Public Writing Initiative
FOR STUDENTS
Welcome!
The Public Writing Initiative is pleased to announce a Spring 2024 pilot program for students who are interested in sharing their ideas with public audiences. Apply and learn more below.
STUDENT PUBLISHING PROGRAM
In short, we want to help students publish their writing. Whether via personal blogs, local news outlets, social media, or other publications, our goal is to provide students with resources and awareness for circulating their ideas and taking their writing public.
We’re seeking 6-8 undergraduate writers who have a strong interest in writing and the draft of a project they have a desire to publish. As a part of the pilot project, students will receive one-to-one consultations and resources for publishing their work.
How does it work?
The pilot program includes both individual and group conversation in an effort to put students on the path toward publication and introduce them to a community of like-minded writers. As part of the program, participants will gain a basic understanding of publishing processes along with feedback and guidance on their work-in-progress. Writers will receive 2-3 consultations with a PWI fellow, in addition to one small group networking conversation with a Penn State student publication editor. In addition, students will have the chance to learn new ways to leverage their writing and publishing experience for professional advancement via resumes, networking, social media, or press releases. As part of this professional advancement, students will have an opportunity to write about and
highlight their journey to publication on the PWI blog.*
The Public Writing Initiative (PWI) is a project of The Writing Center @ Penn State Learning that serves as a resource for student writers and writing teachers. Our mission is to provide opportunities for instructors to bring public writing into the classroom, and for students to consider the impact of writing for audiences beyond the classroom.
*The PWI cannot guarantee publication of any project. However, all participants (regardless of publication) will have the opportunity to write about the process for the PWI blog.
What's included?
Consultation One (30 min): Introductions to the writing project and publishing process. Students share their ideas and PWI consultants provide initial coaching on project development and publishing basics.
Consultation Two (30 min): Students share an updated draft of their work, along with documents for the initial publishing process (query letters, pitches, emails, etc.) PWI consultants provide feedback and guidance on moving the project forward.
Small Group Networking Conversation (1 hour): Students are introduced to a community of writers who share their interest in publishing. The goal of this conversation is to provide updates, ask questions, create contacts, and build a network of writers who are working on similar project goals. Includes a short talk and contact with an editor of a student-run publication.
Optional Follow-Up Consultation (30 min): In the final, optional, consultation, students may discuss additional questions or in-progress opportunities. This is also a chance to share successes and/or possibilities for re-envisioning writing projects. Finally, this might be a consultation to talk about the publication journey for the PWI blog.
What are the requirements?
The only true requirement is a promising draft with a targeted public audience. We will work with you to refine your materials into a publishable project. Beyond that, we’re looking for students who understand the importance of that “so what?” factor — students who recognize their reason for writing and why their voice matters. Example projects might include position papers, columns, profiles, memoirs, personal essays, or popular research articles (among many others!) We hope to work with writers who want to contribute their voice to public conversations on topics that are important to them. This opportunity is currently best suited for non-fiction genres, but we welcome queries on additional projects.
Student writers will be expected to commit to a total of 2 – 2.5 consultation hours with Public Writing Initiative Fellows. The majority of the time commitment will come between consultations in the form of writing, revising, editing, and research toward publication. While project development will differ with each writer, students should anticipate approximately the same time commitment for one additional course project.