As a way of developing an active writing community at the university, the Office of Research and Innovation sponsors Writing Spaces, a program that welcomes faculty from all ranks and disciplines to write together in a collegial, focused environment. Each meeting includes discussion about goals, blocks of writing time and a lunchtime workshop.
Writing Spaces retreats are held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. three times each semester. Retreats are held in person. We also keep our Slack channel active for those who wish to write with us remotely.
Participants are welcome to attend for part or all of the day, as their schedules permit. Please register for each individual date below.
Each Writing Spaces retreat follows this schedule:
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 9-9:15 a.m. | Introductions and Goal Setting |
| 9:15-11:45 a.m. | Focused Writing Time |
| 11:45 a.m.-Noon | Accountability Session |
| Noon-1 p.m. | Lunch and Workshop - see topics by date, below. |
| 1-1:15 p.m. | Goal Setting |
| 1:15-3:45 p.m. | Focused Writing Time |
| 3:45-4 p.m. | Accountability Session and Wrap Up |
Lunch Discussion Topics
- Sept. 18 - Goal Setting for the Academic Year
- Oct. 16 - Horror Stories: Navigating Difficult Situations as Writers
- Dec. 4 - Show and Tell: Share Your Favorite Tools, Apps and Systems
- Feb. 5 - Choices, Not Defaults: Navigating AI in Academic Writing
- Mar. 19 - Life Happens: Writing as Someone with a Body, Family, Friends, Pets and Hobbies
- Apr. 23 - Summer and Beyond: Deciding What You Want to Write and Why
If you are interested in joining the Writing Spaces listserv or have questions about the retreats, please email: Natalie_Houston@uml.edu or Katherine_Flowers@uml.edu.