Michael Palmer was born today in writing history, October 9. Celebrate the author’s birthday by learning more about his life and literary contributions. Aspiring writers should also use this opportunity as a writing exercise. Look for inspiration today in writing history.

Palmer’s contributions to writing explore a topic he is intimately familiar with: medicine. However, before his writing career took off, he believed he did not have the skills to be an author. Michael Palmer found his inspiration and impacted the literary world despite his misgivings. Find your inspiration in the stories, works, and words in this installment of Today in Writing: October 9.

Writing Prompts for Today In Writing: October 9

Please take this opportunity to learn more about Michael Palmer and his contributions to the writing world. The author’s ability to keep readers on the edge of their seats is a skill every aspiring writer should seek to train. It was something Palmer himself did not think he possessed. However, he published 21 books and established himself as a significant author. 

What led Michael Palmer to be a writer? Where did the inspiration to tell his stories come from? And what helped the author create his way of writing? Find inspiration about Palmer, learn more details about his life, and write!

Michael Palmer Biography

Michael Stephen Palmer was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, on October 9, 1942. His parents were Milton and May Palmer. Palmer graduated from Wesleyan University in 1964 with a pre-med major.

Dr. Michael Palmer

Palmer attended medical school at Case Western Reserve University, then trained in internal medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. In the 1970s, the author entered what he calls the nadir of his life. After a series of knee surgeries and a divorce from his wife, Palmer developed an addiction to alcohol and prescription pain medication. In 1978, he was charged with writing false prescriptions and sentenced to two years of probation. Michael Palmer would also have his medical license temporarily suspended for the sentence.

Michael Palmer Writing Career

Palmer’s writing career began at his kitchen table in 1978. According to the author, he never wanted to be a writer and thought he lacked the “flair” for it. Michael Palmer was an avid reader and read Coma by fellow Wesleyan classmate Robin Cook. Deciding to take a try, the aspiring writer began his career and road to sobriety. However, his first novel was labeled a commercial failure. In an interview in 1995, Palmer admitted to thoughts of suicide during this dark period.

Michael Palmer persevered by writing his second novel, The Sisterhood, which would be published in 1982. Following its success, Palmer continued to author medical thrillers. His most well-known book, Extreme Measures, was published in 1991. The story would be adapted for film in 1996 and starred Hugh Grant, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Gene Hackman. 

Later Life and Death

Palmer never lost his medical license and would return to clinical practice alongside his work as a writer. In the mid-1990s, Palmer retired from his clinical duties. He would work with a nonprofit organization, the Massachusetts Medical Society’s Physician Health Services, to assist doctors with confidential substance abuse and mental health issues. 

Although he would marry and divorce a second time, Palmer had three sons. His son, Daniel Palmer, followed in his father’s literary footsteps and is an author himself. In October 2013, Palmer suffered a heart attack in the John F. Kennedy International Airport after returning home from an African safari. Michael Palmer died the following day, October 30. 

Inspiration for Michael Palmer

Palmer wrote on a topic he knew and worked with: the medical field. Despite his hesitation to be a writer, he sat down with information he lived and breathed, following his aspirations to be a writer. Michael Palmer did not think he could be a writer. Still, through hard work and dedication, he was able to weave thrilling stories of medical suspense. 

Michael Palmer’s Writing Style, Medical Thriller

Michael Palmer broke into the medical thriller genre and authored global bestsellers. Working from a subject he was thoroughly educated in, he could plot exciting tales of suspense based around medicine. Although his first work was unsuccessful, the aspiring writer persevered, honed his skills, and published suspenseful stories that continue to entertain millions of readers worldwide.

Notable Michael Palmer Books

The Sisterhood (1982)

Side Effects (1985)

Flashback (1988)

Extreme Measures (1991)

Natural Causes (1994)

Silent Treatment (1995)

Critical Judgment (1996)

Miracle Cure (1998)

The Patient (2000)

Fatal (2002)

The Society (2004)

The Fifth Vial (2007)

The First Patient (2008)

The Second Opinion (2009)

The Last Surgeon (2010)

A Heartbeat Away (2011)

Oath of Office (2012)

The Deal (2013)

On Call (novella) (2012)

Political Suicide (2013)

Resistant (2014)

Trauma (2015, with Daniel Palmer)

Mercy (2016, with Daniel Palmer)

The First Family (2018, with Daniel Palmer)

Today in Writing: October 9 – Daily Writing Exercise

Now that you have done some reading, it is time to write. Aspiring writers should look to the stories from Today in Writing: October 9 and Michael Palmer’s life for their own inspiration. Read through his novels to get a sense of his writing style. 

Find a topic from and freewrite for 10 minutes. The writing of Michael Palmer came during a time when the author needed to get his life back in order. While he had lost control, Palmer enjoyed the control he could create in his stories. In his words, “I loved the feeling of being in control when my life was not. […] When you find you don’t like a character, you just type four letters and he’s dead.” Aspiring writers should look for inspiration in this author’s style and start writing.

Don’t let any opportunity to write go to waste. Aspiring writers: Practice your writing today. Celebrate Today in Writing History October 9.