Battelle

Robotics Software Engineer I

Weekly stories, screenplays, poems, memoirs to improve writing skills and creativity. 
- Keeping all works on Website: https://medium.com/@mohammadkhan135
- Published a book for collection of work
- Won short story contest & published a story in the 4Horsemen publications

Writer

Center for Design and Manufacturing Excellence

Applying AI to manufacturing systems making them autonomous. 
- Coding in Python and using OpenCV's libraries and ROS (Robot Operating Software) to have a motoman mh5L robot to play tic-tac-toe in a dynamic environment.

Machine Learning & Data Analytics Intern

The Ohio State University

- Spearheaded multidisciplinary team of summer associates to develop solutions on recruiting
volunteers and retaining current members during COVID at Mid-Ohio Food Collective

Project Manager: Buckeye Leadership Fellows: Summer Experience Series

-  Work in Creative Development Team of the Digital Lab developing videos for OSU Honors & Scholars Center
- Experienced with Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects and Audition and created films promoting the multimedia and marketing scholars program at OSU and other OSU affiliated organizations

Junior Video Developer: Honors & Scholars Center

Dept. of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at The Ohio State University

- Took Initiative: Developed soft magnetic actuator to improve accuracy of medical intubation.
- Product Development within 1 month of project assignment and obtained 90% success rate

Undergraduate research assistant in the soft intelligent materials laboratory working on the structure, design, and fabrication of magnetic-responsive soft materials.

Undergraduate Student Researcher

Math Plus Academy

Worked as a teacher assistant and helped kids with their math homework.

Math Tutor

Learning about Ideas & how to Execute them. Engineering | Storytelling | Business

Hey! I’m Mohammad Khan. Engineer. Writer. Filmmaker

In 2016, I set 3 Goals:

→ Work as an Engineer
→ Work as a Scientist
→ Make a Movie

And by 2022, I accomplished all 3.

Over the years, I’ve had projects in many fields.. 

→ Screenwriting & Novel Writing
→ Rehabilitative Engineering
→ Business Consulting
→ STEM Education
→ Smart Materials
→ Ghostwriting
→ Web Design
→ Prosthetics
→ Filmmaking
→ Robotics

The Results?

→ Co-Founded & grew Prosthetics Nonprofit to 5+ states with 200+ volunteers.
→ 90% success rate with Soft Magnetic Actuator for Medical Intubation
→ 33% Cost reduction for 3D Printed Prosthetic Arm
→ 100+ Short Stories & Screenplays published.
→ 200+ Volunteer Hours as a Tutor

Now, I’m focusing on: 

- Humanitarian Engineering 
- Storytelling for Engineers
- Audience Building

By 2030, I’ll have a Digital Business around Storytelling and Engineering.

Here’s my game plan: 

- Skill stacking to build a Personal Monopoly
- Decentralizing my Income through projects
- Creating Infinite leverage using online tools

If you want to keep in touch with my journey:

→ Stay in touch on LinkedIn: 

→ Follow me on Twitter: @mohammadukhan135

→ Email: mohammadukhan135@gmail.com

Here's how I write stories that stand out: 

People will give you strange looks for doing this.

Study storytellers from everywhere. 
Look where no one else does.

Most learn storytelling from: 
• Books
• Movies
• TV Shows

But if you study what everyone else does,
You end up sounding just like them. 

Look where no one else does for storytelling advice. 

When I got into storytelling, I wrote fiction. 
I didn't read any fiction. 
I read nonfiction.

I looked where most storytellers didn't.
Learned how they told stories. 
Applied it to my writing. 

But I'm not the only writer who does this, 

I brought in LinkedIn storytelling legend & pleasant chap John Cook for his insights. 

Here are 10 storytelling tips John & I learned: 
(from unconventional places)

 1. Mix personal & professional.
 2. Intersections & Gateways.
 3. Use analogies + tone.
 4. Jargon & Explanation.
 5. Closing/Open Loops.
 6. Use your Heritage.
 7. Inverted Pyramid.
 8. Rhyme Schemes.
 9. Neurodiversity.
10. Perspective.

What's your favorite tip?

Mohammad Khan

Clear Writing leads to Innovation. I'll teach you how.

John & Mohammad Collab Post

For 14 months, my online writing received 0 views. 

I was posting into the void. 
No engagement. 
No feedback. 

I was drowning in an ocean of screaming online voices.

Self-doubt & fear locked me in a cage.

