Month: March 2026

If our Writing Center tutors could be any book character…who would they be?

Pierce says he would probably be Winnie the Pooh. It’s unclear whether he said this because Pooh gets to live a life as a snuggly, laid-back bear, or if it’s because Pierce is just so lovable, too.

Mandi says she would be Belle from Beauty and the Beast. She would look beautiful in Belle’s big yellow dress! Mandi is also a bookworm who’s sweet and caring, just like Belle, so she’s basically Belle already.

Rhia, one of our student managers, would be Belly Conklin from The Summer I Turned Pretty. Belly is a very romantic dreamer. This may be Rhia, or maybe she’s just so enthralled by the Fisher brothers’ love triangle! A page turner, for sure.

Ari says they would be Olive Smith from The Love Hypothesis because they’re just such a hopeless romantic!

Cam says they would be Winnie the Pooh or Christopher Robin, but since Pierce already claimed Winnie, Cam could be his human companion in the story of Winnie the Pooh! Besties!

Finally, Lauren says she would be Katniss Everdeen (a.k.a me). I would be Katniss because of my fierce bravery…except I’m not fiercely brave, I just wish I could be as awesome as Katniss is.

If you could be any book character, who would you be? Why?

~ Lauren

 

Doubting your ideas, capabilities, and strengths is very normal, whether you’re a professional or academic writer. However, where this becomes a problem is when it hinders your motivation and ability to complete your work. I would like to share some insights about tips and tricks that work for me to push past the barriers that I often create for myself 🙂

1. View the feedback you get, whether from peers or professors, as a chance to grow not as a failure – as someone who tutors, when I give anyone who comes into the Writing Center feedback about the strengths or growth areas of their work, my feedback ALWAYS comes from a place of, “I want to help this person in any way I can,” not a place of, “I want to criticize their work.” It’s so easy to think that feedback or criticism undermines the work you thought was good, but writing is objective sometimes, so people see things differently than you. Take feedback with a grain of salt, and try your best to see it as an opportunity to get better, not an opportunity to tear yourself down.
2. Embrace that your ideas are unique to you – embrace your creativity and experiences. Don’t undermine the interest of your topic either, especially if it’s personal. I know that as someone who is going to be a future teacher, I can’t wait to see what all of my students will bring to the table when they write. And as an academic writer myself, I find it really easy to feel like my ideas are silly or not interesting enough. But if I feel confident with it, I am not going to worry about judgment, especially from peers, because it matters to ME.
3. Focus on your strengths as a writer, and use that as a tool to succeed – if your strength is grammar, voice, structure, prewriting, revising, researching, brainstorming, etc., then CAPITALIZE on them while you’re writing. View every writing opportunity as a way to show off what you are great at doing. And along the way, when you come across criticism or necessary areas of growth, then know that that just means you can now grow in those areas too and be a master of that domain too!

My biggest takeaway, I hope you all get from this, is that your trust in your own abilities matters more than anything. If you ever feel doubtful, come on over to the Writing Center for some positive and constructive feedback on any writing you worked on!

~ Lauren

Hi writers!

We’re gearing up to head into Spring Break. Sadly, the Writing Center is not open over Spring Break, but come see us before we close for break to get all those midterm papers checked on!

Our hours for the remainder of the week are:

• Thursday: 12-8pm
• Friday: 12-4pm

The Writing Center wishes you a relaxing Spring Break 🙂

~ Lauren