More proof I'm in the right field.

I'm just about to wrap up another Friday shift in the campus writing lab, and I'm practically humming in my seat from contentment.

Appointment one: discussed the point of an abstract, how to write an annotated bibliography, and hashed out questions to ask on a research paper. Learned a little more about drumlines, too!

Appointment two: talked about the wreck the food industry is in, possible reasons why, linked different authors together, found some great ideas for reorganization of a good paper into a really fabulous paper.

Appointment three: analyzing the lessons learned working through a nightmare shift at the hospital. (Lesson learned: I could not handle nursing.)

I love talking about writing. Most of all, though, I love watching others experience talking about writing--real talking about writing, not the watered-down or depressing lectures of high school. By the time we make it to college, most of us have had the joy beaten out of writing, but when I get to sit one-on-one with a tutee, my favorite thing to do is show them how to explore.

Sometimes, it's a hard sell: some appointments will not let go of their editing session. Even in those moments, though, I won't point out an answer; I'll point out a question, and let them answer on their own. Often, they just need the time to think their way through--I just function as a cheerleader. These writers don't realize how much they know!

It's extremely rewarding to watch the realization dawn.

(I'm definitely in the right career.)