Date/Time
Date(s) - 02/07/2018 - 03/07/2018 9:45 am - 4:30 pm
Location
Lancaster House Hotel
Audience:
Doctoral Students, Early Career Researchers
Course objectives
Like so many things we have to do, writing for your research is one of those things we rarely feel satisfied with. We come up with all sorts of distractions. Convince ourselves we need to read more. Fear wasting time going down the wrong track. Worry we’re not doing justice to the complexity of the ideas we’re grappling with. It can all get so heavy, so much is at stake. Rarely do we feel satisfied; like we’ve done a good days work!
“Dare to Enjoy!” offers a combination of ‘retreat’ to create space to write and live coaching ‘experiments’ to explore different approaches to the experience of writing.
Focusing on a particular piece of writing, in a playful way we’ll explore what happens to our writing when we ask what our writing agenda is (What’s really at stake in this piece of work? What is the goal?), how we get in our own way (What pressure and fears are you creating?), how we might write from different experiences (What perspectives might be helpful?) and what might be worth giving a go (What are the options for playing with here?). The retreat will include identifying new writing habits that you can start putting into practice.
So come prepared to try out and experiment with different approaches to your writing experience. With fun and frustration all thrown into the mix you will leave with some clarity about what works for you.
Outcomes
Participants will come away with:
- Dedicated writing time on their topics.
- Greater awareness of what gets in their way of their writing and how to overcome that.
- Insight from colleagues about their writing experiences and strategies.
- A commitment to new writing habits.
Participants will need:
- to bring a laptop and power lead. You will be writing throughout the two and half days
- to have something you are currently writing with you (chapter, article, analysis, conference paper)
- to be curious, open minded about your writing, and be willing to explore different ways of changing the experience.
- to be on time! It makes a huge difference if we kick off to a good start
NOTE: this workshop will not involve assessment of your writing or engage with writing style, grammar or English. It is about the experience of writing and finding ways to work effectively.
Programme (both days)
09.45 Coffee, set-up and registration
10.00 Start of workshop
12.00 Lunch
13.00 Workshop continues
15.00 Break
16.30 End
About Will Medd
Will brings to the retreat is experience as an academic combined with his current work as a professional coach and mindfulness teacher. He is passionate to ensure participants gain personal value from the experience of the retreat in ways that make a difference over time.
Will has a PhD in Sociology (Lancaster University, 2000), worked as a contract researcher for 6 years (University of Salford and Lancaster University) and was a Lecturer in Human Geography at Lancaster University from 2006-2013. An established researcher, funding bodies for his work included the European Commission, National Research Councils (ESRC and EPSRC), National Government, Private Sector Companies, and Local Authorities. Two of his projects as PI were evaluated as ‘Outstanding’ by the ESRC, one being awarded second place in the ESRC Celebrating Impact Awards, May 2013. Recognising the importance of tracking impact, his work on the 2007 Hull Floods has been used as an Impact Case Study by Lancaster University in the 2013 REF return.
Will is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CTI), Associate Credentialed Coach with the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and Mindfulness Teacher (TeachMindfulness). He has been coaching for over 6 years working with people from all kinds of backgrounds across the UK, including students, PhD students, researchers and academics. As well as developing coaching materials for VITAE and co-writing ‘Your PhD Coach’ with Jeff Gill (published with Open University Press, 2013), he has run coaching programmes for PhD students, contract researchers and established academics. He also runs programmes for undergraduates and his book with Jeff Gill, ‘Get Sorted! How to make the most of your student experience’ was published by Palgrave in April 2015.
More about Will at www.willmedd.com