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Scholar as writer: The merits of peer writing groups for academics
Jennifer M. Brill
Virginia Tech
Assistant Professor, InstructionInstructional Design & Technology
(Notes, resources, ideas, activities, etc., from this event can be posted here by anyone before, during and after this session.)
"Maybe I'm a slow learner but, it took until my second year in a tenure track faculty position and reading Ann Lamott's book Bird by Bird to realize that I am a writer...and that my business card should probably say that."
Jen Brill's Top Ten Reasons for Joining a Peer Writing Group
- To improve your writing.
- To complete writing projects. (Stay on a schedule, reach mini-milestones, move forward, get graduated, get published.)
- To develop your identity and habits as a writer.
- To add a fun, sociable component to the often solitary business of writing.
- To develop your abilities to read and critique scholarly/professional writing.
- To experience models of how others write, get done, get published.
- To garner psychological/emotional support (especially when rejection happens).
- To garner writing and publication strategies that have worked for others.
- To get writing and writing activities scheduled on your calendar.
- To discover new, and often re-invigorating, sources of knowledge.
Jen Brill's Top Ten Recommendations for Folks Forming/Participating in Peer Writing Groups
- Get in one today!...Get in one today!...Get in one today!
- Develop some (flexible) ground rules for how the group is going to operate; for example, shared, agreed-to:
- meeting time, place, location (make it somewhere off-site, comfortable and enjoyable).
- submission deadline.
- procedures for how the meeting time will be spent.
- procedures for how feedback will be exchanged.
- Include in your submissions the types of feedback you are currently looking for on a piece.
- Commit! Be an active and reliable participant in the group.
- Share your best resources (literature, writing tools, writing books, writing strategies, etc.).
- Read about writing and writers on your own and share that with the group.
- Submit what you committed to on time (or, let people know what’s going on with you and your submission).
- Give a new group time to settle in. Also know that not all writing groups work (It’s okay to move on so long as you try again.)
- Look for/recruit group members who have a shared goal, focus, motivation – although not necessarily a shared disciplinary/professional focus.
- Give thoughtful, substantive, timely, and constructively critical feedback.
Writing Group Rules of Engagement*
“The goal of a writing group is to get people to write.” ~Durst, 1992
- Each group member gets 20 minutes devoted to the review and feedback of his/her writing.
- For each 20 min cycle:
- 2 min: author reminds group of purpose and destination of writing and, as needed, directs group to focus on specific portions of writing and/or types of feedback
- 5 min: each reviewer takes a turn at verbalizing specific reactions to the writing
- Verbal feedback should be very specific, focus on the most significant leverage points, and include:
- Strengths: What you liked about the writing
- Problem Areas: What you found distracting, divergent, or difficult to understand
- Improvements: How you think the writing could be improved
- 3 min: author closes out his/her time by:
- ensuring his/her understanding of feedback through clarifying comments/questions
- setting the direction for his/her next writing session by summarizing top priorities and next steps
- collecting written feedback from reviewers
- Tips
- Do not treat feedback session like a discussion
- Reviewers speak more, author speaks less
- Someone other than author keeps time and gives “one minute warnings”
- Author: Listen. Do not take feedback personally. Do not defend your work. Later, you will keep the best, discard the rest.
*Adapted by Jen Brill from:
Durst, R. K. (1992). A writer’s community: How teachers can form writing groups. In K. L. Dahl (Ed.),Teacher as writer: Entering the professional conversation. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English.
