Are you an MTLE Fellow looking for accountability and community as you draft teaching materials or work on a writing project this summer? Join us for an MTLE Summer Writing Group!
Last summer, we collaborated with colleagues from the Writing Across the Curriculum Program to pilot an experience for current Fellows and alumni that was modeled modeled after groups offered for other audiences at UW. Following enthusiastic feedback from Fellows, we’re excited to offer MTLE writing groups again in Summer 2025.
Summer 2025 Groups
Format: Each in-person writing group will meet once weekly over the course of 4 weeks.
- Group A: Tuesday afternoons in June from 1:00 – 3:15 p.m.
- Group B: Tuesday afternoons in July from 1:00 – 3:15 p.m.
- Group C: Tuesday afternoons in August from 1:00 – 3:15 p.m.
Location: We’ll meet in the first-floor conference room in the Discovery Building. (330 N. Orchard St. – map)
Size: We’ll be accepting 8-12 current MTLE Fellows and alumni for each month-long group.
Structure
- 5-10 min: We’ll start each gathering with a check-in and a brief reflection on one aspect of the writing process, then we’ll invite you to set goals for your writing session.
- ~ 2 hours: We will spend the majority of our time writing! You’re welcome to work alongside peers in the conference room or to find a writing spot elsewhere in the Discovery Building.
- 5-10 min: We’ll reconvene to celebrate our progress and reflect on some takeaways from the writing experience.
Q & A
Q: What’s the commitment if I sign up?
We ask that you plan to attend most of the sessions during the month(s) you sign up for and keep the group informed if anything changes. (As with MTLE sessions, we completely understand if you need to miss due to illness or unexpected events.) Since this is a community-led space, everyone takes a turn supporting the group by serving as a “point person” or “backup point person” for one session. As a point person, you’ll arrive five minutes early, initiate the weekly check-in and check-out questions, and provide a five-minute warning before the writing period ends.
Q: Do I need to begin with the goal of finishing a specific project?
A: No, you don’t need to work on the same project each week, nor do you need a finished product at the end of the four sessions. You’ll have the opportunity to set a specific writing goal at the beginning of each gathering, but the goals don’t need to be continuous with prior and future weeks.
Q: Does the writing need to be related to my research?
A: It can be, but you’re welcome to work on writing related to your teaching or something else entirely.
Q: Will we be reading others’ work or receiving feedback on our work?
A: These sessions won’t include structured peer feedback time. However, you’re welcome to connect with a partner from the group to set up a draft exchange of your own. If you’d like to discuss a writing assignment you’re working on for a course you’re teaching, we’re happy to find a time to talk outside of the writing sessions. Feel free to connect with Emily Hall and Abby Letak of Writing Across the Curriculum and/or Naomi and Katie by email.
Q: Where can I get coffee or a bite to eat before, during, or after our sessions?
A: Aldo’s Cafe in the lobby of the Discovery Building serves coffee and tea along with snacks and lunch items. Union South (just across Campus Drive behind the building) has a variety of food and drink options, and Subway and The Library Cafe and Bar are nearby on the corner of University and Randall.
References & Writing Resources
The majority of these texts are available as online e-books through the UW-Madison Libraries. Exceptions are marked with an asterisk (*).
Writing Groups
Driscoll, Dana Lynn, Theresa McDevitt, and Kelli Jo Kerry-Moran. “Writing Groups: Three Models of Practice to Support Academic Authors.” In Scholarly Writing: Publishing Manuscripts That Are Read, Downloaded, and Cited, edited by Mary Renck Jalongo and Olivia N. Saracho. Cham, Switzerland: Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
Geller, Anne Ellen and Michele Eodice, eds. 2013. Working With Faculty Writers. Logan: Utah State University Press.
Jensen, Joli. 2017. “Creating Faculty Writing Groups” and “Building Campus Writing Support.” In Write No Matter What: Advice for Academics. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.
Simmons, Nicola and Ann Singh, eds. 2019. Critical Collaborative Communities: Academic Writing Partnerships, Groups, and Retreats. Boston: Brill Sense.
Silvia, Paul. 2019. “Starting a Writing Group.” In How to Write a Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Sword, Helen. 2017. “Writing Among Others.” In Air & Light & Time & Space: How Successful Academics Write. Cambridge, MA.: Harvard University Press.
*Zumbrunn, Sharon. 2021. “Finding Social Support for Writing.” In Why Aren’t You Writing?: Research, Real Talk, Strategies, & Shenanigans. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.
General
*Belcher, Wendy Laura. 2019. Writing Your Journal Article in Twelve Weeks: A Guide to Academic Publishing Success. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Bolton, Gillie. 2014. Inspirational Writing for Academic Publication. London, UK: SAGE.
Haag, Pamela. 2021. Revise: The Scholar-Writer’s Essential Guide to Tweaking, Editing, and Perfecting Your Manuscript. New Haven: Yale University Press.
Haynes, Anthony. 2010. Writing Successful Academic Books. Leiden: Cambridge University Press.
Hayot, Eric. 2014. The Elements of Academic Style: Writing for the Humanities. New York: Columbia University Press.
Kiewra, Kenneth A. 2024. Be a More Productive Scholar. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.
Liebowitz, Jay, ed. 2015. A Guide to Publishing for Academics. Boca Raton: CRC Press.
Luey, Beth. 2009. Handbook for Academic Authors. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Madden, Shannon, Michele Eodice, Kirsten T. Edwards, Alexandria Lockett, eds. 2020. Learning from the Lived Experiences of Graduate Student Writers. University Press of Colorado.
Paltridge, Brian. 2016. Getting Published in Academic Journals: Navigating the Publication Process. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.
Sword, Helen. 2011. Stylish Academic Writing. Cambridge, MA.: Harvard University Press.
Thomas, Desmond. 2016. “Writing Throughout an Academic Career.” In The PhD Writing Handbook. London, UK: Palgrave.