• Why would anyone care what I have to say?
• No one around me writes, so why do I?
• I'm not a good writer. 
• I should quit. 

I tried learning from other creators. 
Following what they said was good writing.

But I wasn't getting anywhere. 

Until one day, I wrote a post my way. 
I shared a perspective & it blew up.

People engaged saying they hadn't thought it that way. 
It was something new & captivating on LinkedIn.

And that's when it hit me. 

To stand out as a writer: Ignore what others tell you.

Don't listen to creators telling you what good writing is.

Instead, learn writing your way.
Craft your own voice. 

I spent 1 month learning how to write my way.

I studied what interested me: 
• Screenwriters
• Comedians
• Journalists

I found out what makes good writing. 
And I arrived at the same conclusion as those creators. 
But I earned the wisdom instead of copying it. 

If you consume the same content as others, you'll think the same way. 

You won't have a unique writing voice. 

If you learn for yourself & craft your own voice, 
You won't sound like anyone else. 
You'll sound like yourself. 

Now I write my way & what interests me. 

With everyone telling you what good writing is, 
you gotta tell them "Nah, Imma do my own thing."

PS:
I'm not too big of a fan of using templates without experience.
What's your take on using templates?

Clear Writing is the barrier to Innovation. I'll teach you how to overcome it.

Before you publish your writing, do this:

It saves a ton of headaches down the line. 

Do 3 Stages for editing:

1. Edit for Intentions
2. Edit for Hooks
3. Edit for Clarity

Most people do 1 round of editing. 

But the best writers understand that writing is editing. 

Steven King cuts 30% of his words with each edit. 
Neil Gaiman writes by hand first before typing.
Paul Graham does 50 edits before publishing.

Don't sleep on the editing process.

It separates good writers from great. 

PS:
Do you edit your writing alone or share it with others before you publish?

I wrote into the void for YEARS, until 1 word of feedback changed everything.

I’ve been a writer since 2020. 
Started with fiction & now nonfiction writing. 

But I didn’t gain traction until 2 months ago. 

I went 3.5 years of silence about my writing. 
I put in 10 hours a week into writing.
And heard nothing. 

No feedback. 
Nada. 

My writing drowned in the sea of billions of posts.

I tried templates other creators gave.
I took writing courses. 

But nothing worked. 

I sent my short fiction work to 15 competitions. 
Received rejection email after rejection email.
My nonfiction work met the same crickets. 

Until one day, I received another rejection with a note. 

It was for a screenplay contest. 

The note said: 
"Thank you for your submission 
but your script did not proceed to the next round. "

But they gave 1 piece of feedback on my script: 
"We’ve never seen anything like it."

That was the best compliment I got about my writing. 

Since then, I’ve aligned my writing with my curiosity. 
I’m putting 5 hrs./week of focused writing instead of 10. 

My writing is getting more engagement in 1 month. 
Then over 4 years of consistent publishing.

What made my writing stand out was me.

I put my interests & my own flair to it. 

The templates & courses didn’t help.
Because they teach me what other people do.
And I end up sounding like everyone else when I write. 

Now I help others stand out as well.

It starts with you understanding this one key idea: 
The easiest way to make your writing standout.
 is by ignoring everyone else. 

Follow your curiosity.
Write about them. 
Share it online. 

If you find it interesting, others will too. 

PS:
What interests do you geek-out over?

This book from 1741 built the 21st Century. 

Improvement of the Mind by Isaac Watts

How did it build the 21st Century?

It helped a dirt-poor uneducated bookbinder become a scientist who set the stage for the 21st century.

That scientist is Michael Faraday.

He used it as a guide to:
• Find the truth.
• Shatter dogma.
• Create a new perspective in science.

Here are 7 Eternal Personal Improvement tips:

1) Don’t craft theories from a few observations.
2) Everyone must improve their understanding.
3) Labor + study = wisdom + knowledge.
4) Be wary of your pride & intellect.
5) Learn & do better than them.
6) Keep watch against dogma.
7) Learn each day.

These are just from chapter 1. 

There are 12 chapters of timeless advice. 

But this advice won't work unless you apply. 

What made Faraday change the world wasn't the book. 
It was the application. 

Stop reading 100s of books. 
Read 1 book & apply every page of it. 

PS: 
What book has impacted you the most?

Here's how to make your online writing stand out.

Study writing where others don't see it. 

Study Comedy. 
Study White Papers.
Study Screenwriting.
Study Political Science.
Study Nonfiction Science Books.

