Dr. Write-Aid Consulting!!
Hello and welcome to Dr. Write-Aid Consulting! I’m Doreen, founder and academic coach. I graduated with my Ph.D. in Sociology from UCSD in June 2024, and started Dr. Write-Aid as my own business. I provide personal academic coaching and writing consulting for students and working professionals across disciplines.
I provide five main services: writing consultations, custom writing support packages, workshops and retreats, event planning consults, and copy editing.
Some of you may also know that I used to work for years as an instructor, writing consultant, and academic mentor, and I’m really happy to use all my expertise for even more audiences!
I’m also happy to announce my very first workshop as Dr. Write-Aid is happening February 6! I’m collaborating with a UCSD student organization, University Church Chinese Christian Fellowship (UCCCF), to host a cover letters and resumes workshop at the UCSD campus. All undergraduate students, graduate students, and community members are welcome – the workshop is open to everyone of all backgrounds! We will also be serving dinner and special goody bags.
RSVP here, check out our Instagram post, and share widely!!
Welcome to My New Website!
Up until this point I’ve been add my consulting information onto my personal website, but it was becoming clunky and hard to use as I started expanding my services. I quickly reached a point at which bootstrapping everything was not enough, so I created this new website for Dr. Write-Aid Consulting!
Creating a new site also allows me space for more fun things, like incorporating my Instagram videos and posts about writing tips, day in the life, and a blog!
I’m Blogging!
I’ve always wanted to blog since high school, when I avidly read blogs about makeup, skincare, and fashion. I’m planning on merging my interests to create a writing and beauty blog.
I’m focusing on three main topics, often applying sociological, historical, and cultural views: 1) writing guides and resources, 2) interviews with professionals and Ph.D.s about their careers and writing process, and 3) themed posts about makeup, fragrance, fashion, and skincare.
Writing Guides & Resources
- I’ve compiled many writing resources that I’ve used personally for my Ph.D. and with my clients for over the past 8 years. I want to organize these resources into topic-specific writing guides to post on my blog, such that it’ll be easier for everyone to reference.
- I’ve already uploaded a bunch of writing resources on my page here, but I’d like to make it easier to find specific things. As I mentioned, a lot of these resources are quite old, so I’d like to organize the resources, make sure links are working, and make it easier for me to continue updating the guides.
- I’ll include general resources and tips that can be applicable across disciplines and fields.
- I welcome suggestions for topics I should write guides about!
- Some ideas:
- Guide to applying to graduate school
- Guide to job search and applying to jobs
- Guide to networking
- Guide to writing research proposals
Writers’ Dialogue
- I’d love to conduct and write about informational interviews with Ph.D.s, writers, and other professionals about the role of writing in their jobs, how they learned how to write, their writing process, how the writing skills or practices they learned in school help them in their current role.
- I’ve pitched this interview / Q&A series in different jobs but I’ve never been able to do it. So I’ve taken it upon myself to start this dialogue project because I want students and general audiences to understand more about the importance of writing across disciplines and careers.
- I’m particularly interested in scholars who do a lot of public-facing work, as well as writers who excel across multiple genres and media (e.g. publications, podcasts, social media, etc.).
- I welcome suggestions for people to interview!
Makeup, Fragrance, and Skincare
- I’m a makeup and skincare hobbyist (and briefly, a beauty industry employee) and have been posting reviews on Instagram since 2021. I also have a beauty resource MegaDoc here.
- I’m interested in writing about makeup, fragrance, and skincare, sometimes with a sociological lens.
- Beauty is a means of communication, just like writing, which is why I think it’ll be fun to write about both topics together in this blog. The practices of makeup, fragrance, skincare, and clothes often function as distinctions of taste (Bourdieu, anyone?) and markers of social class, gender, and belonging. We make choices about our makeup, fragrance, skincare, and personal style every day, and like it or not, these choices say things about us. These choices of style often become foundations for making judgments about others and group boundaries. I’d like to consider seriously how and why we make such choices across time, space, occasion, and cultures.
- Some blog post ideas:
- “Taste” in makeup: developing “taste” and personal style for makeup “looks” amidst identity development, culture, and group boundaries
- Similarly, developing “taste” and personal style for scents in personal fragrance across time, space, occasion, and cultures
- My Roman Empire: discontinued nostalgic makeup and fragrance items that I think about constantly
- Things I’m inspired to wear and enjoy using this season
Overall, I’m planning to write posts every 2-3 months. I’m anticipating the balance of writing blog posts to beauty blog posts will be 2:1. I’ll post shorter announcements on my blog periodically as well, so make sure to subscribe below and get my latest posts, offers, and guides in your inbox!
Outside of my blog, I’ll be updating my Instagram as well – be sure to follow me for updates, behind-the-scenes, and pictures of my dog Tiffany!
Leave a comment below with suggestions or ideas about posts I could write about. I’d love to know your thoughts!
Thanks for reading!
Dr. Write-Aid 
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