FAQ – Writers Workshop

General Information

Do I need to pay to use the Writers Workshop?

No. All of our services are free to undergraduate and graduate students, post-doctorates, faculty, and staff.

How many times can I use the Writers Workshop?

You may have up to two appointments per week and one appointment per day, across all locations. The week begins on Monday. Our workshops, writing groups, and other events do not count toward your appointment number. See our Policies page for more information.

You may have as many drop-ins as you’d like. If you’d like to have multiple drop-ins on any given day, you’ll need to sign in for each one at our front desk in 251 UGL.

The Writers Workshop will sometimes bend our two-appointment-per-week policy. If you are working on something especially long, complex, or high stakes, inquire at our front desk about the possibility of an additional appointment. If we are not too busy (e.g., during midterms and finals), we will do our best to accommodate your request.

What are the Writers Workshop policies?

See our Policies page for our most up-to-date policies.

Can I choose the consultant I work with?

Yes. You can visit our Meet the Staff page and find out more information about our consultants. Then, find the consultant’s name on our scheduling system.

Does the Writers Workshop work with groups?

Yes. If you want to make an appointment for a group project, please indicate that on the appointment form. We can also work with your group during drop-ins, just let the desk staff know you’re there for a group drop-in. We require that at least half of a group’s members are present for the consultation.

Does the Writers Workshop work with multimedia writing?

Yes. We’re happy to work with all types of writing. Be aware that our computers only have basic programs so you may need to bring your own device depending on the software you’re using.

What should I do if there are no available appointments on the date and time I want?

If we’re booked on the time and day you’d like to make an appointment, you may join our waitlist by visiting our appointment system and clicking on the “waiting list” link at the bottom right of each day’s schedule and filling out the form. You may choose to receive a notice when an appointment opens by email or text. The system will send an automatic notification to every person on the list; the first person who books the appointment will get it.

We also have multiple locations, so check the schedule across all locations to see if we have appointments available at a different location during the time and day that works for you. Finally, we also have drop-in consultations at our main location (251 UGL) that don’t require making an appointment.

What should I do if I need accommodations?

To request disability-related accommodations for our services, please contact Dr. Carolyn Wisniewski at wow@illinois.edu or call 217-333-8796.

Please see our Accessibility page for more information.

How can I stay informed about Writers Workshop events?

You can check out our Calendar for the most up-to-date information. If you’re a graduate writer, you can sign up for our weekly listserv for reminders about graduate events by emailing us at wow@illinois.edu. You can also follow us on social media:

What should I do if I can’t find an answer to my question?

If you have questions that you can’t find the answer to here or elsewhere on our website, feel free to email us at wow@illinois.edu or call 217-333-8796.

Using Our Scheduling System

How do I register to use the scheduling system?

To register for an account go to our scheduling system and click on “Register for an account.” Fill out the registration form. You are now registered and ready to login and schedule your appointment.

Arrow pointing to register for an account link
You may also access the login page from the Writers Workshop webpage and clicking onbutton on the top right of any page.

How do I make an appointment?

To schedule an appointment go to our scheduling system. Log in with your email and password. Select your university status from the drop-down menu: Arrow pointing to select university status

White spaces indicate available appointments. Light blue indicate booked appointments and the dark blue indicate the consultant is not available.

The Writers Workshop has multiple locations. Our main location (251 Undergraduate Library) opens as the default schedule. For additional locations and appointments, please select another schedule from the drop-down menu.

Click on a white space and complete the form:

Appointment Form Once you click on “create appointment” your appointment will show up in yellow on our scheduling system and you’ll receive an email confirming your appointment.

Do you offer appointments in locations other than the UGL?

Yes. In addition to our main location, we also offer appointments at 3 satellite locations – MCB Learning Center, Grainger Library, and Ikenberry Library (IKE). To check out the schedule for any of the satellite locations log in and click on the drop down menu at the top next to the date. Choose a location and the schedule for that location will now be shown.

We also offer online consultations.

Before My Appointment

What should I do before my appointment?

It’s helpful to come to your session with 2-3 priorities in mind, given where you are in your writing process and what you hope to accomplish. These sessions are meant to be interactive conversations about your writing, so you can expect to work collaboratively and closely with your consultant throughout each session.

You’ll also need to scan your iCard and check in with a staff member at the front desk before your appointment. This process varies depending on which of our locations you’re using, so feel free to ask one of our staff members for help if you have questions.

What should I bring to my appointment?

What you bring will depend on what you’re working on and what will help you have the most productive session. For example, if you’re working on a class assignment, it would be helpful for you to bring the prompt with you. We will work with your writing either in print or digitally, so feel free to bring your own laptop or to let you consultant know that you’d like to use one of our computers.

While we have desktop computers in our main location (251 UGL), they’re equipped with only basic software, so if you’re using specialized software, you may want to bring your own device.

During My Appointment

What can I expect during my appointment?

Please see our Services page for more information on what you can expect during your appointment.

How long will my appointment last?

Our appointments can be up to 50 minutes long. However, they might be shorter depending on what you’re working on.

Online Appointments

Can I meet with a consultant online?

Yes. To better support writers on and off campus, the Writers Workshop offers online sessions. All of our online appointments are synchronous, which means that they happen in real-time using video and audio components. You don’t need any special software (though a webcam and mic will help — otherwise, you’ll have to rely on a chat function); just make an appointment through our online scheduling system. And see our Online Consultations page for more information.

Do I need special equipment for an online consultation?

Online sessions use a combination of video / audio capabilities, online chatting, and a shared workspace to facilitate conversation and collaboration. We recommend the use of laptops or desktops over tablets and having headphones to facilitate our conversations.

Drop-In Consultations

How long do drop-in sessions last?

Drop-ins tend to be shorter in length than our in-person and online consultations, lasting about 15-30 minutes. Drop-ins are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

How many drop-in sessions can I have?

You may have as many drop-in sessions as you want. You need to sign up for each drop-in at our front desk.

How do I sign up for a drop-in session?

Where do drop-in sessions take place?