Logo_Blue_282FACULTY WRITING CONSULTANT

Renee Gutiérrez
CAFE’s Faculty Writing Consultant
gutierrezar@longwood.edu
434-395-2070

Need help with your academic writing?

One of my passions is helping others research, write, and publish. CAFE has contracted me to do just that: work alongside professors and staff here at Longwood get the job done, especially on the writing end of things. Please feel free to contact me; my information is above.

Three of my favorite activities for academic writers:

  1. Come to a “Shut Up and Write” session at CAFE whose entire purpose is to make the solitary act of writing a communal one, by writing in a room with other writers. We don’t chat except during 5-minute breaks every half hour: we get words on the page. Zoom attendance is an option.
  2. CAFE also frequently hosts writers’ group meetings, where you typically bring two new pages of writing every week, and the group peer edits them. The accountability helps, and having people from other disciplines read your work helps you write very clearly. One rule: what happens in writers’ group, stays in writers’ group. It’s a safe space.
  3. Make a one-on-one appointment with me. You can tell me about your experience writing, and what you think works. I can bring additional resources that can help: how to get unstuck, get started, do a quick literature review, write a book proposal, keep your writing program going during the semester, etc. I keep up on the latest research, and have a wide range of tips from the experts. Together you and I can get your research moving forward.
If you’re interested in any of these options, please contact me!
Three quick suggestions to foster happy writing:
  1. Try writing a short amount at regular intervals, like 30 minutes three times a week. Schedule this like you do your classes, and show up to write.
  2. If you’re having trouble getting started or re-started, try the Pomodoro technique: write for 25 minutes, stand up and walk around for 5, then repeat two more times. After that, you’re done writing for the day. You can read this article, “Productivity 101: A Primer to the Pomodoro Technique”
  3. Look for workshops offered by CAFE, like “Start Write In,” or “Plan a Productive Summer.”