How to Keep Bad Medicine from Killing Your Novel’s Credibility

2026-02-17

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Have you ever watched a medical show and thought, “Is that how CPR really works”?Your readers are thinking the same thing about your book.In the Google era, writing sloppy medical details was risky for your writing career. In the AI era, they’re deadly to your credibility and career. Readers now carry little AI tools in their pockets that can pass medical exams. If your character survives a car crash and goes boxing in the next chapter, someone will notice.In this month’s episode, I interview physician and award-w...

Have you ever watched a medical show and thought, “Is that how CPR really works”?

Your readers are thinking the same thing about your book.

In the Google era, writing sloppy medical details was risky for your writing career. In the AI era, they’re deadly to your credibility and career. Readers now carry little AI tools in their pockets that can pass medical exams. If your character survives a car crash and goes boxing in the next chapter, someone will notice.

In this month’s episode, I interview physician and award-winning novelist Ronda Wells of NovelMalpractice.com about how to write medically accurate fiction, even if you have zero medical background.

You’ll learn

How concussions and amnesia can be related (but aren’t always!)
How to use medical events (and their consequences) to increase tension in your story
Why the “sip and die” trope rarely makes sense
How historical context changes everything from treatments to fatality

Medical accuracy does not kill drama. It intensifies it.

If you want deeper tension, stronger verisimilitude, and stories that honor your readers’ trust, listen in or read the blog version.

Blog Link: https://www.christianpublishingshow.com/how-to-keep-bad-medicine-from-killing-your-novels-credibility/

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