Assignment Task:
Writing is often thought to be a solitary activity, conducted by a single person working alone in an empty room. Inspiring as this image of the writer as an individual genius can sometimes be, its appeal may start to wane when considered in the context of recent surveys of student mental health at the University of Toronto and other Western institutions. In 2018, for instance, UofT released a Report on Student Mental Health and Wellbeing which found that over 88% of undergraduate students felt overwhelmed, over 80% felt sad, and over 77% felt lonely. Is the figure of the isolated writer at least partly to blame?
As a way of approaching an answer, this workbook entry invites you to use your experiences in English class to consider how the writing process might be reframed in response to the UofT Report's findings. In what ways is the writing process (as you currently understand it) an individual enterprise, and in what ways is it community-oriented? What might a community-oriented definition of "writing" look like in practice, and what steps might be necessary to make this idea a reality? Are there ways in which we might preserve what is valuable (if anything) about the notion of the solitary writer while also adapting our understanding of the writing process to address ongoing mental health concerns?
Taking two or more of these questions into account, write a 500-word response that uses three pieces of evidence to prove its points. This evidence must be drawn from your experiences in the following settings: English classes, our English class discussion board. In particular, consider what these experiences have taught you about the potential value of (or drawbacks to) a community-oriented approach to writing and writing instruction. More generally, do you think fostering a sense of belonging and community in a classroom setting helps with the process of learning about and practicing writing?