2023 CAMPSSAH Writing Community

The Center for the Advancement of Multicultural Perspectives on Social Sciences, Arts, and Humanities (CAMPSSAH) announces the opportunity to participate in a two-quarter writing community with the guidance of a professional writing coach and developmental editor, Dr. Elena Abbott.

The 2023 CAMPSSAH Writing Community is an initiative based on the successful “P.L.A.C.E. with CAMPSSAH” grant that provided support to pre-tenure and early-career faculty to advance in their career by providing professional manuscript writing guidance.

All scholars must be engaged in work that centers a critical, intersectional lens – particularly focusing on issues of race, gender, sexuality and class inequalities. 

Four selected participants will participate in three workshops, led by professional writing coach and developmental editor Dr. Elena Abbott. Additionally, each researcher will have the opportunity to meet individually with Abbott for five one-hour writing coach consultations.

The writing group will meet monthly (in a combination of virtual and in-person settings) over the winter and spring quarters to provide peer support. At the conclusion of the spring quarter, participants will receive Academic Enrichment Funds ($3,000) after they have submitted a brief reflection of their experience, to assist with the completion of their manuscript/project. Please note that an important component of this initiative is in the creation of a community of writers and thus the ability to meet in person for those opportunities is a requirement of participation. 

Applications due December 16, 2022

Workshop 1: “Mindful Productivity” (winter quarter - 2 hours)

This workshop is designed to help writers develop key self-awareness practices in their work so they can mindfully prioritize their physical, mental, and relational health for the duration of their career. This workshop also provides scholar-authors the opportunity to introduce a bit about themselves and their project to the group as a whole, setting the stage for a safe, supported, collective environment. In this workshop, we will:

• Cultivate mindfulness practices to help you remain attuned to your overall well being while engaging meaningfully in your work.
• Take steps to design a writing practice that is more productive, rewarding, and sustainable.
• Introduce your writing objectives and current project(s) to your writing community.

Workshop 2: "Building a Book That Works" (winter quarter - 2 hours) 

Identifying and understanding the relationship between your book’s argument and intended audience are the cornerstones of building an exciting, feasible book project. In this workshop, we will:

• Revisit the components of a strong book proposal.
• Explore how to identify an appropriate audience for your research, goals, and writing timeline.
• Learn how to develop and pitch your argument for your intended audience.
• Develop a clear understanding of how to structure your project to best support your work.

Writing Coaching/Consulting

5 hours of session time per faculty
Up to 5 pages of materials review before each 60-minute session
Individual coaching based on each author’s unique circumstances and needs. Coaching may include:

• Argument development and structural ideation
• Craftwork to pitch writing toward intended audience
• Book proposal assistance
• Customized development of writing/production schedule
• Feedback and accountability

Workshop 3: “What It’s All About: Finding the Narrative Thread” (spring quarter - 2 hours)

The focus of this workshop is to help authors see their writing project through the eyes of their editor so they can approach writing and revision with more clarity and less anxiety. Designed to help scholars refine what their project is really about on a narrative level and identify the most effective way to develop it for their intended audience, this workshop offers a powerful pathway for communicating a project’s relevance and staying on track for the duration of the writing process. In this workshop, we will:

• Develop the key components of a clear project statement.
• Learn how narrative clarity can help you conceptualize and organize an effective argument.
• Establish an action plan for the next steps in your writing/revision process.