by binge writing. This commentary demonstrates how one writing group became an effective means of providing career and professional development. Each week for 9 months we held a 1-hour writing group meeting designed around a commitment to ground rules, accountability, training opportunities, and feedback. Our experiences suggest that engaging in a writing group can help us develop as writers by allowing us to learn new practices and skills. Adopting new practices like writing regularly for short blocks of time, in turn, led to benefits like reduced anxiety and increased productivity. In the process, we became better writers, reviewers, and mentors. We provide recommendations and resources for groups and individuals who are interested in improving their writing as an essential component of their continuing education and professional development. Whatever your professional role, using a writing group to become a more powerful and productive writer will make you more effective.