"On Writing" by Stephen King.
"On Writing Well" by William Zinsser.

Both are great writing resources. 
But everyone reads them. 

If you study what everyone else has studied,
then you won't get further than where they are.

You'll think & sound like everyone else.  

Instead,
Follow your interests. 
Rely on them to Expand your writing skills. 

There's only ONE good way to write above the noise.

Be yourself. 

PS:
Where are weird spots where you've picked up writing from?

For me, I learned how to write fiction better by reading nonfiction.

Talking about Writing, Creativity, and achieving Mastery in a world of Distractions.

I help online creators craft their unique writing voice so they can stand out above the noise & grow their business.

Most people get overwhelmed by writing.

If you:
• Get overwhelmed by page count.
• Lose time sketching graphics.
• Drown in the grammar.

Instead try:
• Listing what makes bad writing.
• Avoiding the items on the list.
• Setting a timer.
• Start writing.

Writing is an action.
Not something you think about.

The more you write, the easier it gets. 


PS: 
Do you use timers to help you write?
It's my go-to tool for focused writing.

Taking a break is a productive task.

Work Hard. Rest Hard.

No point in working 10 hours straight if you can't take a break to enjoy life.

Find ways to rest.

I fell in love with writing through plagiarism. 

It wasn't love at first sight I'll tell you that.
---
I was 8 and had horrible handwriting. 

Might as well have written in Egyptian hieroglyphics. 

My teacher was fed up. 

"Fix your writing by the end of the week. 
Or I'll deduct points with each assignment."

𝘎𝘶𝘭𝘱. It was do or die for 8-year-old me. 

I got home after school that day.
Launched my bookbag to the ground.
I asked my mom how to improve my handwriting. 

She told me to copy a book.
And handed me the Lion King.

But children’s books were boring.
I fell asleep reading them. 

"I'm not 4 anymore", I said crossing my arms.

But my eye caught an orange book cover with a man with a lightning scar on his forehead.

That night, I handwrote 1 chapter of 
Harry Potter: The Deathly Hallows.

I fell in love with the words & the wizarding world. 

My 8-year-old mind understood wands shoot lasers and go 𝘻𝘢𝘱. 
That was enough for me.

I copied the chapter by hand. 

The end of the week, I shined with pride as I handed my teacher the handwritten chapter. 

She pulled me into the hallway for a 1:1. 
And gave me a lesson on plagiarism. 

"Plagiarism", I thought. 

🤦‍♂️I forgot she gave me worksheets to practice handwriting.

She thought I was submitting Harry Potter as my original work. 

Since then, I always checked my bag for homework. 

---

Years later, I have better handwriting and writing skills. 

What improved my skills was copying other people’s work. 

I gained a new understanding of how others connected words to create stories.  

I use the same poetic language & style I learned from authors I enjoy.
But I remixed it using my voice. 

Copywork is a quick way to improve your writing skills.
But always remix with your voice. 

PS:
Have you tried copywork?
If so, what did you copy?

Develop your Signature Writing Style & Stand above the noise. I'll show you how

On February 18, 2020, I ran into a problem.

I just published my first story online. 
But then I had 7 days to publish another. 

And I had no idea what to write.

My creativity well was dryer than the Sahara Desert. 

This turns your brain into an idea generation machine.

Ideas came from asking myself 3 simple questions:

1. What if ____?
2. Wouldn't it be cool if ____?
3. If _____ continues, then _____?

Then I start writing.
And let my curiosity guide me.

Doing so helped me write better

I've written fiction for 3.5 years.
I've written nonfiction for 1.5 years.
Publishing 223 original pieces on a weekly basis.

PS:
How do you get your ideas?

This story structure helped me clear up my writing.

It works for fiction & nonfiction writing.

I was drafting a white paper for a software product.
It had a ton of features and widgets. 
I was listing pain points & benefits. 

Focusing on how each pain was addressed.

But as I wrote the 1st draft, I drowned in the details. 
• Listing too many features.
• Not focusing on the pain points.
• The customer journey was unclear. 

"Hello Writer's block, my old friend."

I need to take a break. 
I watched Brandon Sanderson's BYU writing class.
where Mary Robinette Kowal is lecturing on writing.

She introduces the MICE Quotient. 

MICE: 
• Mileu: Setting
• Inquiry: Question
• Character: Transformation
• Event: Action

Each story has some of these threads.
Sometimes 1 or all 4. 

