In this module you will present and discuss your own and each other’s work in a weekly workshop. The draft work presented may include several genres and forms, such as crime writing, fantasy fiction, children’s literature, historical fiction, science fiction, romance and autobiography. Practical criticism of student writing will be accompanied by discussion of the scope or constraints of the various genres, as well as the implications of particular forms. Attention will be paid to the transferable components of good writing: appropriate use of language, narrative pace, dialogue, expression, characterisation and mood.
The aims of this module are to enable you to:
On successful completion of the module, you will be able to demonstrate:
This is a workshop-based module in which you will present and discuss your own work and that of others. Key features:
This module will be delivered by means of a weekly two-hour seminar. The group will prepare for the seminar by reading examples of students’ own work in drafts that will be pre-circulated to allow for thoughtful discussion. This will be done on a rota basis. Emphasis will be put on practical criticism and on the codes and conventions of particular genres. There will be an expectation that students will incorporate ideas and understandings drawn from their wider reading, from the prescribed, personalised booklist and elsewhere.
Feedback on this module takes place during discussion/presentations in your seminars and is aimed at feeding forward towards your assessment. It will come from both your tutor and your peers. Feedback also comes from the detailed written feedback you receive on your assessments, which will feed forward to modules in teaching block two. You are also encouraged to attend office hours for discussions of your work or to ask questions about the module. You should also attend the university's academic skills centre (CASE) for advice on formatting your work and on general improvements to your formal written skills. An online discussion forum will also allow students to peer review their work outside of formal class time.
Each student will also be given a Personal Tutor to guide them through their studies through a series of one on one and group meetings. These are not module specific and are intended to help you think critically about the most effective use of you time on the programme, as well as pointing you towards ways in which you can become a professional writer.
| Definitive UNISTATS Category | Indicative Description | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and teaching | Writing workshop | 22 |
| Guided independent study | Students own writing and reading | 278 |
| Total (number of credits x 10) | 300 | |
Assessment for this module is designed to demonstrate your mastery of skills and knowledge necessary to draft, present, critique and revise a substantial piece of creative writing in a form or genre of your choice. Formative assessment takes place weekly in seminar during which you will be guided by your tutor towards the summative assessment, as follows.
ELEMENT OF OF ASSESSMENT
A creative writing project of not more than 5,000 words in length in the genre or form under study, together with the drafts of that project. The piece or pieces will be developed in consultation with the supervisor and will reflect the student’s awareness of the codes and conventions of that form or genre.
| Learning Outcome | Assessment Strategy |
|---|---|
| mastery of the skills needed to produce well-edited, well-considered creative writing in a selected form and genre | Creative Writing submission |
| knowledge of the codes and conventions of a variety of forms and genres | Creative Writing submission |
| the ability to reflect constructively on your creative activity and to identify the weaknesses and developing strengths of your own writing | Creative Writing submission |
| a critical appreciation of the relationship between form and content in a variety of genres and forms | Creative Writing Submission |
| the ability to work within a group towards the generation and improvement of material | Creative Writing Submission |
| Description of Assessment | Definitive UNISTATS Categories | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| CWK | Creative writing project | 100 |
| Total (to equal 100%) | 100% | |
It IS a requirement that the major category of assessment is passed in order to achieve an overall pass for the module
There is not set bibliography for this module. Tutors give you a tailored reading list according to your creative interests.