The Howe Writing Center’s Junior Faculty Writing Hours Challenge provides time, space, support, and structure for junior faculty members to pursue their writing goals. Part of this program involves junior faculty setting writing intentions and reflecting on them. This practice can be remarkably empowering and enlightening, and it can help junior faculty navigate their complicated research and writing obligations.

We thought it would be interesting to provide a glimpse into how junior faculty utilize writing hours and what benefits they get from attending. Below are some entries from the progress log which junior faculty have generously allowed the HWC to share.

Revisiting Older Work

Maura from ATH wrote, “I want to dust off an article manuscript, review the editor's comments, and make a plan for the revision process.” Following the session, they reflected that “I reviewed the editor's feedback, the structure of my manuscript, and the journal's style guide. I started on a bibliography of works to revisit to better connect my research to the scholarly conversations on feminist/consumer/citizen movements in Japan. My next steps will be to decide which descriptive sections in my manuscript are vital and which can be cut to make room for more analysis (editor said the manuscript was too descriptive and not analytical enough). I also need to better frame my argument to pass the "so what?" test. While it is clear I have a long way to go before the manuscript is ready for submission, I'm glad I had the opportunity to get back to work on it.”

Maura continued this work the following week: “I don't think I'll know which descriptive portions can be cut until I finish reviewing the literature. I've reorganized my paper into three thematic sections that better synthesize the theoretical discussion and descriptive portions. I have also noted which works in my bibliography will help to inform each section. My next steps will be to acquire copies of the literature and make notes relevant to my argument. During and at the end of today's session, I felt like I didn't get much done, but after writing this reflection, I've realized that I actually accomplished some really important steps that will help me down the road!”

Data Entry and Analysis

Kathleen from MJF and GIC used writing hours for data entry on a project. “The set of material I'm entering is huge,” they write. “My collaborator and I hope to be able to write a grant for help with the data entry next summer, but for now I'm doing the bulk of it, and it takes quite a while to get one subset done. My goal today is to complete about 40 subsets if possible.” Following the day’s writing, Kathleen reflected, “I wound up getting 13 subsets of data entered, so clearly I'm underestimating how long each of these takes to do. :) Still, I feel very accomplished!”

Kathleen continued work on this data entry the following week, writing that “I got 14 subsets of data entered, which does beat last week's total. Next week I'll try hard to hit 15!”

Another junior faculty member, Maressa with the Discovery Center (EHS), took advantage of writing hours to work on data analysis gleaned from interviews for an upcoming paper, “EPI + Lesson Plans.” Maressa not only completed their goal, but exceeded it: “I exceeded my goal in less than 2 hours, analyzing data from 4 interviews. To fully meet my writing goals, I need to block off much more time than I have been able to do so far. I will continue to use the Focus Time feature of Google calendar to give myself more time to work on my writing projects. Next steps: block off more time for writing on my calendar; complete analysis for the remaining set of interviews.”

Wrapping Up Collaborative Projects

Julie from FSB commented that “I'm TCPL so my writing is focused around service. I'm working on a section of an upcoming brown bag about AI and syllabus policy statements. Today I want to outline my section and make sure I have some good links to resources, then start my talking points.” In a reflection, Julie states that they “Set up my slide deck, outlined my basic points, found a bunch of good resources and put the links in! I could only attend one hour of this session due to a meeting but I am well on my way to having this ready by the due date!”

The following week, Julie hoped to wrap up their portion of the presentation: “Almost completely done with my portion of this presentation!”

Some Key Takeaways

The sheer variety of projects, tasks, and goals on display with Junior Faculty Writing Hours shows just how varied the writing process can look. Writing looks different across disciplines, and as such, the process will play out in vastly different ways. However, whether it is data analysis, literature reviews, or otherwise, consistency and reflection will always be an important part of any individual’s writing process, and understanding what works and what doesn’t work for you as a writer will ultimately make you a much better one. In particular we see reflection being especially helpful for those who participate, as it allows time to identify where they are in their writing process and what must still be done moving forward.

Junior faculty writing hours are designed to give faculty time and space to dedicate to their writing, as well as the opportunity to work with a writing consultant. If you are a junior faculty member and would like to participate in writing hours, there is still time to do so. You can RSVP to the remaining sessions using the linked form.