During quarantine, a lot of people have gotten back into reading for fun, and I’m definitely one of them. I hadn’t read a book that wasn’t for school since around middle school, because I read so much for class that it wasn’t fun anymore. However, now that work has moved online, I’m so tired of staring at screens all day. As a result, reading has become a really great way for me to wind down after a long day of work.
But what does this have to do with my work at the Writing Center here at DePaul? I hardly ever encounter fiction when giving feedback, and the stories I’m reading don’t exactly give pointers on academic feedback. Despite this disconnect, I think that there is a lot that we, as peer tutors, can learn from authors’ writing processes as well as their works.
Tracy Deonn
One author that inspires me everyday is Tracy Deonn, author of Legendborn. Seriously, if you haven’t given this book a shot go do yourself a favor and check it out. I’m definitely not a fan of Arthurian legend generally, but the way that she can implement her own lived experiences within fantasy is incredibly admirable. In addition, I believe it’s something we can all learn from. Whether you’re writing an academic essay, a cover letter, or the best fantasy novel of 2020 (no I will not take any criticism), personalization and perspective are so important.
It can be hard to find a balance between the personal opinions and perspectives that you have in academic writing. A lot of times, I see writers rely heavily on quoting other perspectives or struggling to highlight their own thoughts and connections in academic essays. Similarly, in cover letters or applications, writers often seem hesitant to share their feelings and experiences. However, as tutors, something that we can learn from Tracy Deonn is that our personal ideas and perspectives are tools that enhance our writing in any context, and encouraging that in our tutoring (if a writer is comfortable with it) is incredibly important.
Madeline Miller
Another author that I think we can learn a lot from is Madeline Miller, author of Circe and The Song of Achilles. She takes ancient Greek myths and weaves them into her own powerful narratives. One thing that she has mentioned about her writing process is the incredible amount of research she does in order to build her new reality (Pennington, 2020).
The way in which I see this connecting with my tutoring, is that a lot of comments I make tend to be on the inclusion of research and quotes. I think that sometimes, even in my own writing, it can be easy to display the research you’ve done and feel like that’s enough. However, something that I can take from Madeline Miller is the necessity of engaging with and exploring your research in order to strengthen your discussion. Writing is so much more compelling when you can see how research is being interpreted, examined, and made new in order for the writer to draw their own conclusions.
Grady Hedrix
Finally, last but certainly not least, is Grady Hendrix, author of Horrorstör and The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires. While in his writing I really value his unique voice, I think that, looking to tutoring, his perspective on feedback really struck me. While reading his interview with Matt London (2011), I noted a comment that he made about Holly Black (an author I also love). She sad that, if he were willing to work at it, he could succeed, which he notes made it feel like writing was a possibility for him.
I think that this says a lot about the power of praise in feedback. I know that personally, if I’m in a bad mood or am in a rush on feedback, praise tends to be the first thing that goes. However, empowering writers is such an essential part of feedback. How many times have we seen writers say that they’re “bad at writing” when they come into the Writing Center? How often are writers frustrated about unclear prompts or with their own writer’s block? Giving them agency, support, and confidence coupled with effective feedback is a great way of helping people move forward. However, I think that sometimes we get so immersed in noting our concerns that it can be easy to forget.
Moving Forward
All in all, I’m so glad that I’ve gotten back into reading. Not just for the stories I get to experience, but for all that the authors can teach me about writing. I think that it’s important that we take a critical eye into our personal reading lives, because there is so much to learn and take into our feedback. Below I’ve linked all of the writers’ Goodreads and Twitter accounts in case you want to check them out, and I encourage you to leave links to your favorite writers as well!
Tracy Deonn:
Madeline Miller:
Grady Hendrix:
Holly Black:
References
London, M. (2011). “Clarion Workshop Alumni Interviews: Grady Hendrix.” Tor.com. Retrieved from https://www.tor.com/2011/07/25/clarion-workshop-alumni-interviews-grady-hendrix/
Pennington, C. (2020). “6 Writing Tips from Madeline Miller.” Chelsea Pennington. Retrieved from https://chelseapenningtonauthor.com/madeline-miller/