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Next Thursday, the Mary G. Walsh Writing Center (in partnership with the Center for Research and Activities), will be hosting a one-day Winter Intersession Intensive Writing Retreat on January 6, 2022 from 8:30 am to 4 pm.

This one-day version of the Just Write program allows faculty to make a commitment to a low-key writing session that will allow them to keep their projects on track. The event will be held on Zoom. To participate, simply email ssu-research@salemstate.edu with "Winter Intensive" in the subject line, and we will send you the Zoom link.

The Center for Research and Creative Activities (CRCA) interviewed Al DeCiccio (Writing Center Coordinator) to get more of an idea what to expect from the January 6th event!

[CRCA] Can you tell us about the idea behind a one-day version of the Just Write workshop? 

[DeCiccio] There are about ten of us who have set aside an hour every week [this academic year] to Just Write. In our sessions, we tell one another what we plan to do (read, organize, draft, edit) and we then explain what we accomplished. So that our writing momentum wouldn’t be lost, I drafted a plan that would allow us to write in early January, the 6th, for the whole day, with various times to check in about our progress. Participants will receive writing tips throughout the day, and they will take away a template about how to maintain productivity.

[CRCA] What will the day include?

[DeCiccio] As mentioned, participants will have chances to explain what they will work on, two hours to just write, opportunities to tell what they accomplished, a chance for a response to their writing, and a chance to unwind and socialize. At various times during the day. I will introduce some tips about overcoming writing obstacles. At the end of the day, I will give participants a template for maintaining their writing productivity.

[CRCA] Who can participate?

[DeCiccio] Anyone who wants to write in the company of others without distractions can participate.

[CRCA] What do they need to do to participate?

[DeCiccio] All they have to do to participate is let the CRCA office know, and they will receive Zoom information about the day. Then, they can just write along with the rest of us. Simply email ssu-research@salemstate.edu with "Winter Intensive" in the subject line, and we will send you the Zoom link.

[CRCA]What is the goal of completing the 2022 January Intensive Just Write Workshop?  

[DeCiccio] I think there are several goals. In addition to maintaining momentum for writing that some of us gained in the fall, we will learn a little more about what our colleagues across the disciplines are researching and writing bout. We will have more strategies for meeting and overcoming writing obstacles and maintaining writing productivity. Perhaps best of all, we will enjoy the camaraderie of working with one another on a common enterprise: writing.

[CRCA] Anything else you’d like to tell us about the event? 

[DeCiccio] Everyone who is able to make the commitment to just write has spoken about how their professional lives have been buoyed by sharing their experiences (triumphs and frustrations) when writing for publication. That affirmation is a gift this event will provide every participant.