Immersing readers into the story

“I just want people to get lost in the story and at the end kind of sag and say, 'That was fun.' It's hardly my desire for them to sit and think, 'What a great literary image.'” – Michael Palmer

Born on this date in 1942, Palmer was both a medical doctor and a bestselling author who wrote a medical thrillers, many of which made the New York Times Best Seller List.  His books have been translated into 35 languages and one, Extreme Measures, was adopted into a popular film starring Hugh Grant and Sarah Jessica Parker. 

         A native of Massachusetts, Palmer once claimed he never wanted to be a writer because he didn’t think he had the "flair" for it, but after reading fellow Wesleyan alum Robin Cook’s medical thriller Coma he decided if Cook could write a novel, he could too.   He ended up writing 22. 

Among his most popular – in addition to Extreme Measures – were Side Effects, Natural Causes, and his 3-book Dr. Lou Welcome series, the final book released shortly after his sudden death from a heart attack in 2013.   

When asked, Palmer said he always believed he had some sort of a creative streak hidden inside that led him into writing.  “But then again,” he added,   “I always thought I could win a gold medal in the Olympics, too, if they would just invent the sport that I was the best at.”

 

Share A Writer’s Moment with a friend by clicking the g+1 button below.