帮自己一个忙:找个写作伙伴

Writing is typically considered a solitary activity—you, 独自思考, 一台电脑, 还有一大袋巧克力椒盐脆饼. (好吧，也许只有我才喜欢椒盐脆饼.)

Some writers take the idea of solitude to the extreme. 在密苏里大学, 我在哪里读的研究生, 图书馆里最黑暗的地方有金属笼子, creepiest corners of the building where students can sequester themselves to write.

我从来没有租过笼子, 但 I did spend the better part of my graduate experience alone in my apartment miserably slogging away at my writing projects. 现在, 后来又获得了两个写作繁重的研究生学位, I have realized that I am a more efficient and joyful writer when I leave solitary confinement and include others in my writing process.

So, I got myself a writing buddy, and I think you should, too!

什么是写作伙伴?

A writing buddy is exactly what it sounds like—a person with whom you share writing ideas 和目标, 交换草稿和反馈, 对写作上的挫折表示同情, 庆祝写作的成功. A good writing buddy is like this incredible hybrid of colleague and best friend: they hold you accountable to your writing goals, 但 they’re also there to encourage you over a cup of coffee when you fail.

好处是什么??

●      增加动力. Recently, my writing buddy and I went out for coffee and chatted about our current writing projects. 大声表达我的想法, 回答她的问题, and exchanging 虽然ts and book recommendations breathed new life into my project. 奖励:我知道我的项目会更强大, 更微妙的, and more interesting than if I tried to write it in complete isolation.  

●      问责制. 我是一个慢性拖延症患者, 但 my writing buddy regularly checks in with me to make sure I’m working toward my goals. When she checks in, I want to be able to tell her, “Yes! 我完成了那份草稿!” or, at least, “I wrote a paragraph of that draft!” The fact that my writing buddy is Miss Productive also helps. She writes much more than I do, and hearing about her works-in-progress always inspires me.

●      反馈. 剧作家萧伯纳有句名言, “The single biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has taken place.“所有的写作都是为了交流思想. So, 无论你是在写一篇学术论文, 一篇论文, 一本小说, 一首诗, 或者一个作业提示, 获得反馈是必要的. 反馈 is the only way we can know if our attempt to communicate has been successful. I especially value feedback from my writing buddy because she is familiar with my writing style, 坏习惯, 斗争, 和目标. 

●      友谊. Truly, writing buddies often turn into the best of friends. 以写作为基础, you’ll find yourself falling quickly into intellectual conversations, 分享漏洞, 互相鼓舞. 

你在哪里找到一个?

If you are a student looking for academic writing support, consider asking a fellow student within your major or degree program to be your writing buddy. 你们两个将分享课程知识, 有相似的写作任务, 并且可能有相似的写作目标.

另一方面, if you are interested in broadening your writing skills and gaining perspectives beyond your department, you could also consider asking someone in a different degree program, 或者是一位作家朋友或亲戚. While these writers may not be as familiar with the expectations of your academic department, they’ll likely ask lots of questions that can help you refine/strengthen your ideas, and they’ll be able to tell you if your writing is clear to outside readers.

You do not need to know a person well to ask them to be your writing buddy. If you have a hunch that you may work well with a certain classmate or new acquaintance, go for it! 最坏的情况就是他们说“不”.他们的损失.

You also do not need to live in the same city as your writing buddy. Many writers meet with their buddies on Zoom or exchange feedback and encouragement via email.

If asking someone to be your writing buddy is just too horrifying, 虽然, another option is to schedule regular visits with a particular consultant at the 写作工作室 or 在线 Writing Lab (OWL). Meeting consistently with the same writing consultant can be hugely beneficial. Your consultant will grow familiar with your work and learn to adjust their feedback style to best meet your needs 和目标.

作家 can use the 写作工作室 or OWL at any stage in the writing process for any type of project as many times as they want. So, 你是否想集思广益, 谈谈即将到来的任务, 拟定大纲, 就几个段落获得反馈, 或者润色一份完整的草稿, 你可以(也应该)!)预约.

设定预期

一旦你找到了一个写作伙伴, make sure you set some clear expectations for the relationship. 你们多久见一次面? Will you hold each other accountable to writing goals? 你们用什么方式互相检票? 你们会交换正在进行的工作来获得反馈吗? 例如, I meet once per month with my writing partner to discuss our current projects and share goals for the month. 我们每周给对方发一次短信，确认一下情况, and we sometimes exchange manuscripts for feedback (但 not consistently). Your writing partnership may look different from mine, and that’s a good thing! 你可以决定什么适合你. Just make sure your plan is simple, sustainable, and mutually beneficial.

快乐的写作!

***

Jo Saleska Lange graduated from 欧文康考迪亚大学 in 2012 and went on to earn an MA in literature from the University of Missouri-Columbia and an MFA in fiction from the University of Missouri-St. Louis, where she won the Mary Troy Prize for fiction. 几年来, she worked as the Assistant Director of CUI’s 写作工作室, a role which involved teaching writing courses across academic disciplines, 发展写作技巧工作坊, and curating writing resources for students and faculty. 现在, she is a stay-at-home mom, freelance editor, and fiction writer. 作为两个小家伙的母亲, 她没有太多的空闲时间(IYKYK), 但, 当她这样做的时候, she enjoys hiking and sipping cold drinks out on restaurant patios. 你可以在 josaleska.com.