BA (Hons)

Creative Writing

Teaching & Learning

What you'll learn

Gain an introduction to the practices and processes of creative writing. Your studies will draw on examples from literary and digital texts, and you will begin to develop an understanding of the contexts of their production and reception. You will begin to use your initiative, creative response and collaborative working in a workshop setting to underpin your creative writing throughout the programme.
This module will support you as you start to work at degree level and develop strategies for the interpretation of contemporary literary texts. You will engage with a range of post-millennial texts that seek to problematize the contemporary period. You teaching will focus on literary innovations and ways in which texts interact with techniques, approaches and debates in literary studies today. Your learning will explore a range of critical approaches through a number of set texts to help you develop key skills that will inform your work at degree level.
You'll develop your independent writing practice, supported by tutors and your peers with an active, tutor-led, group tutorial once a semester to enable you to reflect and discuss your work with your fellow students. Through these sessions, you'll learn how to develop a regular writing practice that is relevant to your individual approach to writing. This will show you how your work can benefit from a reflexive and mutually supportive process that includes evolving discussions and debates.
Study an extended range of forms that could include dramatic monologues and short scripts. You will study fundamental theoretical principles and debates such as narrative, voice and object that relate to writing practices, and you will start to explore and experiment with your own writing.
Explore the principles of adaptation from literary text to a range of mediated forms. You'll focus on the study of one key chosen text, and will explore its adaptations to various other literary and media forms. This study will enable you to consider the key principles that underpin textual adaptation, explore the ways in which form impacts the production of a text, analyse the adaptation as an important ingredient in literary production. You'll respond creatively to literary text or selections of texts, by producing your own short adaptations.
You'll develop your editing and revising skills and be encouraged to think about the needs and expectations of your audience when it comes to presenting work. You’ll begin to understand how audience impacts on your writing. You may decide to produce a blog, or a podcast, or you may decide to revisit some of the written work you have produced so far and redraft it, embedding the good practice techniques you’ve learned as you develop your craft.
Gain an introduction to the practices and processes of creative writing. Your studies will draw on examples from literary and digital texts, and you will begin to develop an understanding of the contexts of their production and reception. You will begin to use your initiative, creative response and collaborative working in a workshop setting to underpin your creative writing throughout the programme.
This module will support you as you start to work at degree level and develop strategies for the interpretation of contemporary literary texts. You will engage with a range of post-millennial texts that seek to problematize the contemporary period. You teaching will focus on literary innovations and ways in which texts interact with techniques, approaches and debates in literary studies today. Your learning will explore a range of critical approaches through a number of set texts to help you develop key skills that will inform your work at degree level.
You'll develop your independent writing practice, supported by tutors and your peers with an active, tutor-led, group tutorial once a semester to enable you to reflect and discuss your work with your fellow students. Through these sessions, you'll learn how to develop a regular writing practice that is relevant to your individual approach to writing. This will show you how your work can benefit from a reflexive and mutually supportive process that includes evolving discussions and debates.
Study an extended range of forms that could include dramatic monologues and short scripts. You will study fundamental theoretical principles and debates such as narrative, voice and object that relate to writing practices, and you will start to explore and experiment with your own writing.
Explore the principles of adaptation from literary text to a range of mediated forms. You'll focus on the study of one key chosen text, and will explore its adaptations to various other literary and media forms. This study will enable you to consider the key principles that underpin textual adaptation, explore the ways in which form impacts the production of a text, analyse the adaptation as an important ingredient in literary production. You'll respond creatively to literary text or selections of texts, by producing your own short adaptations.
You'll develop your editing and revising skills and be encouraged to think about the needs and expectations of your audience when it comes to presenting work. You’ll begin to understand how audience impacts on your writing. You may decide to produce a blog, or a podcast, or you may decide to revisit some of the written work you have produced so far and redraft it, embedding the good practice techniques you’ve learned as you develop your craft.

