The Writing Center is offering several options for weekly graduate writing groups this semester. Led by experienced instructors, these groups provide an opportunity for sustained writing practice within a community of other student writers. Writing groups take place in one of the following modes:
- in-person
- online / fully virtual
This spring, writing groups begin meeting in Week 3 of classes (February 2–6, 2026) and continue meeting through Week 15 (April 27–May 1). Writing groups do not meet on any day that is identified as a “no classes” day on the official university schedule (e.g., Spring Recess, which is Week 11 of the semester, or March 28–April 5, 2026).
To express interest in joining a writing group, please fill out this form:
To receive priority consideration for a Spring 2026 writing group, please complete this interest form by Wednesday, January 28 at 5 p.m. CT. Forms received after this date will be considered for additional openings.
We will notify you about your writing group assignment by Thursday, January 29. Your facilitator will follow up with a welcome message that includes information about your group’s plan for meeting. In the meantime, if you have any questions about our writing groups, please email Jenny Conrad, Writing Groups Coordinator.
About the Graduate Writing Groups
At the Writing Center, we believe that community and accountability, along with setting achievable goals, play a significant role in completing major writing projects. Past participants in our weekly graduate writing groups have finished proposals, chapters, articles, and have even defended their dissertations! Since the Writing Center wants to help you achieve these milestones, we offer graduate students space and time each week to maximize their productivity. Each three-hour meeting begins with goal setting and ends with brief discussions about writing strategies and accomplishments. The bulk of each meeting, however, is devoted to structured writing time so that you can make substantial progress on your writing projects.
Monday Morning Graduate Writing Group
Meeting time: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. CT
Format: registered (same attendees each week, attendance required)
Mode: online/fully virtual
Facilitator: Helenia Quince
This writing group is an intentional space for graduate-level students to work toward their writing goals in community. In this group, we will collaboratively explore the structure of your writing process by offering a 15-minute check-in to set your intentions for the session and a brief 5-minute reflection to provide strategies to maintain focus during this process. This writing group is a collaborative space, welcoming writers and learners of all styles. I (Helenia) will give you one-to-one time to answer questions or offer the space to reflect on your written process. Writing can be accessible to everyone, regardless of your starting point, whether you need the space to organize and figure out your structure or are in the editing phase of the process.
Tuesday Morning Graduate Writing Group @ the MSC
Meeting time: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. CT
Format: registered (same attendees each week), plus drop-ins welcome if registered beforehand
Mode: in person
Location: Multicultural Student Center, Red Gym (Room 243)
Facilitator: Jay Lowe
This graduate writing group is designed to support students across a wide range of disciplines and in any stage of their degree program. Each week, participants will work alongside one another as they complete their respective writing projects, supporting and motivating each other to work toward achieving their writing goals. The facilitator, Jay, will be available during the meetings for individual support and to answer questions.Wednesday Morning Graduate Writing Group
Meeting time: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. CT
Format: registered (same attendees each week, attendance required)
Mode: in person
Location: Helen C. White Hall, 6th floor
Facilitator: Sujash Purna
In this writing group we will address the rhetorical situation of our graduate-level writing. We will consider questions that help us explore different writing contexts such as grad-level course writing, research proposals, job application letters, etc. We will kick off each meeting with a few metacognitive questions and/or prompts intended to get deeper into the purpose and the meaning of our writing projects. We will then spend time freewriting as a way to reflect, which in turn should lead to materials to continue to expand on or develop or simply to brainstorm if you’re starting from scratch. I (Sujash) will be available during the rest of the time during each meeting to meet with you individually to listen to you and help you explore strategies to make your writing more effective and meaningful to your audience—whether it is your dissertation committee or your future employer.
Wednesday Afternoon Graduate Writing Group for Writers with Disabilities
Meeting time: 2 to 4 p.m. CT
Format: registered (same attendees each week)
Mode: online
Facilitator: Ellen Cecil-Lemkin
This writing group provides an opportunity for graduate students to gather, write, and make progress on program requirements, journal articles, and other projects with a supportive writing community. Group meetings will include check in and goal-setting, writing time, and check out. Weekly attendance is not mandatory, but we encourage group members to commit to consistent attendance as able to cultivate community and accountability.Wednesday Evening Graduate Writing Group
Meeting time: 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. CT
Format: registered (same attendees each week, attendance required)
Mode: online / fully virtual
Facilitator: Erin Miller
This graduate student writing group meets on Wednesday evenings and is well-suited for students who are looking for structure, support, and the space to evaluate their writing habits. As a writing instructor and tutor, I (Erin) prioritize metacognition and reflection as two skills that aid writers at any stage of their writing project. I also strongly believe that the interplay between writing and talking helps writers understand and grow more confident in their abilities—and increases friendly accountability. Therefore, each writing group session will begin with a fifteen-minute warm-up discussion about a short reading on writing, writing tips, and/or goal setting. Then, we will transition into about two and a half hours of writing time, in which participants will have the option to write independently or consult with me as needed. Each session will conclude with roughly fifteen minutes of sharing what we accomplished in our time together, with emphasis on describing the specific skills worked on and how it felt to do this work. My hope for this group is that we will all get to know ourselves better as writers and celebrate the monumental progress we make in our projects this semester!Friday Drop-in Graduate Writing Group
Meeting time: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. CT
Format: drop-in (attend when you’re available)
Mode: in person
Location: Helen C. White Hall, sixth floor
Facilitator: Ileaha Anderson
This drop-in graduate writing group provides a dedicated space for writing each Friday of the semester, starting Week 3 (February 6). Drop in any time between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. to work on your writing project. Please feel free to come and go as your schedule permits, and attend as often as you like! We will touch base at the beginning of each session, allocating about 5-10 minutes for setting goals and fostering connections between writers. For the rest of the session, participants will write and work on their own individual drafts, with Ileaha available for one-on-one conferences. Participants can work on whatever makes sense for them. At the end of each session, we'll debrief briefly to celebrate and reflect on the day's work.
