Interlude: Caring for Readers, Meetings with a Point, and Sounding Like AI
Most of us were trained to write for a captive reader—the teacher who was paid to read every word we wrote. That training can subconsciously teach us to take our readers for granted, even when we care deeply about the work itself.
But outside the classroom, our readers are volunteers.
They are busy clinicians between patients, scientists skimming articles between meetings, and medical communicators juggling multiple projects. They are tired, interrupted, and distracted—and they are free to walk away at any time.
When someone reads our writing, they are giving us three of their greatest gifts: time, energy, and attention. Those gifts are precious. And we need to honor them by writing as though they truly matter.
That means caring not only about the information we want to share, but also about the experience our readers have as they digest that information.
What are a few ways you can take care of your readers?
🧐 Write clearly to respect their time and reduce their cognitive load. Strip down complex language so they can focus on what really matters.
🌊 Maintain flow to reduce friction and keep them moving forward. Use signposting, logical structure, and smooth transitions to guide them smoothly through the writing.
🎶 Vary the pace and energy to keep them engaged. Use strong verbs, avoid passive voice, and mix shorter and longer sentences to add rhythm and interest to the story.
When we write this way, we take care of our readers by showing respect and empathy.
I'm curious: how do you take care of your readers?
Now onto this week's round-up...
Round-up
From My Desk
Live Edit: Fix Common Problems in Medical Writing
You can have the most compelling science in the world and still lose your readers if your writing is dense, abstract, or overloaded with long sentences. In this video, you’ll watch me revise a short clinical research excerpt line by line so you can see exactly how small, concrete changes can make you writing clearer, more engaging, and easier to read.
Reading
Dramatic increases in redundant publications in the Generative AI era
"The rapid growth in redundant publications...suggests a systemic failure of editorial checks. These papers distort meta-analyses and scientometric studies, waste scarce peer review resources, and pose a significant threat to the integrity of the scientific record. Current checks for redundant publications and plagiarism are no longer fit for purpose in the GenAI era..."
Listening
Meetings With a Point: How to Design For Better Decisions
"In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Hinds and host Matt Abrahams discuss why meetings so often go wrong—and what it takes to make them work. Whether you’re leading a team, trying to protect focus time, or simply hoping to spend less of your week in calendar invites, Hinds offers practical frameworks for designing meetings with purpose so they become a tool people actually value."
Watching
Why Are People Starting to Sound Like ChatGPT?
"Algorithms and AI don't just show us reality—they warp it in ways that benefit platforms built to exploit people for profit, says etymologist Adam Aleksic. From ChatGPT influencing our word choices to Spotify turning a data cluster into a new musical genre, he reveals how new technology subconsciously shapes our language, trends and sense of identity."
Training
AI in CME Practice Lab – Starts March 9, 2026
In this advanced AI in CME Practice Lab, experienced CME professionals can move beyond prompts to build real, defensible workflows. Over 4 weeks of live sessions, you can design and test AI-assisted processes for research, drafting, analysis, and quality control.
Thank you so much for reading.
Warmly,
Crystal
