Pick-n-Mix A Typology of Writers’ Groups

Dr. Sarah Haas University of Gent

BelgiumSarah.haas@ugent.be

Oxford BrooksOnline Writers’ Group

Definitions

Pick-n-Mix

Writers’ Group

Aims of Writers’ Groups (In brief)

• Through mutual support in a community of writers:

– Make the process of research writing more enjoyable (less painful) for the writer

– Make the product of research writing more enjoyable (less painful) for the reader

Pick-n-Mix

Leadership

In-meeting activities

Between-meetingactivities

Time, Place,Frequency,

Duration

TroublesBenefits

Membership

So…What makes a writer’s group

work?• Convenience of time, place, duration,

frequency of meetings

• Negotiation and explicit statement of purpose and procedures

• Commitment

What Do You Pick to Mix?FreeWriting: What I want in a Writers’ Group

Be explicit about what you’d like to do (and what you don’t want to do) in the writers’ group meetings

• Writing together

• Learning feedback techniques/giving feedback

• Discussing writing processes

• Discussing feedback processes

• Talking about problems, triumphs, strategies…

• Goal-setting

• Other ideas?

Pick-n-Mix A Typology of Writers’ Groups

Sarah Haas Leuven, Belgiumsshaas@mac.com

Assumption AbbeyWriter Development

CourseJuly 9~13 2012

Membership…• Who?

– Discipline-specific

– Inter-disciplinary

– At similar or varying stages in project/career

– Working on a joint project

• How many?

– 2 – 12

– Floating membership

Leadership• Who and how much?

– No leader ‘Teacherless writing class’ (Elbow)

– Peer leader (fixed or rotating leader)

– Near-peer leader (Murphy/Lee and Boud)

– Start-up leader

– Specialist leader (Aitchison)

• Subject specialist

• Writing specialist

• Language specialist

In-Meeting Activities• Writing activities

– Freewriting– Writing to Prompts– Generative Writing– Self-Directed Writing

• Feedback activities– Learn and practice different feedback techniques– Give feedback on each others’ writing

• Goal setting

• Discussions on writing and feedback processes

• Discussions on/evaluations of the meetings themselves

• Social element

Audience with authority, (teachers, editors, supervisors, employers)

Audience of peers

Audience of allies (readers who particularly care for the writer)

Audience of self (private writing)

Sharing no response

Response no criticism or evaluation

Criticism or evaluation

*(confirmatory or corrective)

Adapted from Map of Writing in Terms of Audience and Response (Elbow, 2000: 29)*(Kurtoglu-Hooton, 2004)

Between-meeting activities

• Writing

• Publishing

• Goal-setting

– Short-, Medium-, Long-term

– Goal records

• Reflective Journals/Writers’ Logs

Trouble-shootingSome Problems You Might

Encounter…• Timing

• Commitment

• Interaction

– Holding the floor - Whining

– Going off-task - Sponging

• Reinforcing each others’ bad habits

• Personality conflicts

Place, Time, Frequency, Duration

• Morning meetings

• Evening meetings

• Midday meetings

• Two-hour meetings

• Three-hour meetings

• All-day meetings

• Weekly Meetings

• Fortnightly

meetings

• Bi-weekly

meetings

• Monthly meetings

• Public place

• Private place

• Work place

• Virtual space

• Continuous

Groups

• Temporary

Groups

Benefits of Writers’ Groups

• Increased output (Lee and Boud)

• Increased motivation (Murray)

• Less feeling of isolation (Aitchison)

• Increased confidence (Badley)

• Better written product (Elbow)