The Writing Center is offering several options for weekly graduate writing groups this semester, including registered writing groups that require regular attendance, and a drop-in writing group (attend when you’re available). Led by experienced instructors, these groups provide an opportunity for sustained writing practice within a community of other student writers. Fall 2024 writing groups take place in one of the following modes:
- in person
- online/fully virtual
At this time, you may join only one registered writing group. You are also welcome to participate in our drop-in writing group, regardless of whether you are enrolled in a registered group.
Fall writing groups begin meeting in Week 4 of the semester (Sept. 23–27, 2024) and continue meeting through Week 14 (Dec. 2–6, 2024). Writing groups do not meet on any day that is identified as a “no classes” day on the official university schedule (e.g., Thanksgiving recess).
To express interest in joining this writing group, please fill out this form:
To receive priority consideration for a Fall 2024 writing group, please complete this interest form no later than Sunday, September 15, at 11:59 p.m. CT. Forms received after this date will be considered for additional openings or for our waitlist.
We will notify you about your writing group assignment by Thursday, September 19. Your facilitator will follow up with a welcome message that includes information about your group’s plan for meeting. In the meantime, if you have any questions about our writing groups, please email Jenny Conrad, Writing Groups Coordinator.
About the Undergraduate Writing Groups
Do you have a lot of writing to do this semester? Would you like encouragement and a supportive space as you navigate your writing project(s)? Join a small group of other students from across the university at relaxed meetings where you’ll have the opportunity to log dedicated writing time each week and work through challenges with a community of your peers! A Writing Center instructor will help you set goals, structure your work time, and check in about your progress each week. In each week’s session, you’ll have plenty of time to work independently on your writing assignments or course projects.
Write Now: A Co-Writing Space for Undergraduates
Meeting time: Tuesdays, 6 to 8 p.m.
Dates: September 24 through December 6 (no meeting the week of Thanksgiving: Tuesday, November 26)
Format: regular attendance encouraged, drop-ins welcome
Mode: in person
Location: Chadbourne Residential College (CRC) classroom (Room 126)
Facilitator: Carly Pschorr
This undergraduate writing group is intended to bring students together to tackle the many demands of college writing through community and co-working. Each week, our space will provide structure, collaboration, and snacks to help you avoid procrastination and stay on track. The facilitator, Carly, will begin sessions with brief writing tips and offer space to set your intentions, followed by independent writing time for a writing assignment or personal project of your choice. Carly will also be available throughout meetings for individual support and to answer questions.
About the Graduate Writing Groups
At the Writing Center, we believe that community and accountability, along with setting achievable goals, play a significant role in completing major writing projects. Past participants in our weekly graduate writing groups have finished proposals, chapters, articles, and have even defended their dissertations! Since the Writing Center wants to help you achieve these milestones, we offer graduate students space and time each week to maximize their productivity. Each three-hour meeting begins with goal setting and ends with brief discussions about writing strategies and accomplishments. The bulk of each meeting, however, is devoted to structured writing time so that you can make substantial progress on your writing projects.
Drop-in writing groups are open to all on a weekly basis, although we encourage you to fill out our interest form so that you can receive up-to-date information from your facilitator. Participants are welcome to attend drop-in groups in addition to signing up for a registered group.
