Module overview
This module offers advanced training in the writing of fiction, and does so in a wider international context than the usual selection of UK and possibly US texts allows. Instead of basing our examples of good practice only in British and American fiction, a distinctive feature of this module is that literary texts and examples studied will also be drawn from international sources. Fiction from Europe, Canada, South Asia and the Caribbean, as well as other parts of the world, will provide a wide-ranging perspective and offer many new paths for development of your work. Taught by a combination of seminars and workshops, the module will explore both the practical techniques used by professional writers of fiction and the literary theory behind them, but there will be opportunities to discuss your own work in a workshop atmosphere as well as to reflect on published texts. It is not necessary to have a special background to take this module. The practical element here is to learn to apply these technical elements to your own fiction, without resorting to pastiche or parody.
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Subject Specific Practical Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- plan the extended development of a fictional narrative towards a successful conclusion
- create the key structures of fictional narrative and identify their relation to readers
- distinguish your aims as a writer of fiction from others
- revise and edit your work effectively
- work with different styles, modes and genres of fiction
Transferable and Generic Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- write prose fluently in a range of styles
- revise and edit creative writing to a professional standard
- present ideas effectively in narrative form
- manage deadlines and make effective use of your time
Knowledge and Understanding
Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
- the achievements of contemporary international fiction writers whose work may help you improve your own writing
- how to write in a range of fictional genres and styles
- how to achieve originality, linguistic versatility, and form in the handling of plot, character, time, point of view, and overall structural control in your fiction writing
Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- independently evaluate and apply compositional methods
- interact effectively with readers via your writing
- make literary judgements of fiction in an informed way
- locate your fiction writing in relation to a global context
- handle complex demands of fictional composition in a systematic and analytic manner
- demonstrate originality through your writing
Syllabus
This module will allow you to develop a work of fiction within the supportive crucible of a group of fellow writers. You will be guided by a tutor who will provide examples of various literary techniques drawn from a range of international examples, allowing you to expand the breadth and depth of your literary reference points. Through careful discussion of a wide range of international fiction, you will hone your own craft and explore a number of new writing strategies.
Learning and Teaching
Teaching and learning methods
This module will train you in how to listen and discuss creative work in progress, analyse a range of international fiction, and to reflect on your own creative practice. You will give oral feedback on work-in- progress by your fellow writers, and explore literary techniques from a writer’s standpoint.
| Type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Teaching | 20 |
| Independent Study | 130 |
| Total study time | 150 |
Resources & Reading list
Textbooks
Marilynne Robinson (2004). Housekeeping. London: Macmillan.
John Gardner (1991). The Art of Fiction: Notes on Craft for Young Writers. New York: Vintage.
Sol Stein (1995). Stein on Writing. New York: St Martins Press.
Kazuo Ishiguro (1989). An Artist of the Floating World. New York: Vintage.
Margaret Atwood (1986). The Handmaid's Tale. New York: Anchor Books.
Ben Nyberg (1988). One Great Way to Write Short Stories. Cincinnati, Ohio: Writers Digest.
Angela Carter (1993). The Bloody Chamber. London: Penguin.
Madison Smartt Bell (2000). Narrative Design. New York: Norton.
John Fowles (2005). The French Lieutenant's Woman. New York: Vintage Classics.
Ian McEwan (2001). Atonement. London: Cape.
Jean Rhys (1982). Wide Sargasso Sea. New York: Norton.
David Michael Kaplan (1998). Rewriting: A creative approach to writing fiction. London: A&C Black.
Charles E. May (2002). The Short Story: The Rules of Artifice. New York: Routledge.
Ron Hansen and Jim Shepard (1994). You’ve Got to Read This: Contemporary American Writers Introduce Stories that Held them in Awe. New York: Libri.
Vladimir Nabokov (2001). Laughter in the Dark. London: Penguin Classics.
Jack Zipes. The Trials and Tribulations of Little Red Riding.
Arundhati Roy (1997). The God of Small Things. New York: Random House.
Jerome Stern (1991). Making Shapely Fiction. New York: Norton.
Assessment
Summative
This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Critical commentary | 25% |
| Creative writing | 75% |
Referral
This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Creative writing | 75% |
| Critical commentary | 25% |
Repeat
An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Assessed written tasks | 100% |
Repeat Information
Repeat type: Internal & External