Creative Writing

Learning Outcomes

Transferable and Generic Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• demonstrate clear effective and persuasive written communication skills for a defined context and audience;
• utlise problem-solving skills informed by different perspectives.
• organise time and manage deadlines;

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• critically examine and execute the research planning that precedes your final texts;
• review and analyse your work in a professional and constructive manner.

Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

• a variety of writing styles and conventions and their effectiveness.
• a variety of creative and professional genres used in the creative industries, such as, journalistic material, fiction, memoir, scripts, and press releases;

This module will introduce you to a range of different, non-academic writing styles, from journalism to more ‘creative’ forms such as prose fiction, memoir, poetry and scriptwriting.

You will be encouraged to engage and experiment with a range of styles and forms, developing skills in handling writing voice and in understanding the process required to work in different writing modes. You will be expected to work within given structures to produce work which is appropriate for differing situations, and is original, imaginative, technically skilled and professionally executed.

The course will examine examples of good practice and will provide you with a set of skills that can be applied to a variety of situations and applications, both in your studies and beyond. It will also focus on process, demonstrating how to move from an idea, through drafting and editing, to a final, polished piece. As such there will also be some focus on proof-reading and the correct use of grammar and punctuation.

Overall, task and audience specific writing styles, proof-reading techniques, and editing skills will be central to the practical nature of the module. You will develop your knowledge, skills and awareness of the writing process, through a range of exercises covering a selection of diverse forms. You will be encouraged to develop areas of particular interest for your final assignment.

Indicative module content will normally include:

• finding inspiration;
• types of writing;
• crafting ideas for writing;
• starting the writing;
• structure;
• using voice;
• characterisation;
• grammar, punctuation and vocabulary;
• endings/conclusions;
• editing and proofreading.

Teaching and learning methods

This is a workshop based course in which students will receive instruction and context through short lecture-style presentations, followed by both in-class writing exercises and independent study. These will be accompanied by small group sessions in which students can share their work with their peers from across the various programmes for continuous feedback.

Teaching methods include:

• workshops that combine tutor-input with practical writing exercises;
• partial-session lectures to introduce key issues and topics;
• tutorials.

Learning activities include:

• generating material and ideas for a specific piece of writing;
• peer review and feedback;
• editing and revising pieces of writing;
• Self-directed research.

Resources & Reading list

Internet Resources

Quick and Dirty Tips – Grammar Girl.

Blackboard.

The Poetry Archive.

Open University – Start Writing Fiction.

This Itch of Writing Blog – Emma Darwin.

OpenLearn: Creative Writing Open University.

Textbooks

Rhodes, R. (1995). How to Write: Advice and Reflections. New York: William Morrow.

Harper, G. (2010). On Creative Writing. Bristol: Multilingual Matters.

Elbow, Peter (1981). Writing with Power: Techniques for Mastering the Writing Process. New York: Oxford University Press.

Bell, J & Magrs, P.eds (2001). A Creative Writing Coursebook. London: Macmillan.

King, S. (2012). On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft. London: Hodder.

Brande, D. (1996). Becoming a Writer. London: Macmillan.

Hicks, W. et al (1999). Writing for Journalists. London: Routledge.

Blake, C. (1999). From Pitch to Publication. London: Macmillan.

Smith H. (2005). The Writing Experiment : Strategies For Innovative Creative Writing. Northam: Roundhouse.

Lukeman, N. (2000). The First Five Pages: A Writer’s Guide to Staying Out of the Rejection Pile. London: Robert Hale.

J. Casterton (1986). Creative Writing: A Practical Guide. London: Macmillan.

Hicks, W. (1998). English for Journalists. London: Routledge.

Sellers,S. ed (1991). Taking Reality by Surprise: Writing for Pleasure and Publication. London: Women's Press.

Strunk Jr., W and White, E.B (2000). The Elements of Style. Needham: Longman.

Formative

This is how we’ll give you feedback as you are learning. It is not a formal test or exam.

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.

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.