Most writer's block begins with the fatal thought: “Now, I have to write the paper.” But that's just the wrong way to think about it. Nobody writes a paper or a dissertation. A paper or dissertation is what you end up with after you finish a series of clear, discrete, manageable tasks in the correct order. I teach my students to write along with their research, as part of the scientific process, so that by the time they would normally say, “now, I must write the paper,” the paper is almost done.
— Kali Tal
“My interdisciplinary training also helps me quickly assimilate new information and ideas, even when I am unfamiliar with a highly-specialized subject area. The writer supplies their expertise, and I help them share that expertise with readers.”
For almost 40 years, I have edited manuscripts and coached grant writers in many disciplines, ranging from medicine and the natural sciences to humanities, social sciences, and law. Freelancing is one of my greatest pleasures, and I do it for the sheer exhilaration of learning something new with every paper and grant.
When I moved into medicine, I was surprised to find that my training in literary and critical theorist gave me advantages over most scientific editors: I was practiced at analyzing text for meaning and style, and found it easy to discern the natural patterns of a writer’s speech, even across language barriers.
I work regularly with clinical and experimental researchers, and with quantitative and qualitative health scientists across many disciplines and topics.
In 2006, I left my position as Professor of Humanities at the University of Arizona and moved to Berlin. I had written seminal works in the field of trauma studies, taught undergraduate and graduate courses, and worked as an academic journal editor and publisher for over 20 years. I enjoy writing and research, but I prefer editing and teaching, so I decided to shift the focus of my career.
In 2011, I was offered the position of senior editor at the Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine at the University of Bern. In 2016, I moved to the Institute of Primary Health Care (BIHAM), where I continue to coach dissertation students throughout the writing process, edit manuscripts and grants, and collaborate as a qualitative researcher. In 2017, the Medical Library of the University of Bern invited me to join their new Research Support Services Department and to develop a Medical Writing curriculum.