WRITE CLUB KICKS OFF FOR 2020!
Write Club is Associate Professor Kim Wilkins’ brainchild. Designed to give staff and postgraduate writing students a dedicated time and space to devote to writing each week, Write Club meets from 8—11am each Wednesday morning in the brand new Writers Studio, adopting Francesco Cirillo’s ‘Pomodoro Technique’ by way of methodology.
The Pomodoro Technique, involves setting a timer for 25-minute writing blocks (see picture for an image of Kim with the eponymous pomodoro timer)! The buzzer goes off, writers take a five-minute break to stretch and chat, then get back into it for another 25-minutes.
Kim explains, “In my creative practice I have seen how valuable it is to combine social accountability with timed, intensive writing blocks. When I started using this technique from my creative writing in my research writing, I could see it was completely transferable. I haven’t written any other way since. “
The rules of Write Club? There are some rules:
- No talking during pomodoros
- No emails or social media during pomodoros
- Stand and stretch, crush your enemies, etc. during breaks
Each pomodoro commences on the hour or half hour, so feel free to slip through the door in the five-minute breaks between each of these sessions. All staff wanting to get some critical or creative writing done are welcome to join the writing HDRs.
The Writers Studio is located on level 6 of the Michie Building. Swipe cards required!
As Kim explains, “The word of mouth is getting out about Write Club, and we see new people every week. They drop in and out during the three-hour window, and they seem to be enjoying the beautiful space (the window seats are very coveted). Every time I think I ought to advertise it again, new people turn up.”
It’s great to see the new studio space activated, and we all look forward to reading the work that’s generated during Write Club in coming months and years. Writing is, after all, as Kim puts it “at the very centre of what we do” here in the School of Communication and Arts.
Time: 8—11am every Wednesday
Location: The Writers Studio, Level 6 Michie Building (9), University of Queensland, St Lucia
