Hi there! My name is Cara and I love writing. Before I started
working at the writing center, I never understood the intricate
process of trying to help someone to improve their writing. Before,
I figured writing was an innate talent and couldn’t be learned,
that all good writers would never need any form of tutoring because
they were born to write. That’s never the case, though. One of the
secrets I’ve picked up about both writing and tutoring is the need
for patience: patience in yourself, because sometimes it’s
difficult to pick out that exact word or phrase to express your
thoughts clearly, and patience in the process, because there’s
nothing quick about typing up a ten page essay or writing a
well-told story.
One way to discover patience is through conference. Sometimes,
conversations about your writing are the easiest way to get your
brain pumping, whether you’re in the brainstorming process or
nearly done with your final draft. Whenever I’m stuck, I turn to my
co-workers to talk it out. Writing doesn’t have to be an
individual, torturous process; the social aspect can make it much
more pleasant and enlightening. As a consultant, I don’t want to
teach my client everything I know about writing. Instead, I hope to
show them just how beneficial conversing about writing can be.
Maybe it will inspire them, just as it inspires me!