Writing Place Online
Available for Evanston and Chicago Campus students, faculty, and staff
During the Covid-19 pandemic, most of our consultations will are online. Using a combination of Zoom and Google Docs. If you have not yet created your Northwestern Zoom account and downloaded the zoom app, go to the Northwestern Zoom site. Click the log in button to create your account. Go back to that page and click the “download client” link to install Zoom on your computer.
Make an Online Appointment
Writing Place Locations in Evanston
The Graduate Writing Place, Address: 555 Clark Street, Second Floor, Room 2-206
The Graduate Writing Place serves graduate students from all across Northwestern’s many schools, departments, and programs, as well as postdoctoral students and Northwestern faculty. Clients may book appointments for individual writing consultations with Graduate Writing Fellows (PhD candidates at Northwestern) to review a variety of writing, including papers for coursework; conference papers and presentations; journal articles and manuscripts for publication; dissertation proposals and chapters; and materials pertaining to the academic and non-academic job markets.
The Main Library Writing Place, Address: Main Library, Second Floor, North Tower, Room 2305
The Main Writing Place in the University Library focuses on working with undergraduates; however, all students, faculty, and staff are welcome to use this location. Peer tutors are juniors, seniors, and graduate students. This quarter, all Writing Place consultations will be held online only. The Main Library Writing Place does not offer asynchronous e-tutoring.
For directions to the library the library, look on the Northwestern Campus Map or see the Northwestern Library’s page of maps and directions.
One-on-One Appointments
The Graduate Writing Place serves graduate students from all across Northwestern’s many schools, departments, and programs, as well as postdoctoral students and Northwestern faculty. Clients may book appointments for individual writing consultations with Graduate Writing Fellows (PhD candidates at Northwestern) to review a variety of writing, including papers for coursework; conference papers and presentations; journal articles and manuscripts for publication; dissertation proposals and chapters; and materials pertaining to the academic and non-academic job markets.
Graduate students, post-docs, and faculty working on any type of writing may also book appointments to meet with undergraduate student writing consultants at the Main Library Writing Place. Any of our consultants will engage you in conversation and provide guidance on your writing.
For more information about the specific types of appointments offered in each location, please see the locations tab.
Interdisciplinary Writing Groups
The Graduate Writing Place runs a number of Interdisciplinary Writing Groups for PhD students who have already completed their coursework. We are currently accepting applications to earn a spot in one of these groups in spring 2024. Applications are due on Wednesday, March 6.
Interdisciplinary Writing Groups are comprised of Northwestern PhD students who meet for two hours on a weekly basis to discuss and provide feedback on their own and fellow group members’ writing and writing processes. Groups are comprised of 5-6 members, and while no group contains more than one student from a single department/program, each group will be comprised of members who share either a qualitative or quantitative research focus. The groups are facilitated by Graduate Writing Fellows—advanced PhD Candidates from across the university—or the Assistant Director of the Writing Place.
Interdisciplinary Writing Groups are supported by The Graduate School.
Graduate Writing Workshops
The Graduate Writing Place offers a series of 90-minute graduate writing workshops throughout the academic year. The workshops are not discipline specific and provide participants with concrete strategies and exercises to improve both the quality and productivity of their writing both within the workshops and outside of them.
You can find our schedule for Spring Quarter 2024 workshops (and links to register to attend) below:
Organizing Large Writing Projects
Monday, April 8, 1:00-3:00 pm, TGS Commons
One of the challenges that graduate school presents is learning to manage large writing projects like master’s theses and doctoral dissertations. Longer pieces of writing require that students pay attention to the consistency, coherence, and overall aims of a project, even while working on its smallest details. Participants in the workshop will receive guidance about how to break a large writing project into manageable and ordered stages, as well as how to develop outlines and utilize software for conceptualizing and organizing their writing. During the workshop, participants will have a chance to discuss their own long-term projects with their peers.
Registration link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/869482494547?aff=oddtdtcreator
Communicating your Research (2): Communicating Complex Data
Thursday, April 4, 1:00-2:00 pm, Online Event
Communicating data clearly and persuasively is an essential skill in any graduate field! Join us for the second of three virutal workshops on visual communication at the Graduate Writing Place on Thursday, April 4th, from 1-2pm on Zoom. The first workshop reviewed core principles of data visualization, including common errors and best practices for displaying and interpreting quantitative data. This second workshop covers written data communication, and the third will be a writing retreat that invites you to bring your own project to a larger group setting for feedback. Qualitative scholars are also welcome! Each workshop may be attended as a stand-alone; participation in all three is not required.
Registration link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/872233422647?aff=oddtdtcreator
Dissertation Boot Camps provide advanced graduate students with a place and time to make fast, efficient progress on dissertation writing, as well as provide them with tools and resources to create positive writing habits. During the two-week camp, students work independently on their writing as well as have the opportunity to participate in workshops, one-on-one coaching, and peer consultation.
We plan to hold a boot camp with both in-person and online modalities in summer 2024 and we will announce the dates in the future.
You are eligible to apply if you are a PhD student who has:
- passed your dissertation proposal/advanced to candidacy
- collected most of the research for your dissertation
- begun the writing process
Dissertation Boot Camps are supported by The Graduate School.
Writing Retreats
Writing Retreats provide a flexible but regular (virtual) space and time throughout the quarter for graduate students to write together. Writing Retreats take place on Zoom, and each lasts four hours. During optional check-ins at the beginning, middle, and end of each retreat, students can respond to writing prompts, discuss writing and the writing process with peers, and reach out in the group chat for help with specific writing challenges. Use of camera and microphone is optional. While participants are encouraged to attend entire sessions, they are welcome to drop in or out at any time.
Writing Retreat FAQs
Inbox Updates from the Graduate Writing Place
You can click here to read our latest newsletter. The newsletter for The Graduate Writing Place allows us to tell you more about our services. Each newsletter includes reminders about upcoming workshops, registration windows for writing groups and boot camps, and application deadlines for fellowships and assistantships. We also get to tell you more about our amazing events and the Fellows that form our team. To get the newsletter, enter your email in the box below and click the “subscribe” button join our Mailchimp mailing list.
