The previous blog post focused on how to prepare for an appointment with a tutor in a college writing center. This entry is intended to be a follow-up post in that it will continue the discussion on writing centers. In the previous post, I offered tips and suggestions on how to prepare for an appointment with a tutor—when you need to discuss a particular paper assignment. Therefore, this entry will offer tips and ideas for students who would like to meet with a tutor about their writing but they don’t have a particular paper assignment to review. Discussing your overall writing process and past papers will be helpful when you write future papers. (Be sure to let your instructor know that you visited the writing center to chat about your writing. A few brownie points couldn’t hurt, right?) Gather Old Papers and Other Past Writing Assignments: One way to grow as a writer is to review past papers and identify areas for improvement. Therefore, you can bring to your appointment any past papers or writing assignments that you would like to discuss. You can review the instructor’s comments and identify how you could have improved certain areas. You can also work on specific grammar and style issues that frequently arise in your writing. Outline the Steps in Your Writing Process: While many scholars argue that a “writing process” lacks any specific steps and is not formulaic, there is definitely a common course of action that each student takes when he or she sits down to research and write a paper. Think about your own personal writing process. How do you begin assignments? Do you research as you write or do you separate those two acts? Write down your process and discuss it with the tutor. The tutor might be able to offer some tips and ideas to improve your approach to writing papers. Write Down Any Writing-Related Concerns and Questions: If you have any questions or concerns about your writing, or writing in general, write down all of these issues on a notepad to take with you to the appointment. Scan through your English and Literature class notes to locate any unclear or confusing lectures and ask the tutor to clarify the information (e.g., did a particular discussion on thesis statements leave you in the dark?). Flip through a writing handbook to locate grammar, style, or punctuation issues that you find challenging (e.g., who vs. whom). Review past papers and jot down any mistakes that frequently appear in your writing (e.g., comma splices, fragments, run-on sentences, etc.). Bring Notes and Materials from English and Literature Classes: You can also bring to the appointment your class notes and handouts. You can review these items with the tutor and discuss the class with him or her. Perhaps, while reviewing your notes, you might think of a writing issue that you would like to discuss further. Or, your discussion might take you to new areas and subjects that you can explore in a future writing assignment. Either way, talking is a good thing!