Lessons in Strategy from Healthcare to Fiction
“Everything has to be perfect, and all contingencies have to be considered at every step in the completion of the exercise.”
- Kate (It Could Have Been Murder)
When people think of writing a novel, they often imagine a burst of inspiration leading to pages effortlessly filled with words.
But for me, writing It Could Have Been Murder wasn’t a spontaneous creative outpouring, and it wasn’t a carefully thought out project plan or strategy. I didn’t make an outline and allowed the story to be something that tooks its own shape as I led it along a path.
Whether working in healthcare operations or writing a novel, success depends on understanding the big picture while obsessing over every small detail and being nimble enough to pivot when it’s required.
It was this mindset that shaped my approach to writing.
Setting Goals and Adapting Along the Way
At the start, I aimed to write 30,000 words.
A manageable goal, inspired by a Ted Talk about tackling challenges in small, consistent steps. The speaker claimed you could accomplish anything in 30 days, and I believed I could hit 1,000 words a day.
But I did some fact checking, which led to this bomb: 30,000 words was novella length. Novel length, depending on genre, ranged from 50,000 to 80,000 words. This was kind of crushing because my 30-day project was going to exceed 30 days.
When I reached 25,000 words, I wondered how the heck I was going to get to 50,000 words, let alone 70,000. Then I reached 65,000 words, and I wondered how the heck I was going to end the book in the next 10-15,000 words.”
Like in healthcare, where plans often need adjustments, I reset my goals to meet the evolving demands of the project.
Writing is rarely straightforward, but being flexible kept me moving forward.
Structure as a Creative Tool
Healthcare systems thrive on well-designed processes, and I applied the same logic to my novel.
Writing 1,000 words a day wasn’t just a random goal—it was part of a structure I created to ensure consistent progress. Each day’s work built on the previous one, like pieces of a puzzle fitting together.
The same strategic mindset influenced the way I developed the plot and characters.
Much like a healthcare organization’s careful contingency aka business continuity planning, the story needed backup plans for every twist and turn.
Kate describes this perfectly:
“You HAVE to know every place where there can be a kink in the chain, and you have to be able to fix the chain as quickly and smoothly as possible without losing any of your momentum.”
Finding the Humanity in the Process
While strategy was crucial, writing also required heart. Healthcare is about people first—patients, families, teams—and so is writing.
At its core, It Could Have Been Murder isn’t just about thorough planning; it’s about the characters and their relationships, decisions, and emotions.
Lessons for Aspiring Writers
- Set Manageable Goals: Start small—whether it’s 1,000 words a day or a single chapter outline—and build from there.
- Be Flexible: Just as healthcare plans change with new information, be willing to adjust your writing goals as your story evolves.
- When You’re Stuck, Walk Away for a Bit: Ask yourself ‘what if?’ and keep asking it; then talk to people and go through the what-if exercise with them.
- Stay Human: Never lose sight of the emotions and relationships at the heart of your story. Strategy gets you to the finish line, but heart makes the journey worthwhile.
Planning Isn’t Just for Plots
I love a great project plan, but I had to be open to my plan being very simple during the writing process: Write something every day and shoot for 1,000 words or more, and if the words aren’t there, stop. Don’t keep going. This very simplified plan was a gross departure from the plans I loved to write and follow, but it seemed to work.
If you approach writing with the same level of care and thoughtfulness, you can turn even the most daunting project into something achievable—and maybe even enjoyable.
As Kate might say:
“Everything has to be perfect, and all contingencies have to be considered.”
It’s not always easy, but it’s always worth it.