creative writing module

Elements of Creative Writing

J.D. Schraffenberger, University of Northern Iowa

Rachel Morgan, University of Northern Iowa

Grant Tracey, University of Northern Iowa

Copyright Year: 2023

ISBN 13: 9780915996179

Publisher: University of Northern Iowa

Language: English

Formats Available

Conditions of use.

Learn more about reviews.

Reviewed by Robert Moreira, Lecturer III, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley on 3/21/24

Unlike Starkey's CREATIVE WRITING: FOUR GENRES IN BRIEF, this textbook does not include a section on drama. read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

Unlike Starkey's CREATIVE WRITING: FOUR GENRES IN BRIEF, this textbook does not include a section on drama.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

As far as I can tell, content is accurate, error free and unbiased.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

The book is relevant and up-to-date.

Clarity rating: 5

The text is clear and easy to understand.

Consistency rating: 5

I would agree that the text is consistent in terms of terminology and framework.

Modularity rating: 5

Text is modular, yes, but I would like to see the addition of a section on dramatic writing.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

Topics are presented in logical, clear fashion.

Interface rating: 5

Navigation is good.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

No grammatical issues that I could see.

Cultural Relevance rating: 3

I'd like to see more diverse creative writing examples.

As I stated above, textbook is good except that it does not include a section on dramatic writing.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Chapter One: One Great Way to Write a Short Story
• Chapter Two: Plotting
• Chapter Three: Counterpointed Plotting
• Chapter Four: Show and Tell
• Chapter Five: Characterization and Method Writing
• Chapter Six: Character and Dialouge
• Chapter Seven: Setting, Stillness, and Voice
• Chapter Eight: Point of View
• Chapter Nine: Learning the Unwritten Rules
• Chapter One: A Poetry State of Mind
• Chapter Two: The Architecture of a Poem
• Chapter Three: Sound
• Chapter Four: Inspiration and Risk
• Chapter Five: Endings and Beginnings
• Chapter Six: Figurative Language
• Chapter Seven: Forms, Forms, Forms
• Chapter Eight: Go to the Image
• Chapter Nine: The Difficult Simplicity of Short Poems and Killing Darlings

Creative Nonfiction

• Chapter One: Creative Nonfiction and the Essay
• Chapter Two: Truth and Memory, Truth in Memory
• Chapter Three: Research and History
• Chapter Four: Writing Environments
• Chapter Five: Notes on Style
• Chapter Seven: Imagery and the Senses
• Chapter Eight: Writing the Body
• Chapter Nine: Forms

Back Matter

• Contributors
• North American Review Staff

Ancillary Material

• University of Northern Iowa

About the Book

This free and open access textbook introduces new writers to some basic elements of the craft of creative writing in the genres of fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. The authors—Rachel Morgan, Jeremy Schraffenberger, and Grant Tracey—are editors of the North American Review, the oldest and one of the most well-regarded literary magazines in the United States. They’ve selected nearly all of the readings and examples (more than 60) from writing that has appeared in NAR pages over the years. Because they had a hand in publishing these pieces originally, their perspective as editors permeates this book. As such, they hope that even seasoned writers might gain insight into the aesthetics of the magazine as they analyze and discuss some reasons this work is so remarkable—and therefore teachable. This project was supported by NAR staff and funded via the UNI Textbook Equity Mini-Grant Program.

About the Contributors

J.D. Schraffenberger  is a professor of English at the University of Northern Iowa. He is the author of two books of poems,  Saint Joe's Passion  and  The Waxen Poor , and co-author with Martín Espada and Lauren Schmidt of  The Necessary Poetics of Atheism . His other work has appeared in  Best of Brevity ,  Best Creative Nonfiction ,  Notre Dame Review ,  Poetry East ,  Prairie Schooner , and elsewhere.

Rachel Morgan   is an instructor of English at the University of Northern Iowa. She is the author of the chapbook  Honey & Blood , Blood & Honey . Her work is included in the anthology  Fracture: Essays, Poems, and Stories on Fracking in American  and has appeared in the  Journal of American Medical Association ,  Boulevard ,  Prairie Schooner , and elsewhere.

