Overview:
Take time to start or finish your academic writing. The Academic Writing Retreat 'Bootcamp' provides Research Active Staff (Research-focussed, Teaching-focussed and Research & Teaching contracts) with the opportunity to focus exclusively on their academic writing.

Who should attend?
The Retreat 'Bootcamp' is open to Research Active Staff (Research-focussed, Teaching-focussed and Research & Teaching contracts) from any Faculty/Department/Research Centre at the University of Warwick. A minimum of 10 delegates are required for the Academic Writing Retreat 'Bootcamps' to run.

Organisational Development do not accept applications from postgraduates or research students. Students should refer to the Student Opportunities (for Masters students) and Doctoral College (for PhD students) for workshops designed specifically to meet their needs.

Workshop enables Research Active Staff (RAS) to:
The Retreat 'Bootcamp' will include:

• Dedicated writing time for the delegate.

• Opportunities for 'inventing'/planning research.

• Consultation with a writing tutor.

• Feedback opportunities.

The Retreat 'Bootcamp' is an opportunity for delegates to discuss individually their research and academic writing strategies with the writing tutor, and most importantly to have dedicated academic writing time.

Academic writing Retreat 'Bootcamp' may be of benefit to those beginning a new project and/or to research active staff who wish to focus on editing existing work or producing a piece of work from existing research.

Workshop Pre-work:
We ask that delegates attend with a clear writing goal and a specific material outcome that they wish to achieve (e.g. planning the skeleton/outline structure of a new book, or a book proposal, drafting a journal article, responding to journal article feedback and re-submitting, a conference abstract or paper etc). Delegates may also want to do some preparation before the writing away days and/or submit some work for comment. Please submit any work for feedback ahead of the Bootcamp by midday on Wednesday 1st July 2020.

Day 1
runs intermittently online with regular interactions, periods of engagement with other writers, an opportunity for one to one support/ feedback and periods of self-led work off line. An indicative schedule of the day is copied below:

Participants may choose to follow this or work in a self-directed capacity for the full day:

The sample schedule is as follows:

*10.00 –10.20 Check in and introduction to the day

10.20 – 10.50 Goal setting – including submitting their goals online (followed by a break)

11.00 – 11.45 Sprint 1 (followed by a break)

*12.00 –12.25 ‘Productivity tips and techniques’ seminar

12.25 –13.00 lunch and online social

13.00 – 13.45 Sprint 2 (followed by a break)

*14.00 – 14.40 ‘Why not?’ Peer review/paper swap and feedback (followed by a break)

14.50 – 15.30 Sprint 3 (followed by a break)

*15.40 – 16.00 Goal review and re-setting

16.00 - 17.00 (Optional final sprint and/or goal review)

*indicates a facilitator-led activity to join in the Teams space, at other times, participants continue off-line in a self-led capacity.

During the off-line times, participants can book in for 15 minute online 121 meetings to discuss their writing. A schedule of slots will be made available on the morning of the Bootcamp using an online calendar in Doodle to book a slot. The indicative slots are:

10.30-10.45

11.00-11.15, 11.25-11.40

12.30-12.45

13.00-13.15, 13.25-13.40

14.50-15.05, 15.10-15.25

16.00-16.50

Participants can book in for multiple slots throughout the day should they wish to.

This dedicated writing time will help you to consider what you are going to do, and how you are going to do it? There will be a chance to practice new writing strategies, progress your work and ask questions. Participants are asked to submit pre-work which acts as a writing plan and samples of work, the samples are discussed throughout the day as a group online. To get the most out of the day you are encouraged come prepared with a packed lunch and snacks, put a ‘do not disturb’ sign on your door .

Day 2
The second day is self-led; you check in at and check out again at the end of the day or at the point when you finish. During the day, you develop your own writing schedule and benefit from the dedicated time to practice this approach by setting clear goals. The benefits of a semi-structured approach is that you start to evolve the way you write and adapt the strategies to suit you. It's a great way to take a disciplined approach and find your own, sustainable authentic writing practice.

The Schedule for the day is:

*10.00 – 10.20 Check in and introduction to the day

*15.40 – 16.00 Goal review and re-setting and check-out

Participants can book in for 121 sessions throughout the day should they wish to. As this day encourages a more self-directed approach, participants can email the facilitator directly with a suggested meeting slot time. The facilitator will confirm the slot or suggest an alternative, any times that are ‘taken’ will be posted on the Teams chat to avoid duplication.

At the end of the second day, participants are encouraged to reflect on their way of working and plan in further time in their own diaries to continue to progress with their writing projects in the longer-term.

1-1's
One hour, 1-1 sessions are available to give individual advice on Academic Writing. For further information or to book a place, visit the 1-1's link.

Feedback from previous 'Academic Writing: Retreat 'Bootcamp' workshops:

Feedback from July 2020 Cohort
 Feedback from March 2020 cohort including responses from Organisational Development
Feedback from 15 November 2019 cohort including responses from Organisational Development
Feedback from 7 November 2019 cohort including responses from Organisational Development
 Feedback from July 2019 cohort including responses from Organisational Development
 Feedback from March 2019 cohort including responses from Organisational Development
 Feedback from July 2018 cohort
 Feedback from March 2018 cohort

Quotes
"In addition to having two full days of uninterrupted writing time in an excellent environment for this
undertaking, the general advice on how to tackle distractions and how to create space for writing during the
busy periods of the academic year was excellent.”

March 2019

Led by: To be confirmed.