Read more about the National Day on Writing here.
MIT’s Writing and Communication Center has prepared a variety of writing opportunities for you during the week leading to the National Day on Writing, October 20th. Please explore these opportunities below.
Attend the workshops offered during this week
Joining the Conversation: Using Sources in Academic Writing
Led by WCC Instructor and Communication Specialist, Pamela Siska, this interactive workshop will cover the basics of citing, quoting, and paraphrasing, as well as more complicated topics such as common knowledge and self-plagiarism.
WHEN: Tue, Oct 17th, 4-5:30pm
WHERE: E17-136, 40 Ames Street
Tips, Tricks and Tools for Productive Writing (a 3-session series)
During this three-session series, we will address topics that can help you avoid common pitfalls and become a productive writer.
Session 1: Managing Your Time and Expectations (Wed, Oct 18th, 4:30-6pm, E17-136)
Session 2: Tackling Imposter Stress (Wed, Oct 25th, 4:30-6pm, E17-136)
Session 3: Constructive Procrastination as Part of a Healthy Writing Process (Wed, Nov 1st, 4:30-6pm, E17-136)
Below is information about each of the sessions in this series.
Session 1: Managing Your Time and Expectations (Wed, Oct 18th, 4:30-6pm, E17-136)
Writing a dissertation can seem distinct from earlier work, with fewer deadlines, less structure, and less contact with others. At the same time, tackling this bigger project can be seen as a continuation of previous work, but one with more options for choice. During this workshop, Betsy Fox, Ph.D., a WCC Instructor and Communication Specialist, will offer suggestions on managing time, being productive, and making the long-distance journey of a dissertation more comfortable and companionable.
Session 2: Tackling Imposter Stress (Wed, Oct 25th, 4:30-6pm, E17-136)
Imposter stress–the persistent fear of being exposed as a fraud–is real and can influence students’ and scholars’ progress, timely project completion, and general wellbeing. In this workshop, Elena Kallestinova, Ph.D., WCC Director and Communication Instructor, will help you understand imposter syndrome and equip you with resources to tackle its negative effects.
Session 3: Constructive Procrastination as Part of a Healthy Writing Process (Wed, Nov 1st, 4:30-6pm, E17-136)
Society tells us that procrastination is bad, when in fact it can be a useful part of the writing process. In this workshop, Susan Spilecki, a WCC Instructor and Communication Specialist, will help you brainstorm all the specifics of your individual writing process, from the beginning of a project to the end, and discuss the usefulness of different strategies for different people. By reflecting on the way individuals actually learn, synthesize ideas, write, and revise, we can make our own processes more effective. Getting to know what you need for your particular process puts you in control of it, rather than letting it control you. In addition to gaining a better understanding of your existing writing process – and how you actually procrastinate constructively – participants will leave with resources and tools to better manage your process.
Designing Effective and Inclusive Presentation Slides
When: Thu, Oct 19th, 2023
Time: 4-5:30pm
Location: E17-136
Register here
Well-designed slides can enhance any presentation and enrich your communication. But for slides to be effective, they need to be designed with clarity, purpose, and concision. Effective slides should also be inclusive, accessible to audiences of diverse abilities and characteristics.
In this interactive, in-person workshop, led by WCC Lecturer Chris Featherman, PhD, you’ll learn principles for effective and inclusive slide design applicable to academic and professional communication across the disciplines.
Join Writing Together Online or attend a special in-person session
In addition to Writing Together Online , a program that offers structured writing time to help you stay focused and productive during the busy fall months, we will offer a Special In-person Writing Retreat on Wed, Oct 18th. This program will empower you to make progress in your research and writing and work productively in the company of other scholars. In addition to the the “write” ambiance, we will provide lunch and drinks.
WHEN: Wed, Oct 18th, 12-2pm
WHERE: E25-119/121 (40 Ames St.)
WCC Individual Consultations and Coaching
Hurry to schedule a WCC consultation during the week of the National Day on Writing . We offer free one-on-one help with oral and written work including presentations, fellowship applications, research papers, and theses. We provide support at all stages of the oral and written communication process: from brainstorming to the final draft. We mentor through writer’s blocks including procrastination, perfectionism, demoralization, and imposter stress. You can learn more about consultations at the WCC website and book appointments with the online scheduler.
Share a paragraph about your experience with writing!
Please share with us if you like writing and why. How have you developed your liking for writing? What you like about writing? What kinds of writing or genres of writing do you like most/more?
We will post selected entries (if you give us permission), signed with your name or anonymously (as you choose), on the WCC website.