Writing is typically considered a solitary activity—you, alone with your thoughts, a computer, and an oversized bag of chocolate covered pretzels. (Okay, maybe the pretzel thing is just me.)
Some writers take the idea of solitude to the extreme. At the University of Missouri, where I attended graduate school, the library has metal cages in the darkest, creepiest corners of the building where students can sequester themselves to write.
I never rented a cage, but I did spend the better part of my graduate experience alone in my apartment miserably slogging away at my writing projects. Now, two writing-heavy graduate degrees later, I have realized that I am a more efficient and joyful writer when I leave solitary confinement and include others in my writing process.
So, I got myself a writing buddy, and I think you should, too!
What is a Writing Buddy?
A writing buddy is exactly what it sounds like—a person with whom you share writing ideas and goals, exchange drafts and feedback, commiserate about writing frustrations, and celebrate writing successes. A good writing buddy is like this incredible hybrid of colleague and best friend: they hold you accountable to your writing goals, but they’re also there to encourage you over a cup of coffee when you fail.
What are the Benefits?
● Increased Motivation. Recently, my writing buddy and I went out for coffee and chatted about our current writing projects. Articulating my ideas out loud, answering her questions, and exchanging thoughts and book recommendations breathed new life into my project. BONUS: I know my project will be stronger, more nuanced, and more interesting than if I tried to write it in complete isolation.
● Accountability. I am a chronic procrastinator, but my writing buddy regularly checks in with me to make sure I’m working toward my goals. When she checks in, I want to be able to tell her, “Yes! I finished that draft!” or, at least, “I wrote a paragraph of that draft!” The fact that my writing buddy is Miss Productive also helps. She writes much more than I do, and hearing about her works-in-progress always inspires me.
● Feedback. Playwright George Bernard Shaw famously said, “The single biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” All writing exists to communicate ideas. So, whether you are writing an academic essay, a dissertation, a novel, a poem, or an assignment prompt, getting feedback is essential. Feedback is the only way we can know if our attempt to communicate has been successful. I especially value feedback from my writing buddy because she is familiar with my writing style, bad habits, struggles, and goals.
● Friendship. Truly, writing buddies often turn into the best of friends. With writing as a foundation, you’ll find yourself falling quickly into intellectual conversations, sharing vulnerabilities, and uplifting one another.
Where Do You Find One?
If you are a student looking for academic writing support, consider asking a fellow student within your major or degree program to be your writing buddy. The two of you will share coursework knowledge, have similar writing assignments, and likely share similar writing goals.
On the flip side, if you are interested in broadening your writing skills and gaining perspectives beyond your department, you could also consider asking someone in a different degree program, or a writerly friend or relative. While these writers may not be as familiar with the expectations of your academic department, they’ll likely ask lots of questions that can help you refine/strengthen your ideas, and they’ll be able to tell you if your writing is clear to outside readers.
You do not need to know a person well to ask them to be your writing buddy. If you have a hunch that you may work well with a certain classmate or new acquaintance, go for it! The worst that can happen is that they say “no.” Their loss.
You also do not need to live in the same city as your writing buddy. Many writers meet with their buddies on Zoom or exchange feedback and encouragement via email.
If asking someone to be your writing buddy is just too horrifying, though, another option is to schedule regular visits with a particular consultant at the Writing Studio or Online Writing Lab (OWL). Meeting consistently with the same writing consultant can be hugely beneficial. Your consultant will grow familiar with your work and learn to adjust their feedback style to best meet your needs and goals.
Writers can use the Writing Studio or OWL at any stage in the writing process for any type of project as many times as they want. So, whether you want to brainstorm ideas, chat about an upcoming assignment, work on outlines, get feedback on a few paragraphs, or polish a completed draft, you can (and should!) make an appointment.
Set Expectations
Once you’ve secured yourself a writing buddy, make sure you set some clear expectations for the relationship. How often will you meet? Will you hold each other accountable to writing goals? By what means will you check in with one another? Will you exchange works-in-progress for feedback? For example, I meet once per month with my writing partner to discuss our current projects and share goals for the month. We text each other once per week to check in, and we sometimes exchange manuscripts for feedback (but not consistently). Your writing partnership may look different from mine, and that’s a good thing! You get to decide what works for you. Just make sure your plan is simple, sustainable, and mutually beneficial.
Happy writing!
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Jo Saleska Lange graduated from Concordia University Irvine in 2012 and went on to earn an MA in literature from the University of Missouri-Columbia and an MFA in fiction from the University of Missouri-St. Louis, where she won the Mary Troy Prize for fiction. For several years, she worked as the Assistant Director of CUI’s Writing Studio, a role which involved teaching writing courses across academic disciplines, developing writing skills workshops, and curating writing resources for students and faculty. Now, she is a stay-at-home mom, freelance editor, and fiction writer. As a mother of two tiny humans, she doesn’t have a lot of spare time (IYKYK), but, when she does, she enjoys hiking and sipping cold drinks out on restaurant patios. You can find her at josaleska.com.