Writing Retreats and Courses for Academic Writers
Courses
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Welcome and Introduction key principles + options
Define ‘writing’, Audience & Purpose, Assessment Criteria
Writing ‘warm up’, Writing goals for a thesis, Originality and Contribution
Writing Activity – purposes of your thesis/chapter(s)/section(s) verbs (10 mins) + discussion adapt writing task to suit your stage in PhD.
Creating a writing schedule to completion & submission date
Conclusions + for more details see How To Write a Thesis 5th edition
Strategies for generating text Writing a ‘Page 98 Paper’
Writing a Thesis/Chapter Summary Outlining – thesis/chapters
Writing conclusions for thesis/chapters/sections
Writer’s Groups, Writing Retreats & Virtual Writing Retreats
To check dates and register – email r.e.g.murray@btinternet.com
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For people in the middle of the doctorate
This course is likely to be most helpful for PhD students who are somewhere is the middle of a doctoral project: you may have done some analysis and/or you might have written a couple of chapters. This course is designed to bring writing more to the fore.
This is how it works: over 4 weeks I introduce 4 writing tasks for you to do to help you to move your thesis writing forward. This can help you to make more time for more writing.
Each meeting on this course includes one hour of dedicated writing time, you write a piece each week, and I provide group and, if requested, individual feedback. Time is included for discussing your writing with others on this course, which people on my previous courses found useful, interesting and motivating.
Tasks
These four writing tasks are designed to help you develop parts of your thesis at this stage:
Writing and revising a literature review
Writing the methods, concepts etc. chapter
Outlining – thesis chapters and line of argument
Your next chapter: outline, summary, intro paragraph.
By registering for this course, you agree to discuss and share the 4 pieces of writing you do for this course with other participants and with me, if you want individual feedback.
When – 4 mornings over 4 weeks, one per week, 9.30am-12.30 UK time
Cost – £200 per person (VAT not payable)
To register – email r.e.g.murray@btinternet.com
Next Course Dates in 2026 - June 3, 10, 17, 24
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This Endgame course is likely to be most helpful for students who want to submit a Doctoral thesis in the next 6-12 months – even if you haven’t completed all your chapters yet.
This is how it works: over 4 weeks I introduce 4 writing strategies to move a thesis forward towards completion or first full draft. Each meeting includes one hour of dedicated writing time, you write a piece each week, and I offer group and individual feedback. Time is included for discussing your writing with others on this course, which people on previous courses found useful and motivating description.
Tasks
These are the four writing strategies designed to help you develop your thesis argument:
Writing a 750-word thesis summary
Writing a 300-word thesis abstract
Writing introductory paragraphs for all thesis chapters
Writing the thesis Conclusion chapter.
By signing up for this course, you commit to discussing and sharing your four pieces of writing with other course participants and with me, for individual feedback.
When – 4 mornings over 4 weeks, meeting every week from 9.30am-12.30, UK time.
Cost – £200 per person (VAT not payable)
9.30pm-12.30pm.
Book a place – email r.e.g.murray@btinternet.com
Dates of next course in 2026 - Augus 12, 17, 19 and 26
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Workshop
This workshop covers definitions, purposes, criteria, examiners’ reports, roles and responsibilities, ‘originality’, outcomes and appeals.
Two key topics we will look at in depth are (1) the types of questions that regularly come up in PhD vivas and (2) strategies for constructing good answers to questions in doctoral examinations.
This workshop includes short activities to practise these strategies and time to consider their relevance for your viva.
Finally, throughout this workshop I address participants’ questions about the viva, and I will be available after the workshop to discuss by email/Zoom any questions that are not answered during this workshop.
Murray, R. (2015) How to Survive Your Viva: Defending a Thesis in an Oral Examination, 3rd edition. Maidenhead: Open University Press-McGraw-Hill.
