Module overview
This is a two-semester module that runs weekly. All students taking the MA Creative Writing will join this workshop which provides the central spine for the entire programme. The substance of the workshop is a discussion of a selection of your writing in terms of its achievement of its declared aims, and its progress beyond earlier drafts. You will also be encouraged to develop your literary and historical awareness. The workshop provides a forum for the presentation and discussion of work in progress by all students. You will be encouraged to develop skills in critical reading and listening to the work of your peers, as well as to test your own developing abilities as creative writers through the presentation of your own work and analysing the work of others.
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Transferable and Generic Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- revise and edit creative writing to a professional standard
- present ideas effectively both orally and in written form
- manage deadlines and make effective use of your time
- demonstrate interpersonal skills necessary for teamwork
- write fluently in a range of styles
Subject Specific Practical Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- identify the key features and their relation to readers of different styles, modes and genres work in a group to improve a piece of writing
- plan the extended development of a piece of writing towards a successful conclusion
- distinguish your aims as a writer from others
- revise and edit creative writing to a professional standard
- revise and edit your work effectively
Cognitive Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- make literary judgements in an informed way
- demonstrate originality through your writing
- interact effectively with readers via your writing
- independently evaluate and apply compositional methods
- deal with complex creative issues in a systematic and analytic manner
Knowledge and Understanding
Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
- relevant theories of writing and literature
- the process of development and revision involved in a creative project
- achieve originality, linguistic versatility, and structural control in your writing
- how to write in a range of modes
Syllabus
The workshop’s unique structure allows the module to tailor itself to the needs of students. Over the course of the module, workshop sessions may include sessions on narrative techniques (voice, multiple narration, chronology, pace), poetic form and diction, and consider how a range of contemporary writers have treated dialogue, setting, and plot.
Learning and Teaching
Teaching and learning methods
This module will make use of writing exercises (in class and extended writing assignments), creative and critical reading, peer assessment, guest workshop sessions, and one-to-one tutorials. The writing tutor will work closely with you to develop your voice and hone your writing technique. Close and careful attention to your fellow writer’s work will be key to your success on this module.
| Type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Independent Study | 558 |
| Teaching | 42 |
| Total study time | 600 |
Resources & Reading list
Textbooks
Margaret Atwood (2003). Negotiating with the Dead: A Writer on Writing. London: Virago Press.
Peter Elbow (1998). Writing with Power: Techniques for Mastering the Writing Process. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
(1995). How to Write: Advice and Reflections. London: HarperCollins.
Anne Lamott (1995). Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. New York: Anchor Books.
Philip Roth (2001). Shop Talk. London: Cape.
Noah Lukeman (2000). The First Five Pages: A Writer’s Guide to Staying Out of the Rejection Pile. London: Robert Hale.
Susan Sellers ed (1991). Taking Reality by Surprise: Writing for Pleasure and Publication. London: Women’s Press.
Assessment
Formative
This is how we’ll give you feedback as you are learning. It is not a formal test or exam.
Research proposal
- Assessment Type: Formative
- Feedback: Students will receive feedback on drafts throughout the module and in one-to-one tutorials
- Final Assessment: No
- Group Work: No
Creative writing
- Assessment Type: Formative
- Feedback: Students will receive feedback on drafts throughout the module and in one-to-one tutorials
- Final Assessment: No
- Group Work: No
Summative
This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Portfolio | 75% |
| Critical commentary | 25% |
Referral
This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Portfolio | 100% |
Repeat Information
Repeat type: Internal