Writing Support
Summer Writing Support
For one-on-one sessions, e-mail John Hawkins (jchawk2@ilstu.edu).
Summer Graduate Writing Nest
Throughout the summer, join a community writing group to make progress on your summer projects!
We meet in-person (Milner 213B) and onlineat the following dates and times:
Friday, June 26 – 12:30 PM – 4 PM (Milner 213B and online)
Friday, July 10 – 12:30 PM – 4 PM (Milner 213B and online)
Saturday, July 11 – 9 AM – 12:30 PM (online)
Monday, July 13 – 12:30 PM – 4 PM (Milner 213B and online)
Friday, July 31 – 12:30 PM – 4 PM (Milner213B and online)
Saturday, August 1 – 9 AM – 12:30 PM (online)
Monday, August 3 – 12:30 PM – 4 PM (Milner 213B and online)
Come as often as you like. All graduate students are welcome!
We also host a Teams chat for additional support throughout the summer. Reach out to Dr. Hawkins to be added.
The Graduate School offers three writing services to graduate students: one-on-one Writing Fellows, community writing spaces, and workshops and class visits.
We also collaborate with graduate faculty through class visits, consultations, and dissertation/thesis support.
Want us to run a mini-retreat or tailored workshop for your class, department, or affinity group? E-mail John Hawkins (jchawk2@ilstu.edu) for more information.
Graduate Writing Fellows
The Graduate Writing Fellows provide one-on-one writing support for graduate students from any program and at any stage of the writing process, from brainstorming on a blank page to revising a dissertation.
We can meet in person or online to help you with ideas, drafting, organization, style, grammar, and source use. Please note that we cannot proofread or edit your writing.
If you would like us to read a draft before a session, upload them ahead of time through Accudemia. While we accept pages at any time, we strongly encourage you to submit them at least five days ahead of your appointment.
Find us at the new Graduate Support Annex in Milner 213B or online.
Dr. John C. Hawkins
Background: My role at ISU is to build writing support for graduate students across campus. I am passionate about making the academic writing process approachable for students from all backgrounds. My areas of expertise include writing anxiety and writer’s block, thesis and dissertation drafting, and the power of self-compassion and resilience in academic writing.
I earned my PhD in English, with a concentration in Women’s and Gender Studies, from Loyola University Chicago. My research focuses on political imagination in human-animal relationships, especially in U.S. fiction and media. I love to hear people’s animal stories!
Skills:
- Navigating the academic writing process
- Helping grad writers when they feel "stuck"
- Providing tools and resources for long-term writing projects
If you are feeling stuck in your writing, are working with a professor on a particular challenge, or want a friendly sounding board for your projects, feel free to contact me for a one-on-one appointment.
I also provide faculty consultations, class visits, and subject-based writing groups as requested.
If you would like to set up a meeting, please send a message to jchawk2@ilstu.edu.
Appointment location: Hovey Hall, 211A
Email Dr. Hawkins for an appointment
Community Writing Spaces
Community Writing Spaces provide graduate students with quiet, dedicated environments to focus on their writing and graduate work, with Graduate Writing Fellows available for support.
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Friday Graduate Writing Nest (Drop-In): Come any Friday afternoon for a peaceful, distraction-free place to think, write, and make progress alongside peers. No sign-up required.
- Fridays throughout the semester from 1:00 – 4:30 p.m.
- Location: Milner 213B and Zoom
- To join the Writing Nest Teams chat, e-mail Dr. Hawkins (jchawk2@ilstu.edu).
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Saturday Writing Sprints: Select Saturdays offer structured, focused writing sessions. Graduate Fellows are on hand for guidance and encouragement. Advanced sign-up required.
- Spring '26 Sprints: 1/24, 2/14, 3/28, and 4/18 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
- Location: Milner 6th Floor
- Register on the Workshop Series page
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Writing Retreats: Extended sessions in a supportive community setting, complete with light meals to keep you fueled and focused. Advanced sign-up required.
- Spring Break Graduate Writing Retreat: March 9-11, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
- Location: Milner 6th Floor
Workshops
Our workshops provide targeted support for graduate writers at different stages of the process. Sessions are interactive, practical, and designed to help you strengthen your skills while connecting with peers.
Overcoming Writing Anxiety: How to Change Our Relationship to the Writing Process
Tuesday February 24th 6:30 - 8:00pm
“Being stuck in our writing isn’t just an intellectual or emotional problem; it’s a power problem.” - Michelle Boyd
What do we do when the labor of writing seems overwhelming? How do we make sense of the risks we take when we write? This conversational workshop, co-hosted by WGSS and the Graduate School Writing Support team, suggests that writing might become a site for meaningful work with others instead of an isolating burden. We will discuss strategies for breaking through writer’s block, risk assessment in 2026, and the importance of community in the writing process.
Register for the February 24th Session
Additional Resources
Video tutorials on Thesis/Dissertation formatting
Milner Library's Guide to Academic Writing - Resource repository for topics related to academic writing including strategies for writing, grammar, punctuation, and avoiding plagiarism & self-plagiarism as well as information on writing literature reviews and abstracts.
Milner Library's Guide to Citing Sources - Style guides for APA, MLA, Chicago, and other citation methods, as well as source management/citation creation suggestions.
Graduate Student Canvas Site - Collection of resources related to writing support.