Writing Marathon

2024-03-11

Ready, set, go! Monday, February 2, 10 a.m. marked the beginning of the Writing Marathon, an event hosted every winter term by the team at Leuphana’s Schreibzentrum / Writing Center. Because more and more students flocked to the rooms that had been booked on the first floor of Building 5, the organizing team quickly added another one. In total, 128 participants experienced how powerful and motivating the right kind of atmosphere and setting can be.

Over the course of the next three days, participants worked on research papers, essays, theses, and other projects in a focused manner. During breaks and over a cup of coffee or tea, they discussed their progress and ideas and, facilitated by the team at the Schreibzentrum / Writing Center, reflected on their writing. Each day started with a warm-up writing activity and concluded with review of work accomplished.

As they alternated between focused work on their projects (25 minutes) and short breaks (5 minutes), participants made, in many cases, swift progress on their papers. Staff members and peer writing tutors answered questions and provided feedback on work in progress. Although participants crossed the official finish line of the Writing Marathon on Wednesday, the race, for most, continued. Most projects developed or started during the event were still incomplete, but participants left the venue eager to continue writing in the days ahead.

During the final feedback session, participants emphasized how much the Writing Marathon had helped them to get started on their projects and to make measurable progress. Surprised how much they had written in a short period of time and how focused they had been during writing sessions, some participants indicated that they would continue working in this manner. These and other positive responses suggest that there is a demand for in-person events such as the Writing Marathon, and the team at Leuphana’s Schreibzentrum / Writing Center will start planning the next major event in the summer term, Rise and Write III, in the upcoming weeks. In the meantime, writers at all levels can continue to work on their projects at the Writers’ Meet-up.