update on the writing group situation

[tigriswolf]

So, I think my "partner" and I have a fundamental disconnect.

I sent her what I had of Paper 2 because my advisor advised I give the group one more week and see if things improved. We planned to meet tomorrow after receiving feedback over the weekend.

I received feedback that amounted to "this is not ready; keep working and we'll meet later."

I have been working on this paper since early in the summer. I am sick of looking at it and I don't know how to move forward. Which I told her. Because my belief of writing groups is that they help you figure out how to say what you want to say and turn it into something cohesive and great. Right? That's what all the successful groups have been saying.

But. She replied that her thought was that the writing groups are for exchanging 'submission to class' level papers. I don't have that yet. I have until December 1 to get that, which the writing group is supposed to help me do. After her email, I started crying frustrated tears because I don't understand why this isn't working. I keep getting dinged in my history class for not writing scholarly enough, and then this shit in my writing class, and the TA in my anthropology class marking up my formal proposal for all sorts of grammar things when I'm a fucking editor and have never written anthropology stuff before.

Just. Fuck grad school. Fuck it all with fire ants and tabasco sauce.

Anyway. Fundamental disconnect. I've emailed the teacher asking for clarification on what we're supposed to be using the writing groups for.

It's just. I've written about 80000 words of fic since September started. And I've been working on this lit review sine June. It's not even 3000 words, and most of that comes from a paper I cannibalized for this purpose. I've been reading quantitative lit reviews for work for 3 years, and the one I'm writing is supposed to be qualitative. It's different. I need help because I just hate it, now.

I don't even know. Eighty thousands words of fanfic. And that's been easy, it's just flowed (mostly). So why is writing for school so hard? It hasn't always been.

Anyone remember the headache I've had since July last year? It had mostly gone away until this fucking semester. And I don't have dental insurance, and then I have two special needs' cats, and.

Being a grown up is awful and I miss kindergarten every day.

Anyway. Off to write an email explaining how I organized the lit review to see if my partner feels like helping me at all.

Comments

Yeah.

[cattraine.livejournal.com]

One of the reasons I ditched my anthropology degree was they were more interested in form than content when it came to papers.

Re: Yeah.

[tigriswolf]

I just think it's stupid for all the disciplines to have their own format. A difference in quantitative and qualitative, yes, that's fine. But within quantitative? WTF is that?

Also? I'm not an anthropologist. This is meant to be my elective.

[ramblin_rosie]

I know we don't really know each other, but I happened to see this and felt I should offer my condolences and commiserations. Because I've been there--less so with the writing group (sounds to me like your partner either doesn't know how to give concrit or doesn't want to be bothered), but DEFINITELY on the "not scholarly enough" and fiction being so. much. easier. It was worse when I was a chem major, but even in English, I get "not scholarly enough"... even a revise-and-resubmit review said "not overly scholarly," IIRC, though the reviewer thought that was okay. And I cannot for the life of me figure out what that criticism is supposed to mean, other than using too many colloquialisms and maybe having my scholarly voice shaped by years of reading C. S. Lewis. :P
(And don't get me started about confusions over what the audience can or cannot be assumed to know....)

Anyway. I don't have any advice, and I'm sorry. Emailing the prof does sound like the best place to start. But I did want to let you know that you're not alone. And I hope you whacked that one TA with the grammar handbook of your choice.

[tigriswolf]

Thank you so very much!

Nah, I didn't say anything to the TA, though others did. But this is a class of anthropology majors with maybe three of us doing it for some other reason, so I'm just gonna follow her suggestions for the final paper and then be done with it.

[caffienekitty]

Gahhh. That's definitely not any kind of 'partner'. I hope your email to your instructor helps the situation because that's just plain crap.

[tigriswolf]

I hope so, too. Thank you!

[digitalwave]

The is absolutely nothing even remotely close to being your partner in any of their actions, sweetie. That is someone who is judgmental and seems to think she's too good to take part in the process.

I hope that your teacher backs you up and makes them actually do the work that being part of a writer's group entails.

If not, is there any chance of maybe advertising within your school for someone willing to work with you? There have to be others out there who'd actually want to do the work. Who would be willing to give, and receive, constructive crit to become better writers.

Good luck!

[tigriswolf]

My advisor has informed me that what the writing groups do is up to the writing groups and that I should let my 'partner' know what I need.

That is extremely helpful.

My mom suggested talking to my boss, because she's an editor who reads tons of reports, to see if she has any advice. I'm gonna do that tomorrow.

Thanks!

[maldeluxx.livejournal.com]

That sounds really sucky :P *hugs*

[tigriswolf]

It feels sucky.

*snuggles*

[noybusiness.livejournal.com]

It sounds like you might need to talk to a counselor of some kind in the English department or in general, whose job it is to help students who aren't being served by the program, if the teacher doesn't respond helpfully to your email. Something has to be done about that "partner" situation.

I'm reminded of this awful Cultural Anthropology teacher and TA I had, and being told my paper wasn't "anthropological" enough. Which was nonsense.

[tigriswolf]

I've asked my boss the editor to read it over, instead of dealing with my advisor again.

Not "anthropological enough"? *scoffs* My little sister's betrothed had an English teacher who said his paper was too wordy. In a 2000 level class. I wanted to kick her.

[noybusiness.livejournal.com]

The professor in question was/is a nut. And spent most of her time on excursions while her TA taught the class anyway. She should just stick to fieldwork instead of pretending to teach. And of course the class were required to buy her (awful) book about herself. I've avoided taking any courses with her, or her English teacher husband who I've never actually met, since then.