Academic writing workshop that explores reactions to writing, behaviours that stop us writing - and strategies that can help us to write. With resources.

1. Writing WORKSHOP
Writing is easy – you just stare at a blank piece of paper till
your eyeballs bleed!

2. Brainstorm
• What are your hopes and fears about
University level writing?

3. Writing WORKSHOP
•
•
•
•
•
Writing activity
Reflecting on the activity
What we can do ...
Next steps
Useful resources

4. Writing Activity
Free writing
Each person should have in front of them:
• Two sheets of paper:
• One, ‘Writing’ - blank, to write upon,
• Two, ‘Commentary’ - to note reasons for not
writing
• Pens or pencils

5. The Activity
• When asked, turn to your ‘Writing’ page
and write for ten minutes without pause
on the question on the next slide.
• If you stop writing for any reason, write
that reason, no matter how trivial or
insignificant on the ‘Commentary’ sheet.

6. Now for ten minutes write on:
Winnicott (1971) argued that play is
necessary to counteract the implicit
threat that occurs when we are in
transitional spaces – between worlds,
between classes, in alien educational
settings. Discuss in relation either to
becoming a successful student or
becoming a successful teacher.

7. Reflection (1) What was your reaction to that writing?

8. Reflection (2) Why did you STOP writing?

9. Some reasons for stopping:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Thinking
Searching for a word, spelling, tense
Uncomfortable
Distracted
Couldn’t see the point
Don’t know enough yet
• What are you going to do about this?

10. Some solutions …
• Get into a good physical & mental space:
Be comfortable – your way
Accept the task – or fake it!
• Brainstorm & plan before you write
• Once you start – go with the flow
• Don’t stop!
• Free write: Do not search for the right word – redraft and improve later
• Leave gaps – read more after writing.

11. Reflection (3)
• What do you like about your own academic
writing practices?

12. What staff say:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
I discover what I’m thinking
I never quite know where it’s going
I puzzle out my ideas
It’s an exploration
It’s exciting
I am concise and effective
I try to be helpful and useful
It’s teasing out my thinking
I’m incredibly organised
I just plunge in and see where it goes

13. What UG students say:

14. I am still not sure if my work is
considered academic, I still don’t know
what makes one of my essays better
than another.

15. I have been humiliated in ways
that I would never have put up
with any where else!

16. Academic language, the kind of language that
doesn’t readily flow off my tongue: the type of
language I rarely use when speaking to my
peers. The type of language that I don’t
readily understand and the type of language
that means spending hours at a computer
turning something quite simple into
something that sounds moderately impressive
with elitist results.

17. Can we get you to feel more
positive?

18. Safe spaces to write
Things to think about:
• We treat writing differently… If it were sport
or driving or cooking...
• Process not product
• Craft not perfect
• Practise, practise, practise…

19. Free Writing
• Peter Elbow (1998) argues that free-writing
encourages us to write at length without fear
of censorship ...
• Frees us to explore a topic
• Encourages understanding
• Focusses on having something to say - with
• Spelling & grammar (3 min) ... The least
important part

20. NEXT STEPS…
Half hour writing every day!
•Keep/enjoy a Reading Dossier
•Summarise an argument
•Explain a concept
•Apply a theory
•Start a chapter
•Keep a learning journal.....

21. Write – read – think...
Try a blog:
http://thesiswhisperer.com/2012/12/12/turn-your-notes-into-wri
Try CORNELL notes:
http://coe.jmu.edu/learningtoolbox/cornellnotes.html
Try Binge writing:
http://patthomson.wordpress.com/2013/01/03/dr-jekyll-writes-b
/
Try something really creative:
http://www.arts.ac.uk/cetl/visual-directions/
Try being a diver writer: http://
learning.londonmet.ac.uk/epacks/studyhub/introduction.html
1

22. •
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Writing RESOURCES
EXCELLENT site for linking phrases and for WRITING:
http://www.phrasebank.manchester.ac.uk/
Ten steps: http://prezi.com/cbaj9e5kised/copy-of-ten-stages-of-assignment-success/
Academic writing month:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/higher-education-network/blog/2012/nov/01/academic-writing-monthThe writing pages on the Study Hub – with PACKS!:
http://learning.londonmet.ac.uk/epacks/studyhub/introduction.html
750 Words: it does what it says on the tin:
http://750words.com/
Written Kitten – new kitten every 100 words!
http://writtenkitten.net/
Essay planning animation – Portsmouth:
http://ondemand.port.ac.uk/central/One_way_to_write_an_essay.wmv
Our writing mini-site:
http://learning.londonmet.ac.uk/TLTC/connorj/WritingGroups/
Essay/report quiz:
http://learning.londonmet.ac.uk/LMBS/study/reports_essays/
Our Preventing Plagiarism course (also in WebLearn):
http://learning.londonmet.ac.uk/TLTC/learnhigher/Plagiarism/