Building the World introduces you to the phenomenon of world-building, i.e. the techniques and practices of constructing imaginative environments. Drawing on examples from script, fiction, film and narrative games, the module will develop your awareness of the importance of credible, well-realised story worlds within creative practice. The importance of research, imaginative reflection and productive speculation in the development of fictional environments will be emphasised. The aim is to enable you to explore world-building from a critically-informed perspective while allowing you to practice world-creation in a context of your choice.

Introduction to Poetry guides you in the art of non-metrical poetry by concentrating upon shorter poems and upon building up techniques of perception, language and effect. This will be done in combination with the reading of poetry with the aim of integrating reading as a poet into an on-going practice of reflection. Emphasis will be placed upon journal writing and workshop practice.

Introduction to Fiction outlines the art of fiction by concentrating on shorter pieces, often referred to as ‘microfiction’. The module also builds up techniques of perception, language and effect, in combination with the reading of fiction, with the aim of integrating reading as a fiction writer into an on-going practice of reflection. Emphasis will be placed upon journal writing and workshop practice.

Introduction to Scriptwriting covers some of the essential elements of dramatic scriptwriting. These include characterisation, writing dialogue, scenes and beats, monologues, conflict and structure. The module will explore the concept of story in different mediums (theatre/film/television/radio) but will focus in particular on radio drama. You will gain an understanding of the specific demands of learning how to write effectively for radio.

Reading the World and the Business of Writing introduces you to a range of contemporary writing, in all its formats, both in English and English translation. The module will help you to develop the art of reading as a writer, enhance your understanding of poetics, and encourage you to contribute to the cultural landscape by producing and maintaining a writer’s blog. All activities will be developed and encouraged via tutorials, lectures, seminars and workshops.

Introduction to Writing for Narrative Games presents you with a selection of the forms of interactive narrative games that have emerged since the mid-1970s. The module focuses on print narratives since the principles of their authoring and design underpin, and provide useful grounding for, the consideration and creation of digital narratives at higher levels. You will address four specific forms: the interactive ‘gamebook’, the narrative board game, the story-creation card game, and the tabletop role-playing game. The aim is to explore key aesthetic concepts such as forking path narrative structures, narrative play and ludic narratives, immersion, simulation, improvisation, game-story design, and interactive storytelling.

Introduction to Non-Fiction presents you with a variety of contemporary forms which fall under the broad title of ‘creative non-fiction’. This includes travel writing, documentary poetry, documentary theatre, life writing, and the contemporary creative essay – disciplines the modern working writer may find themselves exploring in the course of their writing life. These might arise when working for newspapers, journals or magazines, on individual projects or publishing works of book-length. This module includes study at an introductory level of examples of each of these non-fictional forms. It also provides practical advice on making submissions to publications, agents and publishers in these fields.

The Writer’s Life introduces you to various creative industries (commercial, trade and independent publishing), fields of contemporary literary production and the role(s) of the creative writer within the publishing world and other creative and cultural environments. The module also provides you with the opportunity to engage in professional practice via an independent project where you will negotiate the creation of a cultural artefact and/or cultural service or take an unpaid placement (organised by yourself) in a professional environment. All activities will be developed and encouraged via tutorials, lectures, seminars and workshops.

Inside the Publishing Industry develops your awareness of publishing across literary genres with a focus on poetry, fiction, script and digital publishing. You will explore what writers and publishers are looking for in the 21st century and receive talks by guest speakers from leading publishing presses as well as industry professionals. A study of all genres is designed to explore the differences between writing and production via print, digital media and performance. Self-directed placements in publishing and/or group projects will help develop new skills and experience in the cultural industries. Additionally, this module will involve a visit to a major literary event (such as a festival or book fair) where you can learn more about current trends and predicted futures in a fast-moving publishing climate.

The Art of Poetry enables you to write in, and experiment with, a variety of styles, to read a range of contemporary and recent poetry, and to relate that reading to an on-going process of reflection that will feedback into a robust and inventive writing practice. Emphasis will be placed upon continuous journaling, intensive reading and workshop participation.

Writing Short Stories explores the nature of the short story form and its specific demands on the writer. You will produce your own short fiction, responding to the diversity of styles and genres adopted by short story authors. You will also be given guidance on potential outlets for your work.

The Art of Scriptwriting explores various strategies towards scriptwriting with a particular emphasis on writing imaginatively for the stage. You will gain an understanding of the central role of the playwright in the theatre making process, be involved in a dramaturgical analysis of a range of scripts, and gain an understanding of how plays are constructed. The module enables you to experience writing collaboratively as well as developing your own personal practice and playwright’s aesthetic. Additionally, you will prepare, pitch, develop and write to format your own original one act play.

Writing for Roleplaying Games introduces you to the genres, forms and conventions of the tabletop roleplaying game. The module enables you to explore and practice the discipline of writing roleplaying game scenarios, including the understanding of rule-sets and game mechanics, the creation of non-player characters, the conception and planning of narrative spaces as sites of action, the importance of clear and cohesive plotting, and considerations of how the manipulation of certain games systems’ ludic elements can enhance interactive storytelling.

