A couple of weeks ago I showed a draft of my dissertation proposal to my advisor for the first time. I knew that the argument was not solid yet, but also felt that I needed feedback at this point of my writing process. So, I struggled to let go of my initial plan to hand in a polished and brilliant prospectus and met with him. After long reading and writing sessions in the library, I was happy to learn that the argument I had been building actually made sense. I also learned that I needed to create and discuss this working draft to be able to see the full complexity of the argument that is yet to emerge. There will be other drafts, I’m sure, and what seems to be an interesting research question now will keep evolving as I write. Yes, I’m naming one of the obvious WAC notions here — (re)writing is a way of making knowledge. All this reminded me of my mentor’s advice: show students your piece of writing in progress with all the arrows, crossings, and notes; they need to see how messy writing is for all thinkers, even those who have more authority in the classroom.
As I am proceeding to work on my prospectus, I see a need for multiple readers and interlocutors who, I selfishly admit, will help me dig out all the threads and connect them into a coherent whole. Another truism surely, but I think all writers including our students deserve a responsive audience. BLSI Fellows and Writing Center Consultants are happy to be that audience, but students who come to workshops and tutoring sessions are usually those who want to raise their grades or who are simply referred by their professors. What can we do to encourage strong writers and speakers to seek an active audience while they’re formulaing their ideas?
Olga's post highlights the importance not only of collaboration and feedback for effective writing, but that this is something not reserved exclusively for advanced writers and those writing dissertations. Rather than students relying only on fellows and consultants, though, we could encourage student groups. Students can benefit from writing groups on so many levels: imposing group deadlines that come before the actual due date; thinking through writing, speaking, and listening; learning from other students' approaches; among many other benefits. These groups can be the same groups that students are assigned for oral presentations, in-class group work, etc. Bringing this fantasy back down to 25th and Lex, though, the logistics seem daunting–would students, who barely have the time to go to class, meet with each other for group feedback? Would they get worthwhile results if they shared their work and wrote responses from a distance? Would developing group blogs as a space for virtual meetings work as the next best thing to being there, but with added benefits, too?
Reply to Jody
This thread is really interesting to me, since I've struggled with exactly that– how to communicate that the "messiness" of writing is part of its necessary birthing process. (And how to find the language to encourage experimentation and play on the page.) Especially when it comes to outlining oral presentations, a lot of students are quickly impatient and want their research and organization to be perfect at the first attempt, since they know they have so much rehearsal/practice work ahead.
Jody's suggestion about student groups is a good one– as is her point about the practicality of burdening over-burdened students with *more* meetings & deadlines. I wonder if tackling this project early in a student's career is part of the key, so that they can embrace that messy thinking/writing from day 1 of every class, and grow to consider the cadre of friends around them to be potential feedback tools? This seems to be an element that can be encouraged through Learning Communities early on, for example, and then reinforced through later strategies, like Jody's mention of group blogs…
Reply to Hillary