Mardena Creek
UC Davis UWP
Thesis / Dissertation Seminar Materials
Some Suggestions for Making
Writing Partnerships Work
- Have 4 students in a group. (If possible try to include people
with different strengths)
- Exchange drafts of papers before the group
meeting so readers will have time to read them before
they come. Attach a list of specific questions that you would like
your readers to consider when they read your draft.
- Agree among yourselves whether you want written or verbal
feedback--or both. (I think writing notes in the margins of a
draft can be very useful to the writer. She can see how you are
reacting as you read). An end comment that identifies one or two
major problems with suggestions about how to work on these
problems can also be useful.
- Also agree whether you want to read your drafts aloud during
the review session. Hearing them read aloud may help the writer--
and the reviewers--identify stylistic problems.
- Agree to spend the same amount of time on each person's draft
and adhere to that agreement. (I think 30 minutes per writer would
be ideal.)
- Keep criticism constructive, with specific suggestions for
improvement. Identify the strengths of the piece and try to help
the writer build on those strengths.
- Avoid negativity. Discourage writer being reviewed from
denigrating her own efforts.
- After the review session, write a response to what happened.
- What worked for you? What didn't? Share your response with the
other members of the group before your next session. Keep
fine-tuning the review sessions to make them work for you.
- Be patient. Learning to respond to others' writing is a skill
that is developed over time.
- Record your sessions--at least the first one-- to give you
more perspective on what occurred.