Grant Tracey   author of three novels in the Hayden Fuller Mysteries ; the chapbook  Winsome  featuring cab driver Eddie Sands; and the story collection  Final Stanzas , is fiction editor of the  North American Review  and an English professor at the University of Northern Iowa, where he teaches film, modern drama, and creative writing. Nominated four times for a Pushcart Prize, he has published nearly fifty short stories and three previous collections. He has acted in over forty community theater productions and has published critical work on Samuel Fuller and James Cagney. He lives in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

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British Council India

Creative writing for adults - module i.

Whether you are a scribbler, a secret diarist, or a would-be journalist, come find your unique writing style with British Council’s Creative Writing course - Module I . Two batches have been scheduled. Batch 1 is starting from  Saturday, 22 July 2023 and batch 2 is starting from  Saturday, 29 July 2023.

This course will help you:

• Develop your unique writer’s voice and perspective
• Help your creativity find expression
• Enhance your knowledge of literature
• Help you structure your thoughts
• Develop a critical appreciation of different writing styles

Required English language level:  Above upper-intermediate level (Level B2).

Course duration: 36 hours I 9 weeks I weekend online classes | all the participants will receive a digital certificate upon completion of the course.

Course fee:  INR 10,000 per participant Click here to register

Special offer to British Council library members - 10% discount on the course fee Click here to register

About the Course

Our Creative Writing- Module I course offers the opportunity to learn a variety of techniques to improve your writing process and enhance creativity.

The course content covers plot, characters, dialogue and setting when writing fiction. You will also learn how to travel write and blog, learn to differentiate between news reports and feature articles, be introduced to screenwriting and writing memoirs. You will explore the tools of a poet and learn to write poetry. In addition, you will be introduced to experimental writing and children’s fiction. The syllabus is specifically designed to guide those who wish to write creatively and explore their writing talent to realise their dreams of becoming a writer.

Our experienced teachers will help you find your unique writer’s voice through this enjoyable writing course. You will receive feedback on your writing to help you know your prospects as a future writer. Once you join our Creative Writing course, you will realize that lively and interactive sessions are exactly what you need to begin your journey as a writer.  The course is, however, not aimed at those wishing to improve their academic or technical writing skills.

Schedule for July 2023

Course delivery.

36 hours of learning will happen through online classes and 14 hours of interaction and peer-learning will be facilitated through our online interactive learning platform.

There will be assessments by the teacher during the mid and end of the course

Participants should use laptop/desktop to attend the session. 

• Recording/taking screenshot/photos of the course is strictly prohibited.

Course Fee: INR 10,000 per participant.

Special offer: British Council library members can avail a special discount of 10% on the course fee.

How to ascertain your English language level and register?

Step 1: Ascertain your language level (required English Language level)

The course is open for all. However, English Language level suitable for the course is above upper-intermediate level (B2) and advanced level (C1 and C2).

• You are at Elementary level(A1) if you can say simple things about your day. For example:  I wake up at 7 am every day.
• You are at Pre-intermediate level(A2) if you can communicate in simple and routine tasks on familiar topics and activities. For example: I like exercising early in the morning if I sleep on time. 
• You are an Intermediate level(B1) if you can share your thoughts, opinions, and views. For example:  She must be really tired. She’s worked late every night this week.
• You are at Upper intermediate level(B2) if you can present clear, detailed descriptions on a wide range of subjects related to your field of interest. For example: Unfortunately for him, the situation turned out to be opposite to what he thought it was.
• You are at Advanced level (C1 & C2) if you can present clear, detailed descriptions of complex subjects. For example: Being born and raised in India, I believe her to be the country’s best ambassador in the world.

Step 2 : Once you have ascertained your English language level, please proceed for the course registration.

Course fee: INR 10,000 per participant. Click here   to register.

Special offer to British Council library members - 10% discount on the course fee. Click here  to register.

