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Graduate Writing Events

If you are a graduate student at the Purdue main campus in West Lafayette, you are invited to join us for special programs designed to help you progress with the writing requirements of graduate school.

Writers' Rooms (Virtual)

Writers' Rooms are dedicated times and places for graduate writers to work on their academic writing projects (e.g., scholarly articles, dissertations, etc.). Writers should plan to spend most of the two-hour block in independent writing; however, Writing Lab tutors will be available for very brief, limited consultations if concerns arise during the writing time. Writers should bring whatever materials they need for successful work on their projects, including laptops, books and articles, style guides, research data, white board markers, pens, paper, etc.

If you are interested in joining, please sign up using the online scheduler under the "Group Programs" drop-down menu. At the time of the event, log back in to the scheduler and follow the posted instructions to access the video call. All sessions will begin with goal setting and end with a discussion of what was accomplished.

Summer 2022 Schedule:

Writers' Rooms will be held virtually from 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. on the following days:

June 14
June 21
July 19
July 26

Graduate Writing Groups

Are you interested in accelerating your progress on writing projects? A writing group can provide the accountability you need to make this happen, and the Purdue Writing Lab can help. We put together a Writing Group Vidcast that includes some information about forming your own writing group, including details about how the Writing Lab can help. Then, collect your potential group and contact the Writing Lab at Writing.Lab@purdue.edu to request a group consultation.

New: Introduction to Graduate Writing Workshop

The expectations for writing in graduate school are much higher than for writing as an undergraduate. As a graduate writer, you may undertake the writing of articles for publication, grants, conference presentations, a thesis or dissertation, etc. The Introduction to Graduate Writing Workshop is meant to introduce graduate students in their first or second year to various aspects of scholarly writing so that they can become successful scholarly writers in their field of study. The workshop is a four-part event, and participants are expected to attend all four sessions. The four parts of the workshop focus on Getting Started, Drafting, Revising/Editing, and Project Planning.

Spring 2022

Dates/Times: Wednesdays during March (excluding spring break) from 4:30-6:00 pm.

Format: Virtual (Zoom)

Anyone interested in attending this four-part event should apply between Feb 7 and Feb 20, 2022. Complete the application survey here. For more information, see the introductory material in the application survey or email Writing.Lab@purdue.edu and include INTRO GRAD in the subject line.

Intensive Writing Experience—Thesis & Dissertation Writers

Sponsored by the Purdue Writing Lab with support from the Purdue Graduate School.

The purpose of the Intensive Writing Experience is to give graduate students in good standing with their programs time to write or to revise their thesis or dissertation with support from Writing Lab staff.

Participants will receive writing instruction and support from Writing Lab staff, will spend significant time writing or revising their thesis or dissertation, and will network with other thesis and dissertation writers on campus.

Summer 2022

May 24-26 (Virtual)
May 31-June 2 (Virtual)
June 28-30 (In-person)
July 5-7 (In-person)

Click here for additional information regarding the Summer 2022 IWE, including the schedule and answers to common questions.

Summer 2022 IWE Application Process

Applications for the IWE will be accepted between Monday, April 18, 2022, and 5:00 PM Friday, April 29, 2022. For more information, email Writing.Lab@purdue.edu and include IWE in the subject line.

To access the application survey, please follow this link: https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_af4B9gi3aLLxP9A

2020-2021 Sessions

IWE: Writing is a Conversation

Video lecture aimed at helping new grad students approach witting as an opportunity to participate in an ongoing dialogue with the scholars.

IWE: Writing is a Process

Video lecture aimed at helping new grad students approach witting as a process, and how to complete a writing project from assignment to submission.

IWE: Writing is a Social Endeavor

Video lecture aimed at helping new grad students understand the social components that affect complex writing projects.

IWE: Writing is a Discipline Specific

Video lecture aimed at helping new grad students identify discipline-specific conventions that might appear within a text, and it provides information on how to use genre analysis and other strategies within current research.

Summer 2020 Sessions

All summer 2020 sessions were offered virtually with a mix of synchronous and asynchronous meetings. Recordings from these sessions are linked here:

IWE: Goal Setting

Video lecture offering strategies on how to set an overall objective and bitesize benchmarks for your writing routine.

IWE: Genre Analysis & Reverse Outlining

Video lecture covering two helpful strategies for planning and organizing complicated documents like theses and dissertations.

IWE: Punctuation

Video lecture addressing matters of punctuation that commonly hamper thesis and dissertation writers.

IWE: Paragraph Organization and Flow

Video lecture explaining strategies for organizing thesis and dissertation documents at the paragraph level in order to ensure a smooth, logical flow of ideas for readers.