Next online course: Date TBC, 10-4.30 UK time
To check dates, commission a course or to register, email me at r.e.g.murray@btinternet.com
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Course Details
This course is for those who want to run Structured Writing Retreats. It offers a series of workshops, discussions and presentations facilitated by Rowena Murray. Everyone who completes this course receives materials for setting up and running writing retreats, which they can use or adapt for their own writing retreats.
Writing retreats have long been known to increase and improve scholarly output and research activity. The Structured Writing Retreat framework I created (Murray and Newton, 2009) can develop research capacity and activity.
This framework can be adapted for different aims, groups and timings. Attending multiple retreats can help to build research and writing into work and life. Consequently, many Deans, Research Coordinators and Heads of Department build writing retreats into institutional research strategies, and universities have been sending groups of academic staff on this course – one person from each faculty or school, for example – so as to embed writing in research and teaching across the institution.
Course content:
Review of writing retreat formats, focusing on Structured Writing Retreats
Explanations for rationale for this framework for writing
Strategies facilitators can use to support participants at writing retreats
Ideas on how to prepare for and organise retreats
Suggestions for ‘holding’ the retreat structure. Recurring issues and participants’ FAQs
Problem-solving? Review of the growing literature on writing retreats, academic writing and rhetoric
Practical session to develop retreat facilitation skills and review facilitation styles
Review of literature on health and wellbeing during extended periods of writing
Evaluating and evidencing outputs and outcomes – measures and meanings
Strategies for internal and external dissemination of findings
Strategies for using, adapting and sustaining this model in different settings
Strategies for running online/virtual writing retreats and groups.Before the course, I send participants four of my articles, for pre-reading. I email all the course materials to participants one week before the course.
The course fee is £1050 per person,
Next Course Dates in 2026:- September 1st & September 3rd.
Email me to check dates, commission a course, for further information or to register: r.e.g.murray@btinternet.com
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Rowena Murray’s Rhetoric and Writing Course
This course covers principles of written argument. It focuses on rhetorical modes and shows how you can use them to construct journal articles, thesis chapters and other forms of writing for various audiences and purposes, e.g. impact case studies.
The programme includes:
• Audience analysis
• Rhetorical analysis of academic writing
• Modes of exposition as ways of structuring writing
• Modes of constructing written argument
• Paragraph structures
• Writing styles.
This course includes time for you to write: practical writing exercises provide opportunities to practise these rhetorical modes in relation to your current writing project.
Rowena Murray
Rhetoric & Writing Course
Online
PROGRAMME
10.00AM Welcome & introductions
Definitions
Rhetorical Triangle
Rhetorical Modes
Writing activity: sticking to the point and being specific
11-11.30AM Break
11.30-12.30AM Audience Analysis
Modes of Exposition (read JADE article)
12.30-1.15PM Lunch (see Scott et al. article + my commentary on use of rhetorical modes)
1.15-1.45PM Write a piece using 1 mode of exposition (250 words)
1.45-2PM Break out groups – feedback and self-assessment
2-2.15PM Mini-break (see extracts from Selzer & Wilk articles)
2.15-2.30PM Modes of argument
2.30-3PM Use 1 mode of argument for a defined audience & purpose (250 words)
3-3.15Break out groups – feedback and self-assessment
3.15-4PM Rhetorical analysis, Key messages, Further reading
Cost £100 and email me to join
Workshop
This course covers the principles of written argument. It focuses on rhetorical modes and shows how you can use them to construct journal articles and thesis chapters.
The programme includes:
Audience analysis
Rhetorical analysis of academic writing
Modes of exposition as ways of structuring writing
Modes of constructing written argument
Paragraph structures
Writing styles
This course includes time for you to write in practical exercises, to put these rhetorical modes into practice with your current writing project.
Email me to check dates, commission a course, for further information or to register: r.e.g.murray@btinternet.com
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Facilitated by Rowena Murray
Day 1 – Writing for Publication Workshop – 10am-4pm
This model is useful for those who have not attended a writing retreat. It provides an introduction to writing strategies, with writing activities to prepare for the writing retreat.