Affiliated Writing Groups
Graduate Writing Group for Community-Engaged Scholars
Meeting time: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. CT on Mondays
Format: registered (same attendees each week, attendance required)
Mode: in person
Location: Round Room in the Morgridge Center for Public Service (MCPS), 154 Red Gym
Facilitator: Nicole Ramer
The Community-Engaged Writing Group, co-sponsored by the Morgridge Center for Public Service and the Writing Center, provides a supportive writing space for graduate students involved in community-engaged scholarship, including community-engaged research, grant writing, community-based learning, or projects that draw on community knowledge and partnerships. Each meeting includes a brief 15-minute check-in, an optional discussion or framing related to community-engaged writing, structured writing time, and opportunities to ask questions or meet one-on-one with facilitators. Meetings are held in the Morgridge Center, where participants write alongside others working through similar questions and commitments. Participants are encouraged to attend regularly to build accountability and momentum in their writing. Sign up here: tinyurl.com/communityengagedGWGSP26.
Graduate Writing Group @ the GSCC
Meeting time: 4 to 6 p.m. CT on Wednesdays
Format: registered (same attendees each week), plus drop-ins welcome if registered beforehand
Mode: hybrid (in person & Zoom attendance supported)
Location: GSCC conference room (716 Langdon Street, Room 137) and online
Facilitators: GSCC student staff
Co-sponsored by the Gender & Sexuality Campus Center (GSCC), this writing group offers a supportive community for graduate student writers. This writing group meets in person at the GSCC (Conference Room). Each session will offer options for setting goals and sharing writing progress, as well as structured writing time. Join to make progress on your class assignment, proposal, article, dissertation, or personal writing project in an affirming community!
What people are saying about writing groups
“I took part in graduate writing groups four semesters in a row and going once a week to these groups is what kept me writing and eventually what allowed me to graduate. I loved being part of a community of writers who inspired me and kept me accountable.”
—Sandrine P., Second Language Acquisition
“Throughout my time as a grad student, writing group has been a vital space to get work done without destroying myself in the process. Beyond offering a dedicated space and time, it gave me a compassionate, endlessly inspiring group of facilitators and peers with whom I have commiserated and celebrated just about every part of the writing process, from outlining seminar papers to submitting dissertation chapters.”
—Luke U., Spanish & Portuguese
“The Writing Center writing groups provided me structure, accountability, community, all of which helped me write my prelim, dissertation proposal, a (funded) grant application, and two journal articles. In my last semester, the Tuesday morning writing group was instrumental in finishing my dissertation. I am so grateful for the support of my fellow graduate students and to the writing center staff!”
—Emma, School of Social Work
“I decided to apply for the graduate writing group this semester because I know that I write best when working while surrounded by other quiet, hard-working people. I was looking for a space and time I could dedicate to writing that could provide those requirements, and the grad writing group definitely fit the bill. I would recommend the grad writing group to anyone who is struggling to carve out a time and space for writing on any project.”
—Sarah G., Chemistry
“I used the writing group as a way to be accountable and to have a positive and supportive writing space. The writing groups helped me prepare for and tackle prelims because I had a dedicated space and time for them. Talking at the beginning with other students really helped to see that I wasn’t alone in the process, and I really enjoyed the little ‘tidbits’ of information and writing strategies we did at the beginning of sessions.”
—Kate M., Curriculum & Instruction
“I use the writing groups to incorporate accountability into my weekly writing. By checking in with colleagues at the start and end of each group meeting, I have a mechanism for recording my progress, identifying challenges, and troubleshooting difficulties.”
—Fred B., Biostatistics
“I joined the writing groups to get a fixed block of writing time every week as a dissertator. These groups help me reach my goals by “forcing” me to think about writing goals and sit down and write for 2.5 hours per week. I would recommend these groups to others because it is so hard to protect one’s writing time and writing groups have been an effective solution for me.”
—Junhao L., Risk and Insurance