Terms and Conditions

• Participants must be over 18 years of age.
• Non-refundable fee is payable in full prior to the commencement of course.
• If obliged to cancel the course, the British Council reserves the right to do so without further liability, subject to the return of any fee already paid. 
• The course schedule is subject to change. Participants will be notified the changes, if any.

For any query, please email us at [email protected] .

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Creative writing modules, site search.

Modules in Creative Writing offer students a chance to experience various forms of writing before specialising in one of poetry, fiction or playwriting their third year. There is also the opportunity in third year to explore a number of other types of creative writing in more detail in the wide-ranging 'special focus' courses. Other students can take a creative writing module in second year designed for non-creative writers: EN2215 Structure and Style. All students are welcome to take Special Focus in their third year.

First year creative writing students take both CW1010 and CW1020, alongside courses from their joint degree programme.

Second years chose two from Playwriting, Fiction and Poetry.

Third years take one of these on for specialist study and developing a portfolio, and take this alongside options in CW3103.

First Year Modules

Cw1010: introduction to creative writing.

Course Convener: Professor Ben Markovits

In this module you will develop an understanding of a range of literary and cultural writing forms through reading, discussion and practice. You will look at poetry, drama and prose fiction alongside stand-up comedy, adaptation, translation, songwriting, and other forms of creative expression and articulation. You will learn how to offer clear, constructive, sensitive critical appraisals, and how to accept and appropriately value criticism of your own work.

CW1020: Why Write?

Course Convener: Dr Doug Cowie

In this module you will develop an understanding of a range historical perspectives on the function, forms, and value of creative writing. You will look at the genesis of particular genres, such as the short story, the novel and the manifesto, and consider relationships between historical genres and the contemporary writer. You will interrogate your own assumptions about creative writing and critically examine the relationship between creative writing and society.

Second Year Modules

Cw2010: playwriting.

Course Convener: Dr Nick Pierpan

The first term will focus on a series of dramaturgical elements, looking at the way that these elements are exemplified in various set texts and trying to develop them through writing exercises. For example, students may be asked to read Chekhov’s Three Sisters thinking specifically about dramatic structure; in class they will also examine the second part of Aristotle’s poetics, and construct exemplary structures around dramatic scenarios offered by the group to test these ideas out. Towards the end of the first term and for the first half of the second term, the students will be engaged in developing a series of ideas for plays that they will then write in small groups; these plays will be given a performance of some kind in the middle of the second term, the experience of which will form the basis for a final rewrite before submission. During this period, the content of the classes will be driven by the demands of the developing scripts. As appropriate, specific topics (dialogue, character, subtext, etc.) will be introduced to contribute to the development of the class. For the last few weeks of the second term, students will be concentrating on their own short, single-authored plays, and we will revisit issues of structure, style, language and inspiration.

CW2020: Fiction

This is a course option available to all second-year Creative Writing students. It is designed to provide students with the opportunity to develop their fiction-writing skills within a structured workshop-based environment. The course seeks to pick up on the grounding in the theory and practice of creative writing students acquired in their first year.

The first term will focus on the short story. We will look at a selection of published short stories through the term and will use practical exercises to respond to stories and to develop skills. The course places a strong emphasis on critical feedback as a means of developing editorial and fiction-writing skills. The last part of each weekly seminar will be a workshop, led by the tutor, in which students give each other detailed and constructive feedback on their weekly assignment.

The second term will focus on the novel. Students are expected to read the novels on the reading list. The emphasis, again, is on craft so we shall read the novels as writers and discuss them in terms of character, structure, point of view, narrative voice etc, and what may be learned from them.

In this term students are working toward completing the first chapter of a novel or a long short story and so each workshop session will also include a short individual presentation in which students discuss their proposed project. It is understood that ideas may change between the planning and writing stage and students are not committed to the plans they present.

