Author Dr. Brian Klausner on Writing: “Enjoy the Process—Don’t Be Intimidated by It.”
We periodically feature guest input from impactful authors we’ve worked with. Please enjoy this Q&A about the writing process with health policy and medical biography author Brian Klausner, M.D. As a medical doctor, he brings a unique perspective to the topic of homelessness in America.
SPIRITUS BOOKS: Tell us a little about your book, In the Gaps: Better Understanding the Expensive Human Suffering of Chronic Homelessness, and why you wrote it. How has it helped you personally or professionally?
BRIAN KLAUSNER, M.D.: It has been an incredible experience. I put it off for years, but when I finally decided to go through with it, I really enjoyed it. I wrote the book as a way to explain the insights I learned—slowly, and often painfully—about chronic homelessness over the course of my career. It is a complicated, messy, and often misunderstood topic, so writing the book allowed me to thoroughly explore these complexities in greater detail. This has helped to create a better understanding in my local community that can facilitate future collaborations and innovations—including ways that we, collectively, can better address this growing social crisis.
What was the best or easiest part of the process for you?
Sharing my patients’ stories of resilience and awesomeness. Those kind of wrote themselves.
What did you find the most challenging?
Definitely finishing the book (which is where you [Jocelyn] came in). I had a great time writing all these ideas and stories over the years, but when it came to editing it into a cohesive story/book that flowed well, that was expectantly challenging … even overwhelming. I think I ultimately cut around 70 pages out from the final book.
What surprised you, or what do you wish you had known ahead of time or done differently?
I would definitely have engaged with an editor earlier. By the time I came to you, it was kind of a big, messy collection of stories and rough drafts that may have been easier to sort through if I had sought out advice earlier.
What advice would you give to first-time authors?
Enjoy the process—don’t be intimidated by it. When you are writing, consider being “distraction free”—possibly even writing with pen and paper—to avoid emails, pop-ups, texts, etc. It can really be a pretty cool process.
Is there anything else you’d like our readers to know?
People experiencing chronic homelessness are typically incredible people with incredible resilience who are too often ignored and reflexively discarded by a society that tries to avoid empathizing with their pain and struggles. Resist that reflex.
Dr. Brian Klausner has spent his career in public health caring for individuals experiencing chronic homelessness. He currently serves as the executive medical director of WakeMed's Center for Community Health.
He is the author In the Gaps: Better Understanding the Expensive Human Suffering of Chronic Homelessness, and his work and clinical models have been featured in numerous medical and news outlets, including Politico, USA Today, NPR, Modern Healthcare—as have various editorials he has written over the years.
Connect with Dr. Klausner through on LinkedIn.
