On this module, you will have the opportunity to progress your creative writing skills by exploring the relationship between theory and practice.You will be presented with a range of theoretical and contextual approaches to the production of imaginative work, and will be invited to respond to these provocations through their creative projects.You will attend interactive lectures whose themes may include psychogeography, adaptation, narrative techniques for literary authors, history and narrative, identity and aesthetics. You will learn more advanced practical techniques for crafting expressive, imaginative work, which will allow you to make more sophisticated use of aspects such as voice, point of view, structure, character, imagery, and tone. The module will entail the reading and discussion of texts by a variety of contemporary authors, whose work reflects the diverse range of styles and approaches at work today. You can choose to experiment with writing the novel, short story, script for radio, stage or screen, or poetry. You will be asked to participate in improving each other's work by offering thoughtful, constructive feedback. Along with developing your own personal sense of voice and style, you will practise applying skills learned on the module to real-world situations faced by professional authors, such as writing a piece for a commission or for a target audience.
This module aims to:
On successful completion of this module, students will be able to:
The module will be taught by means of weekly interactive lectures and seminars. The interactive lectures will be used to introduce students to the work of contemporary writers, with emphasis contextual, theoretical, and fictional structures and techniques. Students will also be required to undertake writing exercises related to the pieces studied each week or to possible professional applications, and to keep a reading log of their responses to the pieces studied and the extracurricular literary events they attend. The seminars will serve as a forum for the workshopping of draft writing and discussion of the assigned reading.
| Definitive UNISTATS Category | Indicative Description | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and teaching | Two hour interactive lectures | 22 |
| Scheduled learning and teaching | 2 hour seminars | 22 |
| Guided independent study | 256 | |
| Total (number of credits x 10) | 300 | |
Summative assessment is through: a creative portfolio of writing worth 70%, designed to test students' skills in expression in various writing styles and forms, as well as their ability to write effectively in response to external guidelines; and a critical portfolio of writing worth 30%, designed to test students' understanding of a variety of contemporary writers and their ability to comment analytically and critically on the works studied.
A range of formative assessments in the form of exercises, undertaken in class or during independent study, will be set on content determined by the module leader. This regular feedback to students will enable them to develop an awareness of their level of progress and of their strengths and weaknesses. Formative assessment will also take place in seminars, where the workshopping of draft critical and creative writing will provide further feedback to students. Students' discussions with their personal tutors and in CASE will assist in the development of strategies for improvement and enhancement.
A proportion of the final portfolio is to be submitted for formative assessment after teaching week 12.
3-3500 word Creative Portfolio (70%)
1-1500 word Critical Portfolio (30%)
| Learning Outcome | Assessment Strategy |
|---|---|
| Demonstrate a critical understanding of the works of a range of modern and contemporary authors | Summatively by Critical portfolio of writing (30%); Formatively through discussions, peer review and exercises, and submission of half the portfolio for feedback at the end of Teaching Block One. |
| Examine and experiment with a number of writing styles and forms | Summatively by Creative portfolio of writing (70%); Formatively through discussions, exercises, workshopping, and submission of half the portfolio at the end of Teaching Block One. |
| Employ appropriate skills, techniques, and practices in order to produce an effective piece of writing in a particular genre or genres | Summatively by Creative portfolio of writing (70%); Formatively through discussions, exercises, workshopping, and submission of half the portfolio at the end of Teaching Block One |
| Give and receive constructive feedback in order to contribute to the development of their own and others' writing | Formatively through discussions, exercises, workshopping and submission of half the Creative portfolio at the end of Teaching Block One; Summatively through the quality of revised drafts representing response to feedback in the Creative Portfolio (70%) |
| Write imaginatively and effectively in response to external guidelines, such as for commissions or specific targets | Creative portfolio of writing (70%); formative assessment through discussions, exercises, and workshopping, and submission of half the portfolio after teaching week 12 |
| Description of Assessment | Definitive UNISTATS Categories | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | Creative Portfolio | 70% |
| Coursework | Critical Portfolio | 30% |
| Total (to equal 100%) | 100% | |
It IS NOT a requirement that any major assessment category is passed separately in order to achieve an overall pass for the module.
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