CW2030: Poetry

Course Convener: Dr Prue Bussey-Chamberlain

On this course you will work through some of the fundamental elements of poetry: subject, duration, image, language, sound, rhythm, visual poetics, performance, etc. We shall do so through encountering and discussing different approaches to and examples of these fundamental elements as they arise in poetry as well as in background readings across an historical range and between disciplinary boundaries. The course aims to develop your familiarity with a variety of techniques available to the contemporary poet, thereby informing and enhancing your own creative practice. It likewise aims to further your understanding and appreciation of poetry as an artistic medium of thought and communication. The course will concentrate on lyric rather than dramatic or narrative poetry; however, throughout the course you will be encouraged to expand your creative practice alongside your thinking; to write and consider longer sequences of poems as well as alternative styles of poetic practice.

Third Year Modules

Cw3010 (playwriting 2), cw3020 (fiction 2), cw3030 (poetry 2).

Students chose a specialism out of these three pathways, and are allocated a supervisor who will work with them to develop a creative portfolio of work under the relevant umbrella. 

CW3103: Special Focus

Creative writing students chose two special focus options, which change each year. In 2018/19, the following options were running:

CW3103: Screenwriting

The screenwriting course introduces students to the craft of writing drama for the screen, both at a theoretical level and through the process of writing a 12-minute screenplay of their own. Over ten weeks, students will be introduced to a range of themes and skills, including: how to express stories visually; the 3-Act structure; genre; conflict; plot; character; dialogue and use of location. All of these topics will be taught with reference to a wide range of films, excerpts from which will be shown in class.

CW3103: Writing about Music  

Writing about Music will focus on the history, culture, and sound of music (the hills are alive with it). We’ll focus mostly, but not exclusively, on forms of popular music, including blues, rock ‘n’ roll, folk, grime, as well as a few dips into classical music. We’ll examine the contexts of these musics and the people who make them, and we’ll try different approaches to writing about music in both fictional and nonfictional forms.

CW3103: Vernacular Writing

Course Convener: Nadifa Mohamed

The term ‘vernacular’ refers to languages and dialects that are related to particular geographical, social, and cultural spaces and communities. Vernacular languages may be categorised as native or indigenous, and may be considered to be natural, naïve, and authentic in contrast with classical and institutional languages. These associations, which are often accompanied by pejorative and discriminatory judgements relating to social status and education, extend to the communities using vernacular languages.

Asking what – and who – is signified by ‘English’ language and literature, this course invites students to consider multiple, diverse English languages and literatures, or ‘Englishes’. Taking an intersectional approach to identity and community formation – that is, thinking about race, gender, sexuality, and class in relation to each other – this course provides an overview of vernacular English languages and literatures.

The course is structured historically, geographically, and thematically. The focus is on periods and writers identified with Black British and African American literatures (for example, the Caribbean Arts Movement, the Black Arts Movement, Fred Moten), but also includes Scottish, Latin American, and Asian American literatures, and themes such as music, mythology, and decolonisation. The syllabus includes novels, poetry, experimental and cross-genre writing, music, and live performance, as well as theoretical and critical texts.

CW3103: Writing for Children and Young Adults

Course convener: Philip Womack

Writing stories for children requires all the novelist’s traditional skills: the ability to create believable characters and to place those characters in a compelling plot, all enacted in a vividly realised universe.

However there are also specific challenges. The writer needs to be able to enter the minds of young people and to see the world through their eyes, to speak with their voices. Plots need to grip young readers used to the easy excitement of films and computer games.

The ‘Writing for Children’ course will help to supply aspiring children’s writers with exactly those skills. It will give a brief introduction on the history and context of children’s books. It will look at elements of plot, character, setting and voice, and how they relate to writing for children. As a whole, we will also look at why we write for children, considering if there is a didactic or even a moral element that is necessary; or if the primary motive is to entertain.

Over ten sessions, the course takes in a range of writing for children, from age 10+ to young adult. There will be two main strands to the learning process. The first will be to examine and draw lessons from some of the classics and contemporary classics of children’s literature. The second will be the detailed feedback given to the class on the work they produce.