Monday Morning Graduate Writing Group
Meeting time: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. CT
Format: registered (same attendees each week, attendance required)
Mode: online/fully virtual
Facilitator: Lisa Marvel Johnson
The Monday graduate morning writing group will connect each week at 9 a.m. on Google Docs, where you will note your goals for your writing. At 9:05, we will convene synchronously through Zoom to chat about a discussion question related to the writing process, time management, the technology we use to accomplish our writing tasks, and other relevant topics. Between 9:15 and 11:45, you’ll get words down in order to accomplish your writing goals, and Lisa will be available for short one-to-one conferences. At 11:45, you’ll take a moment to note your progress on our Google Doc. Our final Zoom check-in will be from 11:50 to noon. In these closing minutes we’ll troubleshoot any writing issues that you may have encountered and will celebrate your accomplishments.Tuesday Morning Graduate Writing Group @ the MSC
Meeting time: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. CT
Format: registered (same attendees each week), plus drop-ins welcome if registered beforehand
Mode: in person
Location: Multicultural Student Center, Red Gym (Room 243)
Facilitator: Samitha Senanayake
This graduate writing group is intended to support students in any stage of their degree program, whether you are just starting your journey or nearing the end. The goal is to bring together students of color in community as we tackle the many writing demands of graduate school. Every week, we will work alongside one another on our various writing projects, supporting and motivating each other to achieve our writing goals. The facilitator, Samitha, will be available during the meetings for individual support and to answer questions.Wednesday Morning Graduate Writing Group
Meeting time: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. CT
Format: registered (same attendees each week, attendance required)
Mode: in person
Location: Helen C. White Hall, 6th floor
Facilitator: Seth Umbaugh
This writing group will meet in person on the 6th floor of Helen C. White hall each Wednesday at 9 a.m. We will foster community and promote accountability by beginning each session with some time to catch up with each other and set goals for our morning writing. From around 9:15 to 11:50, group participants will get down to business and write! During this time, Seth will be available for brief one-on-one conferences. We’ll spend our final 10 minutes together each Wednesday celebrating our successes and debriefing about any challenges we faced while writing!Wednesday Evening Graduate Writing Group
Meeting time: 6 to 9 p.m. CT
Format: registered (same attendees each week, attendance required)
Mode: online / fully virtual
Facilitator: Kati Conleyi
This graduate writing group meets online every week via Zoom. It aims to provide a supportive community for graduate students to work on academic writing projects of any type and at any stage. The bulk of the session will be writing time (approximately 2 hours and 40 minutes). The opening and closing sessions will be dedicated to brief large- and small-group (discussion) activities at the intersection of writing and well-being. These community-building activities include goal setting and sharing, reflection on the writing process, time management, self-care, and so forth. All participants will be given access to a shared Google Doc, on which they note their weekly goals and progress. In addition, during the group’s meeting time, the facilitator (Kati) will be available for brief one-to-one conferences with participants to help them set goals, think through their strategies, and get an outsider's perspective on their writing.Friday Morning Drop-in Graduate Writing Group
Meeting time: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. CT
Format: drop-in (attend when you’re available)
Mode: in person
Location: Helen C. White Hall, sixth floor
Facilitator: Ben Lebowitz
Hey there, fellow graduate students! Are you working on a course paper, an article, your thesis, your dissertation, a blog, a story? Do you like conducting your work in a supportive, community environment? If so, our writing group may be just right for you!
In our Friday drop-in session, we will allow you the time to further progress your own writing projects in a number of supportive and non-intimidating ways—utilizing free-writes, discussion activities, collective and individualized goal setting, and more to help you take manageable steps forward in your work and (hopefully) feel better about the state of your writing after each session. Come join us and help make this group into a supportive, productive community of writers and learners!
What people are saying about writing groups
“I took part in graduate writing groups four semesters in a row and going once a week to these groups is what kept me writing and eventually what allowed me to graduate. I loved being part of a community of writers who inspired me and kept me accountable.”
—Sandrine P., Second Language Acquisition
“Throughout my time as a grad student, writing group has been a vital space to get work done without destroying myself in the process. Beyond offering a dedicated space and time, it gave me a compassionate, endlessly inspiring group of facilitators and peers with whom I have commiserated and celebrated just about every part of the writing process, from outlining seminar papers to submitting dissertation chapters.”
—Luke U., Spanish & Portuguese
“The Writing Center writing groups provided me structure, accountability, community, all of which helped me write my prelim, dissertation proposal, a (funded) grant application, and two journal articles. In my last semester, the Tuesday morning writing group was instrumental in finishing my dissertation. I am so grateful for the support of my fellow graduate students and to the writing center staff!”
—Emma, School of Social Work
“I decided to apply for the graduate writing group this semester because I know that I write best when working while surrounded by other quiet, hard-working people. I was looking for a space and time I could dedicate to writing that could provide those requirements, and the grad writing group definitely fit the bill. I would recommend the grad writing group to anyone who is struggling to carve out a time and space for writing on any project.”
—Sarah G., Chemistry
“I used the writing group as a way to be accountable and to have a positive and supportive writing space. The writing groups helped me prepare for and tackle prelims because I had a dedicated space and time for them. Talking at the beginning with other students really helped to see that I wasn’t alone in the process, and I really enjoyed the little ‘tidbits’ of information and writing strategies we did at the beginning of sessions.”
—Kate M., Curriculum & Instruction
“I use the writing groups to incorporate accountability into my weekly writing. By checking in with colleagues at the start and end of each group meeting, I have a mechanism for recording my progress, identifying challenges, and troubleshooting difficulties.”
—Fred B., Biostatistics
“I joined the writing groups to get a fixed block of writing time every week as a dissertator. These groups help me reach my goals by “forcing” me to think about writing goals and sit down and write for 2.5 hours per week. I would recommend these groups to others because it is so hard to protect one’s writing time and writing groups have been an effective solution for me.”
—Junhao L., Risk and Insurance