This case study report uses the conceptual framework of Bakhtinian notions of dialogism to explore how a highly motivated 10th grade English student, Aaliyah, developed strategies for combating her disengagement in academic writing. Aaliyah?s anxiety and boredom stemmed from multiple factors relating to the distance between her home and school literacy: a desire for dialogic exchange with a partner within her Discourse community, writing topics and modalities that conflicted with her notion of what constitutes purposeful writing, and lack of knowledge of disciplinary writing conventions. Findings revealed that Aaliyah?s strategy of infusing her compositional practices with opportunities for dialogical exchange with, about, and beyond the text, helped her successfully navigate feelings of boredom and anxiety.