CW3103 New Narrative: Poetics and the Self

This course will examine New Narrative writers, in order to understand the historical formation of the movement and why it has received renewed critical attention within this contemporary moment. Contextualising the New Narrative, students will initially be asked to engage with key and canonical avant-garde writing communities, as well as the better-known confessional poets, in order to understand the multiple influences that have shaped the movement. The module will then continue to consider three themes central to the movement: the self, sexuality and the community. These themes will be unpacked through collections of New Narrative writing and close-reading of texts, as well as critical theory on coteries, sex, gender, community, selfhood and creative writing. Students will be asked to reflect on the relationship between identity and creative writing, as well as the ways in which the self can be mobilised, fragmented, and moulded. In New Narrative, selfhood is not the central point of a text, but rather a departure point for creative thinking and political exploration. The course will address a number of genres, ranging from poetry to memoir, autofiction and essays.

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Study Undergraduate

English literature and creative writing ba (ucas qw38).

22 September 2025

3 years full-time

Qualification

Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Warwick Writing Programme

University of Warwick

Book an Open Day

Enquire now

Find out more about our English Literature and Creative Writing degree at Warwick

Studying English Literature and Creative Writing (BA) at Warwick will transform your understanding of literature, of yourself, and of the world. It will also fully prepare you to thrive in any profession that values intellectual rigour, creativity, and the ability to communicate a message that matters.

General entry requirements

A level typical offer.

AAA or A*AB to include grade A in English Literature or English Language and Literature (combined).

A level contextual offer

We welcome applications from candidates who meet the contextual eligibility criteria and whose predicted grades are close to, or slightly below, the contextual offer level. The typical contextual offer is ABB, including A in English Literature or English Language and Literature (combined). See if you’re eligible.

General GCSE requirements

Unless specified differently above, you will also need a minimum of GCSE grade 4 or C (or an equivalent qualification) in English Language and either Mathematics or a Science subject. Find out more about our entry requirements and the qualifications we accept. We advise that you also check the English Language requirements for your course which may specify a higher GCSE English requirement. Please find the information about this below.

IB typical offer

36 to include 6 at Higher Level in English Literature or combined English Language and Literature.

IB contextual offer

We welcome applications from candidates who meet the contextual eligibility criteria and whose predicted grades are close to, or slightly below, the contextual offer level. The typical contextual offer is 32 including grade 6 in Higher Level English Literature or English Language and Literature (combined). See if you’re eligible.

Other UK qualifications

We welcome applications from students taking BTECs alongside A level English Literature or English Language and Literature (combined).

Scotland Advanced Highers

AA in two Advanced Highers including English, and AAB in three additional Highers subjects.

Welsh Baccalaureate

AAB in three subjects at A level including A in English Literature or English Language and Literature (combined) plus grade C in the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate Skills Challenge Certificate.

Access to Higher Education Diplomas

We will consider applicants returning to study who are presenting a QAA-recognised Access to Higher Education Diploma on a case-by-case basis.

Typically, we require 45 Credits at Level 3, including Distinction in 33 Level 3 credits and Merit in 12 Level 3 Credits. We may also require subject specific credits or an A level to be studied alongside the Access to Higher Education Diploma to fulfil essential subject requirements.

International qualifications

• English Language requirements

All applicants have to meet our English Language requirements Link opens in a new window . If you cannot demonstrate that you meet these, you may be invited to take part in our Pre-sessional English course at Warwick Link opens in a new window .

This course requires: Band B

Learn more about our English Language requirements Link opens in a new window .

Frequently asked questions

Contextual data and differential offers.

Warwick may make differential offers to students in a number of circumstances. These include students participating in a Widening Participation programme or who meet the contextual data criteria .

Differential offers will usually be one or two grades below Warwick’s standard offer.

Warwick International Foundation Programme (IFP)

All students who successfully complete the Warwick IFP and apply to Warwick through UCAS will receive a guaranteed conditional offer for a related undergraduate programme (selected courses only).

Find out more about standard offers and conditions for the IFP .

• Taking a gap year

We welcome applications for deferred entry.

We do not typically interview applicants. Offers are made based on your UCAS form which includes predicted and actual grades, your personal statement and school reference.

Course overview

Creative work can happen anywhere, but in our School of Creative Arts, Performance and Visual Cultures you can learn the craft of writing and work with other emerging writers in a place of energy and ideas.

