From Science to Writing: A Personal Perspective

During my journey from scientist to writer, I confronted similar challenges. Scientists gather factual information to investigate Nature, but they also rely on narration and speculation to link discrete data points into a seamless story that fits current perspectives for acceptance; writers link specific events as steppingstones to write internally consistent stories that relate, however tenuously, to common experiences. The historical development of the gene concept exemplifies the narrative quality of science. Both science and writing, including fiction, always remain as works in progress. In addition to similarities, science and writing have complementary differences. Science involves performing experiments to resolve external mysteries of Nature; writing explores experiences to confront internal feelings. Scientists strive for meaningful conclusions, which are continually subject to change; writers, especially novelists, dwell in ambiguity and conflicts, which are never fully resolved. Taken together, I consider my efforts in science and writing as blended forms of creative self-expression.