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Review
. 2022 Sep;35(3):145-150.
doi: 10.20408/jti.2022.0006. Epub 2022 Jun 29.

Writing papers: literary and scientific

Kun Hwang  1
Affiliations
Review

Writing papers: literary and scientific

Kun Hwang. J Trauma Inj. 2022 Sep.

Abstract

This paper aims to summarize why I write, how to find a motif, and how to polish and finish a manuscript. For William Carlos Williams, practicing medicine and writing poetry were two parts of a single whole, not each of the other. The two complemented each other. Medicine stimulated Williams to become a poet, while poetry was also the driving force behind his role as a doctor. Alexander Pope, the 18th century English poet, wrote a poem entitled "The Epistle to Dr. Arbuthnot" that was dedicated to a friend who was both a poet and a physician. In this poem, we receive an answer to the questions of "Why do you write? Why do you publish?" Pope writes, "Happy my studies, when by these approv'd! / Happier their author, when by these belov'd! / From these the world will judge of men and books." When I write, I first reflect on whether I only want to write something for its own sake, like "a dog chasing its own tail," instead of making a more worthwhile contribution. When my colleagues ask me, "Why do you write essays as well as scientific papers?" I usually answer, "Writing is a process of healing for me-I cannot bear myself unless I write." When the time comes to sit down and put pen to paper, I remind myself of the saying, festina lente (in German, Ohne Hast, aber ohne Rast, corresponding to the English proverb "more haste, less speed"). If I am utterly exhausted when I finish writing, then I know that I have had my vision.

Keywords: Essay; Literature; Writing.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest Kun Hwang serves on the Editorial Board of Journal of Trauma and Injury, but was not involved in the peer reviewer selection, evaluation, or decision process of this article. The author has no other conflicts of interest to declare.

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
St. Luke writing down the conversations of St. Paul, which became the “Acts of the Apostles.” Drawn by Hye Won Hu, MFA. Adapted from Hwang [10] with permission from Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
Creative process of the artist or literary writer. Adapted from Hwang [12] with permission from Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.
Fig. 3.
Fig. 3.
“Saint Matthew and the Angel” by Caravaggio (1602). Adapted from Hwang [14] with permission from Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.
Fig. 4.
Fig. 4.
Dolphin-anchor symbol, on a Roman coin from 80 AD. Adapted from Hwang [15] with permission from Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Hwang K. Ephemeral or timeless?: the Brontë sisters. J Craniofac Surg. 2016;27:1923. - PubMed
    1. Hwang K. Why do poets and scientists write? why then publish. J Craniofac Surg. 2021;32:2261–2. - PubMed
    1. Pope A. An epistle from Mr. Pope to Dr. Arbuthnot. 1st ed. London: J. Write; 1734.
    1. Williams WC. The autobiography of William Carlos Williams. New York: W. W. Norton & Company; 1951.
    1. Hwang K. The poet-physician’s note and the plastic surgeon’s note. Arch Plast Surg. 2021;48:345–6. - PMC - PubMed

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