The Creative Writing Programme

Initially you will reflect on the sources and themes of your own writing; discover ways of enhancing its dramatic impact and experiment with different forms of narrative to find the best way to express your ideas. In the second year you will learn more about characterisation, dialogue and the ‘world of the story’ and explore the complex and dynamic relationship between your characters, your story and your reader. Throughout the course you will explore all aspects of narrative construction: from a sense of place and its resonance with character through to thematic focus, ways of heightening tension and conflict and story resolution. You will be offered ways of enhancing your own creativity, of honing your critical and editing skills and of developing your eye for a good story. In the writing workshops you will share, discuss and evaluate your work with the other writers in your writing group.

By the end the programme you will have significantly increased your understanding of how to write good fiction, have developed a substantial body of work and have either finished your writing project or be in a position to bring it to completion.

The programme is delivered through weekly seminars in which you will develop your writing technique through practical exercises, readings, discussion of published work and group discussions led by your tutor on different aspects of the writing process. The programme is supported by an interactive learning site where you will have access to notes and summaries of seminars and exercises and a Writer’s Forum in which you can post your work, read the work of other writers in your group, share information about events and contact your tutor.

Over the course of the year you will have one-to-one tutorials with your tutor and at the end of the programme there will be an Agents Day in which you will have an opportunity to discuss your work with a publishing professional.

What this programme will do for you

This programme will develop your confidence and ability as a writer. Through discussion and experimentation, in practical work guided by your tutor, you will learn how to improve the quality of your writing; develop your creative and critical skills; organise and manage your work and develop a strong individual style.

It is an ideal programme for writers who want to write a novel, a collection of short stories or a challenging piece of prose and are looking for structure, encouragement and feedback to help them achieve this.

All you will need to bring to the programme is your imagination, a love of reading, a passion to write and the determination to succeed.

Jess’s perspective

‘I’d been secretly writing short stories for years but lacked the confidence to show anyone else my work. The creative writing programme is ideal for developing confidence – it’s a combination of giving and receiving feedback from peers, great tutors with fantastic writing exercises, knowledge of theory, technique, and the publishing industry. My tutor, encouraged me to send off stories in the first term, and as a result I ended up with seven short stories in print in different publications. By the end of the programme I had almost completed my novel Snake Ropes. Through the Agents and Publishers Day on the programme I met an agent who liked my work. I now have a two-book deal with Sceptre and Snake Ropes was published in May of this year.

If I’d been asked a couple of months before starting the course if I’d ever feel able to write a novel, I’d have said no. Doing the Creative Writing Programme really helped me to realise my potential.

Jess Richards

What is required of me?

You will need to be able to make a two-year commitment. Over these two years you will need to organise a minimum of twelve hours per week for reading and the development of writing activities and exercises: this includes seminar time, writing time and reading time. You will also need to have access to a computer with email and an internet connection as the programme uses an internet learning site to allow students to keep in touch outside of the taught sessions. Reading, writing and researching exercises will be regularly set outside of seminar time.

How are seminars structured?

Each weekly writing seminar runs for two and a half hours. Seminars will include a mix of practical writing exercises, discussion of work written in the seminar and discussion of published texts, group work, tutor led feedback and taught sessions.

Programme Structure

Course one: Approaches to Writing.

Autumn Term

10 weekly writing seminars (Two and a half hours), and Saturday school (date to be announced)

You will approach writing either through the inspiration of existing stories, or through a study of autobiographical experiences. Using workshops, writing exercises, group discussion and feedback, you will explore the fundamental principles of storytelling and discover ways of enhancing the dramatic, sensual and visual effect of your written language. You will explore the sources of your own creativity and ways in which you can utilise it more effectively in your own writing and will consider how the great themes of literature and human experience are being constantly re-written for successive generations. There are reading, researching and writing exercises each week, both at home and in class. At the end of the term you will produce a portfolio of short pieces of creative writing for creative and critical comment from your tutor.

Course two: Tactics for Writing: Prose Fiction

Spring and Summer Terms

15 weekly writing seminars (Two and a half hours), individual tutorial and Saturday School (Five hours).

You will experiment with different narrative modes, tenses and viewpoints and explore the subtle nuances of perspective and feeling that can be achieved through their careful use. You will explore the techniques and structures used in prose fiction and gain a greater insight into the dynamic relationships between writers, narrators, characters and readers in the writing process. At the end of the course you will take part in a short series of writing workshops in which you will read and discuss your own work in progress and the work of the other writers in your group. At the end of term you will submit work for constructive appraisal from your tutor and will have a one to one tutorial with them to discuss your progress and plan your writing project for the second year.

Course three: Story Structure

Autumn Term

10 weekly writing seminars (Autumn Term), individual tutorial and Saturday school.

The Special Author project allows you to explore writing, which you feel inspires and supports your own. You will select a chosen published writer, and using imaginative techniques and creative exercises, explore that writer’s style and learn how they make their writing structurally and dramatically effective. You will also continue to make progress on your writing project and give and receive criticism of your own and other's work in progress. You will study characterisation, theme, plot and the development of dramatic tension, and will learn how to structure and manage longer writing projects. At the end of this term you will submit work to your tutor for a written critical appraisal.

Course four: Writing Workshops

Spring and Summer Terms

15 weekly writing seminars, plus Agents and Publishers Day (dates to be announced.).

In this final course you will have two more series of writing workshops in which longer pieces of work written by you and other writers in your group will be read and discussed. You will also spend time looking at editing techniques, both on the level of prose and on the level of story. You will consider the importance of beginnings and endings and transitional points in your narrative and will consider the extent to which the arc of your written work fully realises the story’s potential. At the end of the course you will have an Agents day, for which you will prepare a synopsis and an extract of your work to discuss with a visiting literary agent and will submit a final piece of work to your tutor for written critical feedback.