Conferences

The Writing Studio offers individual conferences and small-group support sessions to graduate school students, faculty, and staff. Writing consultants provide assistance with course assignments, thesis writing, and other writing projects associated with your academic and professional life.

Conferences are generally scheduled on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday each week. You can email to make an appointment (wstudio@lclark.edu).

Why should I request a conference?

As writers we need an audience; we need to know how our words are read and understood. While spontaneous exploratory writing often gives us our best ideas, we should continue our explorations by reworking this informal (and often messy) writing with an audience in mind. In a conference, the writing consultant acts as a friendly preview reader who can help you make your writing more engaging and satisfying.

In a single conference, a writing consultant can help you enrich and extend your thinking, achieve a clearer understanding of the requirements and opportunities of a particular writing task, and learn what has been communicated by your writing. A series of conferences will reveal individual writing processes so that you can capitalize on what works well for you and can make adjustments for greater efficiency and personal and professional satisfaction.

Conferences typically last an hour, during which time you will discuss a specific project with a writing consultant. The consultant, acting as preview audience, will ask and answer questions and offer suggestions for you to consider. The goal of the conference is to help you move the project toward completion.

When should I request a conference?

You can request a conference at any stage in the development of a writing project: from analyzing the assignment and getting started to developing a draft, revising, and editing. Good writing takes time, so schedule your conference well before your deadline and bring some writing if you can: notes, an outline, even a fragment. Remember that you are welcome to return for additional conferences.

Who will work with me in the Writing Studio?

Marcia Silver, an experienced teacher of writing, is the chief writing consultant. A founding member of the National Writing Centers Association, she has taught writing at the Northwest Writing Institute since 1989 and previously directed writing centers at Brooklyn College and Portland State University. Her experience includes completing a dissertation, writing for publications, training and mentoring writing consultants, and working with graduate student writers in a variety of disciplines.