Modules
Creative Writing: Building a Story (EAS2031)
| Staff | Dr Ben Smith - Convenor |
|---|---|
| Credit Value | 30 |
| ECTS Value | 15 |
| NQF Level | 5 |
| Pre-requisites | None |
| Co-requisites | Students taking this module are NOT eligible to take the other Level 2 Creative Writing module ‘Making A Poem’. |
| Duration of Module | Term 1: 11 weeks; |
Module aims
- You will develop a substantial body of your own short fiction through weekly exercises that will build towards a final portfolio and a critical essay that will evidence the development of your writing based on reading, research and practice. Through the seminars and workshops you will develop your processes and techniques of writing, including drafting, revising, editing, self-reflection and techniques of story development. Participation and commentary in seminars is integral. There will be an emphasis on introducing key concepts in the fortnightly lectures; developing these concepts and techniques in lively seminar and writing workshops, which will include the development of original stories as well as approaches to critical reading and reflective essay writing.
ILO: Module-specific skills
- 1. Demonstrate a range of creative writing styles and approaches
- 2. Analyse a range of English language short fiction
- 3. Articulate a knowledge and understanding of creative writing texts, concepts and methodologies
- 4. Demonstrate rhetorical skills of effective communication and argument, both written and oral, with a broad range of vocabulary and an appropriate critical and professional terminology
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
- 5. Demonstrate an appreciation of formal techniques and imaginative expression in creative writing
- 6. Demonstrate an ability to produce pieces of creative writing, in agreement with specified forms and genres taught on the module
- 7. Present written and oral arguments concerning their own creative writing and the work of other authors, both peers and published authors
ILO: Personal and key skills
- 8. Through seminar work demonstrate communication skills, and an ability to work both individually and in groups
- 9. Demonstrate appropriate research and bibliographic skills, a capacity to construct a coherent, substantiated argument, skills of creative expression and a capacity to write clear and correct prose
- 10. Demonstrate proficiency in time-management and organisational skills
Syllabus plan
Whilst the content may vary from year to year, it is envisioned that it will cover some or all of the following topics: transformation, description, character, point of view, style, writing from life, structure.
The module is delivered in a combination of fortnightly one-hour lectures, followed by a two-hour seminar. In addition there will be a fortnightly 2-hour workshop dedicated to discussion of your own reading through informal presentation to peers, and critical and creative process and responses through ‘workshopping’ of original creative work in progress.
The syllabus is focused on technique and, through various examples drawn from contemporary short story writers, will include lectures on structure, voice and point of view, emotion, language and style, and writing from life.
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 40 | 260 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and Teaching | 11 | Lectures |
| Scheduled learning and Teaching | 22 | Seminars |
| Scheduled learning and Teaching | 7 | Workshops |
| Guided Independent Study | 33 | Study group preparation and meetings |
| Guided Independent Study | 70 | Seminar preparation (individual) |
| Guided Independent Study | 157 | Reading, research and journal preparation |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly creative exercise | Continuous (500 1000 words) | 1-10 | Tutorial and seminar feedback/discussion |
| Essay proposal | 500 words | 1-7, 9,10 | Feedback sheet with opportunity for tutorial follow-up |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finished sample of short fiction | 60 | One or more short stories totalling 3500 words | 1, 4-6, 10 | Feedback sheet with opportunity for tutorial follow-up |
| Critical essay | 30 | 1500 words | 1-7, 10 | Feedback sheet with opportunity for tutorial follow-up |
| Module participation | 10 | Continuous | 2-4, 7-8 | Tutorial feedback |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finished sample of short fiction | One or more short stories totalling 3500 words | 1, 4-6, 10 | Referral/Deferral period |
| Critical essay | 1500 words | 1-7,10 | Referral/Deferral period |
| Module participation | Repeat Study/Mitigation | 2-4, 7-8 | N/a |
Re-assessment notes
Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.
Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
You must develop your own reading list for this module, based on personal interests relevant to your portfolio and to your critical essay. Your reading should come from a range of modern short fiction by individual authors of your own choosing. Individual seminar tutors will set texts for their particular seminar groups. This information will be made available to you on ELE.
For certain lectures, you must read selected extracts, which are made available on the ELE site for the module.
Module has an active ELE page?
Yes
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
- Over 300 world-class interviews with authors at The Paris Review – http://www.parisreview.com
- ELE – https://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=11186
Indicative learning resources - Other resources
Students should also regularly read magazines in the library that publish short fiction, such as: Granta, Paris Review, New Yorker, Wasafiri, and others.
Available as distance learning?
No
Origin date
27/02/2017
Last revision date
27/07/2020
Key words search
English, Creative Writing