Common Missteps and Things to
Watch Out for
Consulting is not giving false praise. Nor is it trashing a
writer’s work. It’s not simply detecting and correcting errors.
It’s not playing the role of therapist (even though there are some
parallels). It’s not taking ownership away from the writer. It’s
not having all the answers.
You do not have to “get through” the whole paper in one session,
rather you need to model time management. Before you start your
hour session, plan together on how you will use that time to cover
your agreed-upon goals for the session.
If the client is quiet/reluctant, you do not need to ‘win them
over’ or impress them by talking/lecturing too much. You can work
to find ways to explain that they need to be engaged since it’s
their own writing and only they can truly re-work/strengthen it.
You should be listening and asking questions more than
anything.
You don’t need to address every error, and you don’t need to
pretend they’re not there. Research has shown if you find or focus
on a pattern of errors, the client will walk away with a better
grasp on a few things (as opposed to being overwhelmed by many
things). Also, if you know there are errors you couldn’t cover in
the session, you should let them know that they need to find the
time to correct those based on the patterns you found or they need
to have another session. Writing and rewriting takes time, usually
more time than they think.
Don’t ever give in and fix someone’s paper. This is unethical
and it sets off a bad chain reaction where they then expect (and
tell others to expect) this type of service every time they come
in. You may think you are helping, but you are hurting way
more.
If you encounter something you don’t understand/know or can’t
explain, do not ignore it. If it logically can be dealt with later,
say that and try to get back to it. Or, ask questions of the staff,
look it up with the client, and show them how you attempt to figure
things out. You are not a robot (or, are you?!) with all the
answers.