Kowal said: 
"MICE help you track what you need. If you introduce a question, but don't address the story falls flat."

In my white paper, I introduced: 
• Milieu: Setting using the product
• Character: Person facing pain points
• Event: How can I resolve these pain points? 

"Oh, I already have MCE in my copy."

So, I need to show how they resolve the pain points.
Then the transformation the person feels. 
Finally, their new world. 

Boom. First draft complete. 

With MICE each story you write will be satisfying.
Because you tie each thread.
 
Doesn't matter if it's fiction or nonfiction.
Social media posts or copywriting.
Short stories or white papers. 

MICE keep you on track.

PS:
What's your go-to writing framework?

This is my favorite personal growth lesson: 

Don't worry about making the right choice.
Focus on making the choice right.

Meaning if you're facing 2 equally good/bad options.
Focus more on what you can control to improve your situation.

If the job you chose isn't what you thought it was, 
what can you do to make it worthwhile?

If the project isn't as fulfilling as you want, 
how can you make it more meaningful?

We can't always make the right choice. 
But we can choose to make the choice right. 

PS:
What's your favorite personal growth lesson?

This is what makes good descriptive writing.

Perspective.

Whose perspective are you seeing from?
What would they see?

If it's a personal story, what stuck out to you?
Why did it stick out to you?

If you focus on perspective, your descriptions will be evocative & personal.

Everyone forgets this part about writing online. 

(Understand this to rise above the noise.)

The medium is as important as the message. 

How you say something > what you say.

Leverage different tools to engage your audience.

If it's text-only, you'll need to leverage: 
• Vivid words to paint a picture.
• Visual Formatting
• Rhythmic style.

If you add images & video, you leverage: 
• Graphic & Sound design.
• Filmmaking.
• Editing.

It's why movies stick in our minds more than books. 
Sound + visuals make the content sticky. 

Combine these to convey your content. 
Engage your audience better. 
Relay the info in a clear way. 

PS:
What other parts of writing deserves more attention?

Good Writing is the barrier to Innovation. I'll teach you how to overcome it.

"Where do you get your ideas from"

This turns your brain into an idea generation machine.

I've written fiction for 3.5 years.
I've written nonfiction for 1.5 years. 
Publishing 223 original pieces on a weekly basis.

Ideas came from asking myself 3 simple questions:

1. What if ____?
2. Wouldn't it be cool if ____?
3. If _____ continues, then _____?

Then I start writing.
And let my curiosity guide me.

PS: 
How do you get your ideas?

Here's how to keep your writing fresh & surprising:

Plan a surprise party for your reader. 

When I was writing, I fell into the same old traps:
• Repeating stuff I've already seen.
• Writing like someone else.
• Cycling the same ideas. 

No wonder I got 0 engagement for 14 months.

People were avoiding me like I hadn't upgraded my social skills since the Stone Age.

I stood in the rain with a 1000-yard stare until it hit me. 

I created a game I call: 3+1.
Ask someone to give you 3 nouns and a genre (ex: mystery, romance, or sci-fi).

How does this help?

Say you're giving writing tips on LinkedIn. 

With these 3 nouns: 
• Crowds
• Bread
• Party

In the genre of drama. 

It forces you to be creative. 

Your reader isn't expecting writing tips via a drama.
And definitely don't expect crowds, parties, and bread. 

Outstanding writing comes from a creative combination of experiences, ideas, and style. 

PS:
Would you give this game a shot in your writing?

Do you know about the plays "Love's Labours Lost", "Titus Andronicus", or "Henry VI Part 1"?

I don't either. 

Do you know why you haven't heard of them?

Because they were written by some newbie playwright named Shakespeare. 

Those plays sucked.
He started out crappy. 
Like every other beginner writer. 

He stole ideas from other people. 
What he stole, he worked to improve. 

He wasn't ordained by God with given talents. 
He worked at it. 

It's a common mindset reframing we all need to do. 

No one is born eloquent. 
We have different starting points.

But everyone needs to practice getting better. 

PS:
How do you practice getting better?

Most people limit their view of writing. 

(You're limiting your most powerful tool)

Most people think writing is:
• Journaling
• Copywriting
• Fiction writing
• Content Writing

But it's so much more.

Reframe what writing could do for you:
• The best way to track your project.
• Identify blind spots & biases.
• Show measurable progress.
• Earn mental clarity.

Don't limit what writing can do for you.

PS:
How was writing changed your life?

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