This workshop covers a range of strategies: targeting a journal, writing to prompts, types of prompt for academic writing, ‘snack’ writing, goal-setting for writing, free writing, generative writing, analysing academic writing, criteria, writing an abstract, using prompts in series, outlining, dealing with reviewers’ feedback, writing groups, micro-groups and retreats. Many of these can be used to prepare for a concentrated spell of writing at a writing retreat – which follows tomorrow.
This is a practical workshop. The aim of the writing activities in this workshop is to let you try these strategies and consider how/if/where they can fit in your writing practice. You can also use them to write for your article during the workshop.
For details on these writing strategies and others, see
Murray, R. (2025) How to Write a Thesis, 5th edition. Maidenhead: Open University Press-McGraw-Hill.
Facilitated by Rowena Murray
Day 2 – Writing Retreat – 8.55am-4.45pmAims to provide dedicated writing time and develop productive writing practices.
Format
This structured retreat uses the ‘typing pool’ model. We all write at the same time, for fixed time slots, using goal-setting and peer and self-monitoring for our individual writing projects. Because we all write together, we can discuss our goals at the start and end of the day (10-15 minutes). Almost all the retreat time is writing time.
Learning objectives
Understand the Structured Writing Retreat model.
Structure a writing day.
Maintain well-being during intensive periods of writing.
Email me to check dates, commission a course, for further information or to register: r.e.g.murray@btinternet.com
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Facilitated by Rowena Murray
Day 1 – Thesis Writing Workshop – 10am-4pm
This workshop covers a range of strategies for thesis writing: writing to prompts, types of prompt for academic writing, ‘snack’ writing, goal-setting for writing, free writing, generative writing, analysing academic writing, criteria, writing a thesis summary, constructing a ‘contribution’ argument, using prompts in series, outlining, writing groups, micro-groups and retreats.
Many of these can be used in preparing for a concentrated spell of writing at a writing retreat – which follows tomorrow. This is a practical workshop. The aim of the writing activities in this workshop is to let you try these strategies and consider how/if/where they can fit in your writing practice.
You can also use them to write for your thesis during the workshop.
For details on these writing strategies and others, see
Murray, R. (2017) How to Write a Thesis, 4th edition. Maidenhead: Open University Press-McGraw-Hill.
Day 2 – Writing Retreat – 8.55am-4.45pm
Aims to provide dedicated writing time and develop productive writing practices.
Format
This structured retreat uses the ‘typing pool’ model. We all write at the same time, for fixed time slots, using goal-setting and peer and self-monitoring for our individual writing projects. Because we all write together, we can discuss our goals at the start and end of the day (10-15 minutes). Almost all the retreat time is writing time.
Learning objectives
Understand the Structured Writing Retreat model.
Structure a writing day.
Maintain well-being during intensive periods of writing.
Email me to check dates, commission a course, for further information or to register: r.e.g.murray@btinternet.com
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This course covers a range of writing strategies: targeting a journal, writing to prompts, types of prompt for academic writing: ‘snack’ and ‘binge’ writing, goal-setting for writing and self-efficacy for academic writing, free-writing, generative writing, analysing academic writing in your field(s), writing for different audiences and purposes, criteria, writing an abstract, using prompts in series, outlining, dealing with reviewers’ feedback, writing groups, micro-groups, retreats, the Writing Meeting Framework and maintaining wellbeing while writing.
This is a practical workshop; it includes writing activities. The aim is to let you try the above strategies and consider how/if/where they can fit in your writing practice. You can also use them to write for your article during the workshop. Each writing activity is followed by a brief discussion, where you can talk about the activity and the writing you produced. There will also be brief question-and-answer sessions, where I will respond to participants’ questions.
For details on these writing strategies, and others, see