Consultant Fellows are professional writers. They have earned most of their living from writing – they live and breathe it. They bring insight and inspiration to your writing experience and that of your colleagues and students. For example:
- Writers are adept at leading someone through an idea. They are explainers par excellence.
- Writing substantial text involves finding connections and identifying patterns to develop structure and argument. Writers do this all the time, matching text and visuals for intended purposes and audiences.
- Writers research and gather large volumes of information – in various media – integrating them into arguments and narratives.
- Writers tend to be creative problem solvers. Driven by curiosity, many innovate and find unusual solutions to familiar problems, such as: identifying core themes in an assignment, dissertation or thesis; overcoming writer’s block; managing the writing timetable; boosting confidence; techniques for getting started and knowing when to stop.
- They are project managers, using transferable skills to achieve, and help others achieve, identified outcomes. They are experienced at project planning; working with and within teams; analysing and balancing risks; being flexible in response to shifting demands; and maintaining an overview while paying attention to detail. They are used to completing projects on time and within budget.
- Writers are sensitive to subtleties of tone and the impact they have on the audience. They are skilled editors.
- They are not afraid of language and use it like an artist’s palette, creating a wide variety of effects with multiple possibilities.
- Given that writers value creativity and self-determination, pursuing a vocation in the face of considerable odds, they often see the mundane from an unconventional perspective.
- Writers are risk-takers and have a joy in word-craft. They can help others find their writing voice and move away from the fear of ‘getting it wrong’.
Consultant Fellows bring these qualities, along with the training and experience of being learning facilitators. They design and lead activities that empower participants to carry out research, enhance their analytical and creative thinking, and express themselves with greater power and precision – invaluable skills in the world of higher education and graduate employment today.