If you intend to pursue a career as an author, or to work in the creative industries or teaching, this practical course will teach you about the creative writing process and help you become a better reader, with a deeper understanding of literary history, literary theory and the past and future of creative writing. You will be taught by practising and award-winning writers, bridging the gap between academic and creative approaches to literature. Our course is number one for creative writing in the UK (The Times Good University Guide 2023) and has 91.7% overall student satisfaction in National Student Survey.

You will undertake real-world writing tasks and will regularly meet, engage with, and learn from industry professionals, including publishers, editors, literary agents, poets, and authors. Our graduates enter the world with advanced communicative, imaginative, and critical abilities, plus practical and vocational literary writing skills including composition, interpretation, and evaluation. In addition, you will develop argument, analysis and speaking skills, and a capacity for independent thought. Many of our graduates have become professional novelists, poets, dramatists, filmmakers, and performers.

Study abroad

As a student on our English degrees, you will have the opportunity to spend your third year at one of our partner institutions in Europe, China, or North America. You will then return to Warwick to complete your fourth and final year of your degree.

You will be able to apply to transfer to the four-year course when you are in your second year at Warwick, subject to availability of places from the University's International Office.

Core modules

In your first year you will gain the foundation you need to become a better reader and writer. In Modes of Writing, we explore writing in different forms, including poetry, fiction, non-fiction, and writing for performance and new media. Through studying Medieval and Early Modern Literature, you will appreciate the context of contemporary beliefs and social developments. Epic into Novel will give you an understanding of some of the great texts of classical and modern times. The Written World will introduce you to some of the ideas and themes in literary theory, with a particular focus on texts that are important to writers.

As a second year you will progress to Composition and Creative Writing, in which you explore and deepen your practice of fiction and non-fiction. You will take an English Literature module focusing on texts from before 1900 , as well as any module from English Literature, Creative Writing, or another University department.

In your final year you will progress to the Personal Writing Project, your opportunity to work one-to-one with a tutor on an extensive piece of writing in fiction, non-fiction, poetry, drama, screenwriting, or a genre of your choice. In addition, you will select a global literature module, as well as any module from English Literature, Creative Writing, or another University department.

Modes of Writing

This is a core module for first-year undergraduates reading for the degree QW38 English Literature and Creative Writing. The module is 100% fully assessed. The module complements The Written World and prepares you for the more specialist writing modules in years two and three such as Composition and Creative Writing, The Practice of Poetry, The Practice of Fiction and The Personal Writing Project. The module also complements other academic optional modules in which writing, imitation, rhetoric or translation may be practised or studied.

Read more about the Modes of Writing module Link opens in a new window , including the methods of teaching and assessment (content applies to 2023/24 year of study).

Medieval and Early Modern Literature

Taking you from the mythical court of King Arthur to the real world of ambition, intrigue, and danger in the courts of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, this module introduces you to early literature in a global context. You will study texts like Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales , Thomas More’s Utopia , Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queene , and Shakespeare’s sonnets to explore some of the period’s highest ideals—‘trawthe’ or integrity—as well as some of humanity’s darkest impulses: greed, deception, revenge, and desire.

Read more about the Medieval and Early Modern Literature module Link opens in a new window , including the methods of teaching and assessment (content applies to 2023/24 year of study).

Epic into Novel

Tracking the transition from the epics of the ancient world to their incarnation as texts of modernity, this module introduces you to some of the most influential and formative works of world literature. You will study central texts of the classical world, such as Gilgamesh , Homer’s Iliad, Virgil’s Aeneid, and Catullus; ancient epics from India and Africa; Milton’s Paradise Lost ; as well as responses to ancient epic by Tennyson, Margaret Atwood, Seamus Heaney, and Maria Dahvana Headley. Reading across history and cultures, between languages and genres, you will develop the skills to analyse narrative, character, and style.

Read more about the Epic into Novel module Link opens in a new window , including the methods of teaching and assessment (content applies to 2023/24 year of study).

