The Writing Collective: Next Meetings
The Writing Collective is a group of PGRs who get together to do some focused writing, learn from each other, and provide feedback on each other's research. The group met for the second time on Tuesday 6th August from 9:30 to 14:00, and the meeting was split into two sessions with a lunch break in the middle.
For the first session, researchers were split into small groups of similar disciplines. Those who wanted feedback on their research provided a short writing sample, and the group then discussed each one, giving different perspectives on what they thought the author had expressed well and could work on in future. We reunited to discuss the feedback we had received and found common areas to improve across the disciplines such as using diverse conjunctions, segues between paragraphs, highlighting and prioritising the main points first, and making the writing accessible to non-experts in each field.
As a collective, we then discussed learning topics for the next few months. In September's session, TWC will be presenting lightning talks (3/5 minute research pitches). In October we will focus on writing about methodologies/theories and in November we will look at literature management throughout the research process.
After lunch, we had some quiet, focused writing with the added accountability of being in a room full of other people doing the same thing.
TWC will continue to meet once a month, with time for discussion, socialising, and plenty of time to learn from the many different perspectives of others. Everyone has something to offer and something to learn, so please come along to our next meetings!
If you would like to join the next TWC sessions in September, October, and November, and/or would like to be kept updated on TWC, please fill in the Microsoft form sent out recently. If you have any questions please drop us an email at WritingCollective@rhul.ac.uk.
We look forward to seeing you soon!
-TWC