Module overview
This module offers advanced training in the writing of fiction, and does so in a wider international context than the usual selection of UK and possibly US texts allows. Instead of basing our examples of good practice only in British and American fiction, a distinctive feature of this module is that literary texts and examples studied will also be drawn from international sources. Fiction from Europe, Canada, South Asia and the Caribbean, as well as other parts of the world, will provide a wide-ranging perspective and offer many new paths for development of your work. Taught by a combination of seminars and workshops, the module will explore both the practical techniques used by professional writers of fiction and the literary theory behind them, but there will be opportunities to discuss your own work in a workshop atmosphere as well as to reflect on published texts. It is not necessary to have a special background to take this module. The practical element here is to learn to apply these technical elements to your own fiction, without resorting to pastiche or parody.
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- interact effectively with readers via your writing
- handle complex demands of fictional composition in a systematic and analytic manner
- demonstrate originality through your writing
- make literary judgements of fiction in an informed way
- independently evaluate and apply compositional methods
- locate your fiction writing in relation to a global context
Transferable and Generic Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- manage deadlines and make effective use of your time
- revise and edit creative writing to a professional standard
- present ideas effectively in narrative form
- write prose fluently in a range of styles
Knowledge and Understanding
Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
- how to write in a range of fictional genres and styles
- the achievements of contemporary international fiction writers whose work may help you improve your own writing
- how to achieve originality, linguistic versatility, and form in the handling of plot, character, time, point of view, and overall structural control in your fiction writing
Subject Specific Practical Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- revise and edit your work effectively
- plan the extended development of a fictional narrative towards a successful conclusion
- work with different styles, modes and genres of fiction
- distinguish your aims as a writer of fiction from others
- create the key structures of fictional narrative and identify their relation to readers
Syllabus
This module will allow you to develop a work of fiction within the supportive crucible of a group of fellow writers. You will be guided by a tutor who will provide examples of various literary techniques drawn from a range of international examples, allowing you to expand the breadth and depth of your literary reference points. Through careful discussion of a wide range of international fiction, you will hone your own craft and explore a number of new writing strategies.
Learning and Teaching
Teaching and learning methods
This module will train you in how to listen and discuss creative work in progress, analyse a range of international fiction, and to reflect on your own creative practice. You will give oral feedback on work-in- progress by your fellow writers, and explore literary techniques from a writer’s standpoint.
| Type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Independent Study | 130 |
| Teaching | 20 |
| Total study time | 150 |
Resources & Reading list
Textbooks
John Gardner (1991). The Art of Fiction: Notes on Craft for Young Writers. New York: Vintage.
Ben Nyberg (1988). One Great Way to Write Short Stories. Cincinnati, Ohio: Writers Digest.
Madison Smartt Bell (2000). Narrative Design. New York: Norton.
Margaret Atwood (1986). The Handmaid's Tale. New York: Anchor Books.
Jean Rhys (1982). Wide Sargasso Sea. New York: Norton.
Sol Stein (1995). Stein on Writing. New York: St Martins Press.
Arundhati Roy (1997). The God of Small Things. New York: Random House.
Jack Zipes. The Trials and Tribulations of Little Red Riding.
Kazuo Ishiguro (1989). An Artist of the Floating World. New York: Vintage.
Ian McEwan (2001). Atonement. London: Cape.
Jerome Stern (1991). Making Shapely Fiction. New York: Norton.
Marilynne Robinson (2004). Housekeeping. London: Macmillan.
John Fowles (2005). The French Lieutenant's Woman. New York: Vintage Classics.
Vladimir Nabokov (2001). Laughter in the Dark. London: Penguin Classics.
David Michael Kaplan (1998). Rewriting: A creative approach to writing fiction. London: A&C Black.
Ron Hansen and Jim Shepard (1994). You’ve Got to Read This: Contemporary American Writers Introduce Stories that Held them in Awe. New York: Libri.
Angela Carter (1993). The Bloody Chamber. London: Penguin.
Charles E. May (2002). The Short Story: The Rules of Artifice. New York: Routledge.
Assessment
Summative
This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Critical commentary | 25% |
| Creative writing | 75% |
Referral
This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Critical commentary | 25% |
| Creative writing | 75% |
Repeat Information
Repeat type: Internal & External