An Interview with Wyndie Deaver
What made you decide to become a facilitator?
WVU has, for me, always been about writers helping writers. When I first started the MFA program, the facilitators helped so much. Not just with posting the assignment, but also making sure we were following the concept. I wanted to help someone else the way I had been helped.
Has being a facilitator affected your writing?
I am more aware of how I write and how I respond the things. There have been a few times that I disagreed with something in the text and been a bit over the top with that disagreement. I am more professional in how I deal with disagreement with the text now.
What tips do you have for a newbie facilitator?
1. Start small. I started out just doing the record-keeping for Narrative Design one year. When I did go solo, it was for a two-week course.
2. Make sure to balance the courses you are facilitating with the courses you are taking. Don’t try to juggle too much at once. That also transfers into your personal life. You need to have time to check in on the class and do the various things required.
Have you taught or facilitated classes outside of WVU?
No, I haven’t.
.
What classes have you taken here at WVU?
I’ve taken Narrative Design, the Sin and Syntax class, a few literature classes, Calvino Six Memos, the Fairy Tale class, Maps of the Imagination, and I am currently in the last part of The Difficult Imagination. I have also taken flash fiction and poetry classes.
What has been your favorite class or classes to facilitate?
I’ve only facilitated Literature and some Flash Fiction courses. My favorite ones are the ones with active boards. It is so much fun when it comes together, and the class is just rocking.
How much time does it take to research and prepare for each class? And to give feedback? As a facilitator, what other kinds of things do you spend time on?
It depends on the class. I always try to read the material well before the class starts (much easier in a two-week class lol). I try to go in and read the assignments posted and give feedback every day— getting a response in a timely manner is so important. Sometimes, especially when people are new, waiting for feedback becomes nerve-wracking. I try to remember that feeling and respond accordingly.
With the two literature classes I just facilitated, I also did research into the authors too. I know it enriched my understanding of the work; I hope it helped the other students too.
Please share what you’d like to on your special love of writing. Is there some aspect of writing which really intrigues you?
One of the things that intrigues me is a writer's voice. My voice has been evolving and changing with the classes I’ve taken and I’m excited to see where it leads me!