This is a workshop-based online module in which students will present and discuss their own work and that of their peers within a group of students writing in a variety of genres and forms. The draft work presented in the module will normally include forms such as poetry, prose fiction, non-fiction, writing for the stage or screenwriting, in a variety of genres, but it may also include genres such as science fiction, romance, crime fiction, writing for children, historical fictional, and autobiography. Students will develop a strong knowledge of the writing workshop ethos, its requirements and etiquette as mutual practical criticism of peer writing will be accompanied by discussion of the scope or constraints of the various genres as well as the implications of working in various forms. Attention will be paid to the relevant 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:
This module will be delivered by tutor contact, via email or verbally via phone or Skype. Students are expected to work as a group by reading circulated examples of one another's and contributing thoughtful feedback, overseen by the module tutor. 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 personal contact sessions with your tutor and via group email and is aimed at feeding forward towards your assessment.
Each student will also be given a Personal Tutor to guide them through their studies through a series of one on one and group discussions. 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 | ||
| 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 throughout the semester, during which you will be guided by your tutor towards the summative assessment, as follows.
Creative Writing Project: 100 %
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 project |
| knowledge of the codes and conventions of a variety of forms and genres | Creative Writing project |
| the ability to reflect constructively on your creative activity and to identify the weaknesses and developing strengths of your own writing | Creative Writing project |
| the effective and constructive uses of critiques of writing, both those that you offer to others, and those that you receive | Creative Writing project |
| the ability to work with others towards the generation and improvement of material | Creative Writing project |
| 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 no set bibliography for this module. Tutors give you a tailored reading list according to your creative interests.