EN1CW: Introduction to Creative Writing

Module code: EN1CW

Module provider: English Literature; School of Humanities

Credits: 20

Level: Level 1 (Certificate)

When you'll be taught: Semester 1 / 2

Module convenor: Dr Conor Carville, email: c.carville@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 21 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module allows you to develop skills in creative writing across a range of genres. You will be introduced to practical and theoretical issues involved in the activity, and will develop skills in the composition, criticism, revision, and polishing of creative work. Building on ideas from the lecture course, you will produce a portfolio of creative writing for discussion in workshops and contribute to the discussion of presented work. You will also produce a critical essay derived from the subjects studied in the lecture course in consultation with module leaders.  

This module provides you with knowledge and understanding of issues surrounding the culture and practice of creative writing. It promotes skills of composition and critical self-reflection, both of your own work and that of others. 

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to: 

1. Demonstrate the ability to read as a writer: to analyse texts, performances and / or broadcasts, and to respond to the affective power of language using appropriate approaches, terminologies and creative strategies 
2. Initiate, devise, compose and conclude creative projects in which their own and other people’s ideas are articulated concisely, accurately and clearly 
3. Demonstrate the deployment of language in a sophisticated and nuanced fashion, with a heightened awareness of concision, voice, idiom, idiolect, simile, metaphor, analogy, rhythm and media-specific restraints 
4. Edit their own work, and that of peers, with a high level of rigour and scrutiny, at the various levels of clause, line, sentence, stanza, paragraph but also at the structural level of overall scene, chapter, collection, book. 

Module content

A number of weekly lectures will introduce a range of issues relevant to particular creative forms. The workshop content will be shaped around the assessment tasks that students will undertake. They will experiment with formal and informal poetry, dialogue and the short story. These forms will be introduced and discussed, with examples, by the seminar leader and the class. The students will then write their own examples of the form and these will be discussed and worked on in subsequent classes. At the end of the module, the student will submit a portfolio of creative work and an accompanying essay.

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

This module introduces students to the creative writing workshop model, which is closely integrated with lectures and independent learning. Lectures take place every two to three weeks, introducing key skills and techniques in one of the three forms, beginning with poetry, then moving to drama/dialogue and finally prose. The lecturers may give prompts to aid independent writing in the relevant form. This work is uploaded as a draft before the next workshop. In the workshops such drafts are closely considered by both the workshop leader and peers. After each workshop students may revise the work drawing on what they have learned. Finished drafts of workshopped poetry, dialogue and prose make up the creative components of the module’s assessed portfolio. 

Study hours

At least 22 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 40% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Regular feedback on independent written work from both workshop leaser and peers in weekly workshops.  

Reassessment

Additional costs