Genre and Popular Writing explores the conventions of genre fiction and assesses the specific demands of writing for the popular market. The module considers how popular genres have developed historically, what contributes to their enduring appeal, how key practitioners have utilised and subverted the conventions of mass market fiction, and how the emerging writer balances conformity to the reader’s expectations with the need to establish a distinctive style and voice? We address these questions through a case study which examines one popular genre in depth. This may consist of fantasy writing, crime fiction, romantic fiction, or any other popular genre or sub-genre.

The Writer’s Workshop enables you to develop your practical and creative skills in a specific genre, as well as to further investigate the processes involved in your own practice and that of other writers. The module provides you with the opportunity to develop and complete an extended creative project in a field of your choosing, along with a 3,000-word critique of the work. The project may take any form agreed by the project supervisor but in most cases will consist of a collection of poems, a collection of short stories, a short novel or novella, a play, a film or television script.

Advanced Theatre Writing enhances your playwriting skills and strategies. You will gain a nuanced understanding of the central role of the playwright in the theatre making process, exploring concepts and theories of theatre making and working to create more innovative theatre scripts. You will experience writing collaboratively as well as developing your own personal practice and playwright’s aesthetic. As an innovative exploration of writing for theatre, you will explore a range of ways to make theatre, including writing plays with music, genres of theatre such as ‘in yer face’ and theatre of the absurd, ways of using digital platforms and exploring the practicalities of making theatre on a more critical level. There will be at least one theatre trip, one visiting speaker and reading of 5-8 scripts. Additionally, you will prepare, pitch, develop and write to format your own original full length play.

Expanded Writing focuses on the work of the Oulipo group (the Workshop of Potential Literature) and allied system-based literary practices, enabling experimentation and development of poetics. At the heart of the group’s practice is a distinction between forms that are conventions and those that are constraints. A convention is a form that has been bequeathed by tradition; a constraint is newly invented. Built into the constraint is often the notion of the clinamen (or swerve), something that will throw an impeding spanner into the works of the mechanical process. This module will help you to understand and engage with with the underlying philosophy of composition or poetics of the Oulipo, as well as producing creative writing (poetry and/or fiction) that demonstrates this understanding by working creatively with rules and constraints. This will include exposure to a wide range of Oulipo constraints and their resultant literary manifestations.

Writing Comedy introduces you to various ways of writing comedy and the market for those comedy pieces. The module offers you the opportunity to engage in a wide range of writing activities as well as performance of comedy and researching the history and tradition of comedy writing in various formats.

The Writer at Work places creative practice within its cultural and industry context through a detailed case study. focusing on the career of a significant 21st century author, who may be working in a single literary genre or across several, including script, fiction, poetry, non-fiction or electronic media. Examples might include Alice Munro, Alasdair Gray, Caryl Churchil, Iain Sinclair. You are able to study a writer’s body of work in greater depth than is usual at this level, while also gaining insights into the author’s creative and professional practice in relation to the creative industries.

Poetry and Innovative Form enables you to practice advanced techniques and develop innovative strategies for writing poetry, while reading a range of contemporary works (including emergent forms) and reflecting upon the reading and writing. You will feed the resultant poetics of this writing back into a developed poetic practice. Emphasis will be placed upon autonomous and continuous writing practice and experimentation and the development of a poetics of writing to accompany and fortify this, as well as reading poetry as a fellow-practitioner and developing this work and awareness through workshop participation.

Advanced Fiction provides you with the opportunity to write fiction at an advanced level, with a particular focus on the novel and the short story sequence. Using increasingly complex themes and techniques, you will establish a growing sense of autonomy as a writer, shaped by the reading of fiction and also your own continuous writing practice. You are also encouraged to experiment with form and genre and to consider potential publishing outlets for your work.

The Art of Screenwriting focuses on the art of screenwriting for television and film. The module will give you an understanding of character, plot, dialogue, montage and the structure of screenwriting. The module will explore the particular skills required for writing visually for the screen and the television medium. You will also learn to analyse films and consider a sequence analysis of scripts from the writer’s perspective. Some consideration on getting films produced and the industrial context of film making. The module will culminate in the preparing of outlines, the pitching of film ideas, treatments and writing to format your own industry standard film/television script (between 30-45 minutes long with appropriate additional documentation such as scene-by-scene and episode breakdowns).

Writing for Digital Adventure Games introduces you to the genres, forms and conventions of the digital adventure game. The module enables you to explore and practice the discipline of writing digital adventure game scenarios, including the understanding of game mechanics, the creation of non-player characters, the conception and planning of narrative spaces as sites of action, plotting, scripting and considerations of how the manipulation of a game’s ludic elements can enhance interactive storytelling.

Experiments in Writing introduces you to various ways of experimenting with writing, whether this be through various techniques such as ouvroir de littérature potentielle (OULIPO) or through various styles, such as writing comedy, experimenting within genre, or even mixing styles, for example OULIPO comedic writing. The exact areas of study will vary depending on the interests of the group as well as the areas of expertise and research of the module leader. Such areas might include writing comedy for performance, writing through a system-based practice or writing for a particular genre that explores more fully ways of subverting and experimenting with particular techniques. The aim is for you to become an innovative writer who is creatively experimental and able to write and read outside of your comfort zone. All activities will be developed and encouraged via tutorials, seminars and workshops.

112-120 UCAS Tariff points are required to join this programme with effect from September 2020 entry.