Writing Studio

Note: for Spring 2023 we will be open from January 30 to May 1st, 2023. 

Our Philosophy

The MCLA Writing Studio is a space where writers collaborate and create. All writers, from first-year students to faculty members, staff, and alumni are welcome. Our trained writing associates will collaborate with writers at any stage of the writing process: from understanding assignments and brainstorming ideas to planning, revising and polishing final drafts. All types of writing are welcome, from argumentative essays, to lab reports, to creative writing, to career materials and Power Point presentations. If you can create it, we can work with you on it!

We in the Writing Studio are also committed to anti-oppressive tutoring practices.  For more information on the ways we work to value the many voices and motivations writers bring with them, please see our Statement on Linguistic Justice, which was collaboratively crafted by Writing Associates and students in the Writing Associate Workshop in Spring 2021. 

Join us for a conversation about a text you are writing and leave with more confidence in yourself as a writer!

Our Services

This year, we offer two different types of appointments to meet your writing and test-prep needs. Our tutoring software, WCOnline, allows you to sign up for a traditional face-to-face appointment with a trained, masked Writing Associate, or for an asynchronous eTutoring appointment where you can receive written feedback on a draft within 24 hours. Read the descriptions below to figure out which appointment type best fits your needs. 

in-person, face-to-face appointments 

This type of appointment, generally our most popular, is ideal for writers who prefer in-person conversation. Come visit us in Murdock 120 and we'll get to know you as a writer, discuss the assignment together, and then ask you what kind of feedback you'd like before embarking on our tutoring session. Be ready for lots of questions and interaction! To protect yourself and the Writing Associate with whom you work, please wear your mask at all times. 

• To make a Face-to-Face appointment, click "Schedule Appointment" below, choose an available appointment slot, choose “Face-to-Face Tutoring,”  and fill in the required information.
• You may also drop by Murdock 120 for a walk-in appointment, but writers with appointments get priority. During busy times of the year, like midterms and finals, we recommend making an appointment in advance. 
• If you are uncomfortable sharing printed documents, please upload your text and the essay prompt to the appointment slot. Otherwise, feel free to bring two printed copies of what you'd like to work on, one for you and one for the Writing Associate. 
• Please bring your laptop and your own pencil and paper to the appointment, too. The Writing Associate will also take notes based on your conversation and provide them to you at the end of your appointment. 

Asynchronous e-tutoring

This type of remote tutoring occurs without direct contact with the Writing Associate. You’ll upload your text and the essay prompt prior to your appointment time. Then, during your appointment time, the Writing Associate will use the Microsoft Word commenting function to ask clarifying questions in the margins of the text, to point to grammatical patterns, and so forth. They will also draft an end comment summarizing their marginal comments to help you prioritize. If applicable, they might also include links to online resources that may be useful to you as you revise and self-edit. 

• This type of online tutoring is ideal for writers who can’t meet in real time during our posted hours, or for those writers who already have a draft. For brainstorming sessions, please consider making a Face-to-Face appointment. 
• To participate, click “Schedule Appointment” below, choose a Writing Associate who is available for “Asynchronous eTutoring,” and fill out the required information.
• Then, prior to your appointment time, please upload to your appointment slot the essay prompt and an assignment of no more than 7 pages. If you have multiple documents that exceed 7 pages, or an essay that is more than 7 pages, please make another appointment, as the Writing Associate has only an hour per appointment slot to provide feedback.
• You will receive an email notification from WCOnline when the Writing Associate has uploaded their feedback. Generally, you'll receive this feedback within 24 hours of your appointment slot. 
• Here's a short video on asynchronous appointments.

MTEL TEST PREP SUPPORT

The Writing Studio is happy to announce a new service for students taking the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (the MTEL)! We now have MTEL Associates available to discuss tips and tricks for taking this important test.

There are many ways the Writing Studio can help you prepare for this high-stakes test:

• We can help you come up with brainstorming and planning strategies to help you better craft your timed essays.
• We can help you understand MTEL prompts (we have a few on hand).
• We can help you with the grammar portion of the MTEL (we have a few on hand).
• We can proctor practice MTEL tests with samples we have on hand if you’d like to practice what it feels like to take a timed test in a supportive environment.
• We can provide feedback on MTEL practice essays you’ve already created.

Make a face-to-face appointment with an MTEL Associate by clicking "Schedule Appointment" below. Be sure you sign up for an appointment with Chloe Mascitelli, as not all of our Writing Associates are trained to work with MTEL prep. We also recommend making a Face-to-Face appointment, rather than an Asynchronous eTutoring appointment, as test-taking support works better with real-time conversation. 

Schedule appointment