What you'll learn

Explore key aspects of characterisation, story world-building and fictionalisation and build on your year one learning. You will respond to a range of contemporary authors from different cultures to produce your own short stories or extracts from longer works in progress. You will study and practise key aspects of narrative craft such as characterisation, dialogue, dramatisation, point of view and story architecture and understand how these are deployed in both short stories and novels/novellas.
Explore key aspects of writing for screen and respond to a range of texts to produce your own short scripts and/or treatments. You'll study and practise key aspects of screenwriting craft including structure, dialogue and scene design, and how these are deployed in writing stories for screen.
You'll develop your awareness of audience and opportunities to take your writing to market. You’ll be asked to research potential submission points for your work, such as online opportunities, writing competitions, open mic nights. You might decide to produce a piece of writing to a particular brief or to pitch your work to an industry-related panel. You’ll learn how to present work to a professional standard.
Study poetic voice and audience, and the relationship between them. You will extend your knowledge of contemporary poetry and you will be encouraged to identify potential audiences for your work and start to situate it within a wider literary world.
Develop critical and interpretative skills informed by an understanding of the role theory plays in literary studies. This module will enable you to become more confident and more adventurous in your study of literature.
How are you going to make a living as a writer? You'll explore the transferrable skills you're developing and how you'll apply them to your life beyond university. You'll work with external organisations on projects designed to get you thinking about your career. Examples of the kind of activities you may pursue are: developing a creative writing workshop to deliver in prisons, working with a professional writer in an editorial capacity, or designing a social marketing campaign for a local charity.
Explore key aspects of characterisation, story world-building and fictionalisation and build on your year one learning. You will respond to a range of contemporary authors from different cultures to produce your own short stories or extracts from longer works in progress. You will study and practise key aspects of narrative craft such as characterisation, dialogue, dramatisation, point of view and story architecture and understand how these are deployed in both short stories and novels/novellas.
Explore key aspects of writing for screen and respond to a range of texts to produce your own short scripts and/or treatments. You'll study and practise key aspects of screenwriting craft including structure, dialogue and scene design, and how these are deployed in writing stories for screen.
You'll develop your awareness of audience and opportunities to take your writing to market. You’ll be asked to research potential submission points for your work, such as online opportunities, writing competitions, open mic nights. You might decide to produce a piece of writing to a particular brief or to pitch your work to an industry-related panel. You’ll learn how to present work to a professional standard.
Study poetic voice and audience, and the relationship between them. You will extend your knowledge of contemporary poetry and you will be encouraged to identify potential audiences for your work and start to situate it within a wider literary world.
Develop critical and interpretative skills informed by an understanding of the role theory plays in literary studies. This module will enable you to become more confident and more adventurous in your study of literature.
How are you going to make a living as a writer? You'll explore the transferrable skills you're developing and how you'll apply them to your life beyond university. You'll work with external organisations on projects designed to get you thinking about your career. Examples of the kind of activities you may pursue are: developing a creative writing workshop to deliver in prisons, working with a professional writer in an editorial capacity, or designing a social marketing campaign for a local charity.

What you'll learn

Study the autobiographical branch of creative non-fiction.You will complete a number of creative writing exercises and regular workshops to help you refine your work with feedback from fellow students and tutor feedback in class, online, verbally, and in writing. This module will see you read a range of exemplary works of autobiographical non-fiction with a critical eye to begin making connections between the techniques and approaches of published works and your own.
You will work on a sustained creative writing practice project over two semesters, which will be overseen by a designated supervisor/tutor. This project will foster your abilities to work both independently as a writer and collaboratively as part of a group of artist-practitioners.
Develop your understanding of your place in the world beyond university. You'll be asked to write a well-researched and realistic plan for the next five years of creative enterprise. You’ll develop your own personal writing manifesto. You'll discover what works for you and how your work fits within the broader cultural and literary landscape. You’ll give a presentation on your research, helping you to visualise your first steps after graduation.
Examine a body of reading, thought, and practice in contemporary writing loosely understood as `avant-garde' or experimental writing. Given the renegade nature of these works, we will move away from using such generic categories as poetry or prose, even as we try to understand how these texts usefully extend and interrogate precisely those categories. Through a programme of close reading, in-class and online discussion, and independent study, you will critically and creatively engage with a rich tradition of contemporary literary practice.
In this module, you'll demonstrate your development as a writer throughout the course. You'll produce or present or publish your work to audience, whether in printed, recorded or online formats. You'll reflect on your journey as a writer and how your portfolio of work has developed. You may choose to publish your creative writing project, or to develop a submission package, or deliver your work at the end of year celebration.
Study the autobiographical branch of creative non-fiction.You will complete a number of creative writing exercises and regular workshops to help you refine your work with feedback from fellow students and tutor feedback in class, online, verbally, and in writing. This module will see you read a range of exemplary works of autobiographical non-fiction with a critical eye to begin making connections between the techniques and approaches of published works and your own.
You will work on a sustained creative writing practice project over two semesters, which will be overseen by a designated supervisor/tutor. This project will foster your abilities to work both independently as a writer and collaboratively as part of a group of artist-practitioners.
Develop your understanding of your place in the world beyond university. You'll be asked to write a well-researched and realistic plan for the next five years of creative enterprise. You’ll develop your own personal writing manifesto. You'll discover what works for you and how your work fits within the broader cultural and literary landscape. You’ll give a presentation on your research, helping you to visualise your first steps after graduation.
Examine a body of reading, thought, and practice in contemporary writing loosely understood as `avant-garde' or experimental writing. Given the renegade nature of these works, we will move away from using such generic categories as poetry or prose, even as we try to understand how these texts usefully extend and interrogate precisely those categories. Through a programme of close reading, in-class and online discussion, and independent study, you will critically and creatively engage with a rich tradition of contemporary literary practice.
In this module, you'll demonstrate your development as a writer throughout the course. You'll produce or present or publish your work to audience, whether in printed, recorded or online formats. You'll reflect on your journey as a writer and how your portfolio of work has developed. You may choose to publish your creative writing project, or to develop a submission package, or deliver your work at the end of year celebration.