Faculty Q&A: Chris Jones talks writing, community and success

Writer’s block affects everyone, even the most experienced writers. And sometimes, what writers struggle to do the most is write. To help facilitate writing and build community, the Humanities Institute offers a writing studio every semester, giving faculty and graduate students the opportunity to engage with their peers and work towards completing a major writing project. The summer sessions start this week and are led by Chris Jones, an associate professor of history in the School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies. Read on to see how you can utilize the Writing Studio to advance your next project.

How long have you been leading the Writing Studio and what do you love about it?

I have been leading the Writing Studio for five years. What I most love about the Writing Studio is the opportunity to create connection and community around what is often the loneliest part of the academic life — our writing. Academic writing can be incredibly challenging, and many scholars feel isolated and that it is so much harder for them than anyone else. I really value creating community where people can understand shared struggles and get support in advancing their projects.

What can writers expect during the summer sessions of the Writing Studio?

Writers can expect to have dedicated time to work on their projects in a structured environment. They can expect to learn some tools and tricks that help break large writing projects into manageable chunks, and they will get support from me and their peers in reaching their goals. They can also expect to meet some new colleagues and have some fun along the way.

What are the benefits of engaging in disciplined writing sessions and workshops with your peers?

One of the biggest benefits is having a structure in place that allows you to push aside the rest of your obligations and focus entirely on your scholarship. I have also come to believe very strongly during my time leading the Writing Studio that regularly writing in smaller chunks — at least a bit as many days of the week as possible — generates positive momentum that makes it much easier to start and stop. It also helps to realize that many of the things we struggle with writing are challenges for others as well. Writing is hard! There's a reason the trope of the miserable writer exists. But it can help lighten the burden when we realize that the challenges we're struggling with are a part of the writing process, not an individual failing. Realizing that writing is hard for almost everyone can help us be kinder with ourselves, which is a great help for moving forward.

How do you support writers in the Writing Studio?

Through structured writing activities and a set of tips and tricks to manage the writing process. The goal is always to spend most of the time we are together writing. What writers need more than anything else is simply the time and space in a supportive structure to get words on the page. I seek to supplement that writing time with some advice about how to develop a sustainable and productive writing practice. We'll review topics like the benefits of regular writing, using concentrated chunks of time, grounding before beginning, and perhaps most importantly, learning to forgive ourselves when our writing does not go as well as we hope.

What advice do you have for writers?

I think one of the great myths of writing is that if we are only harder-working, more determined and more dedicated that it will all work out. Too little attention is paid to how writing is emotionally-intensive labor. Academics study what we do because we love it, and as a result, we tend to invest ourselves heavily in our work. That makes writing hard, because we feel personally caught up in how well it comes out. But this can be detrimental in many ways. And a big part of what we have to do to be successful as writers is to disentangle ourselves as people from the products of our writing. Learning to manage ourselves and our emotions is key. I've found it's a lot easier to do that in community than on my own, and I hope the Writing Studio provides that space to others.

Is there anything else you would like to share?

New members are always welcome at the Writing Studio!

All graduate students and faculty members are eligible and welcome to attend. Register online. The Writing Studio supported by the Humanities Institute, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Department of English, the School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies, and the School of International Letters and Cultures.