The Written World

This module will introduce students on the BA in English Literature and Creative Writing to ideas and theories from literary studies, linguistics, critical theory, translation studies and cultural studies that will underpin more specialised scholarly and creative study in the second and third years.

Read more about the The Written World module Link opens in a new window , including the methods of teaching and assessment (content applies to 2023/24 year of study).

Composition and Creative Writing

You will develop your fiction and non-fiction writing through practice of the processes involved, from inception, through drafting and revision, to considerations of audience. You will gain insights into narrative form, including traditional and experimental methods.

Read more about the Composition and Creative Writing module Link opens in a new window , including the methods of teaching and assessment (content applies to 2023/24 year of study).

Personal Writing Project

The Personal Writing Project will see you working closely with a practitioner to advance your technical and critical skills in the development of a portfolio of work focused on a specific genre. You will gain an appreciation of the research and methodology needed for large-scale creative works and in so doing, gain the maturity and confidence to advance your career as a professional writer.

Read more about the Personal Writing Project module , including the methods of teaching and assessment (content applies to 2023/24 year of study).

Optional modules

Optional modules can vary from year to year. Example optional modules may include:

• The Practice of Poetry
• The Practice of Fiction
• Screenwriting
• Advanced Screenwriting
• US Writing and Culture 1780-1920
• Romantic and Victorian Poetry
• The Seventeenth Century
• Game Theory: Interactive and Video Game Narratives

Assessment is a combination of creative projects, portfolios, essays, and optional performance. For example, in our Shakespeare and Selected Dramatists of his Time module, student creative work recently included film and radio adaptations, musical compositions, painting, sculpture and photography inspired by Shakespeare's texts.

Practising writers deliver teaching through workshops and seminars. Also, writers and publishers visit and engage with you at our weekly Warwick Thursdays events. Most core modules in your first year are taught through lectures and seminars. In your second and third years, optional modules are normally taught in seminars and workshops.

Working together, we seek to improve our students’ skills and confidence through writing workshops, peer review and live performances. You will be encouraged to attend and participate at spoken word events in the local area.

Class sizes

Targeted teaching with class sizes of 10 - 15 students (on average).

Typical contact hours

Guided learning of typically eight contact hours per week. Seminars are usually 1.5 hours each.

Tuition fees

Tuition fees cover the majority of the costs of your study, including teaching and assessment. Fees are charged at the start of each academic year. If you pay your fees directly to the University, you can choose to pay in instalments.

Home students

Undergraduate fees.

If you are a home student enrolling in 2024, your annual tuition fees will be £9,250 . In the future, these fees might change for new and continuing students.

2+2 course fees

If you are a home student enrolling in 2022 for a 2+2 course through the Centre for Lifelong Learning, your annual tuition fees will be £6,750 . In the future, these fees might change for new and continuing students.

How are fees set?

The British Government sets tuition fee rates.

Learn more about fees from UCAS Link opens in a new window .

Overseas students

If you are an overseas or EU student enrolling in 2024, your annual tuition fees will be as follows:

• Band 1 – £24,800 per year (classroom-based courses, including Humanities and most Social Science courses)
• Band 2 – £31,620 per year (laboratory-based courses, plus Maths, Statistics, Theatre and Performance Studies, Economics, and courses provided by Warwick Business School, with exceptions)

Fees for 2025 entry have not been set. We will publish updated information here as soon as it becomes available, so please check back for updates about 2025 fee rates before you apply.

Fee status guidance

We carry out an initial fee status assessment based on the information you provide in your application. Students will be classified as Home or Overseas fee status. Your fee status determines tuition fees, and what financial support and scholarships may be available. If you receive an offer, your fee status will be clearly stated alongside the tuition fee information.

Do you need your fee classification to be reviewed?

If you believe that your fee status has been classified incorrectly, you can complete a fee status assessment questionnaire. Please follow the instructions in your offer information and provide the documents needed to reassess your status.

Find out more about how universities assess fee status. Link opens in a new window

Additional course costs

As well as tuition fees and living expenses, some courses may require you to cover the cost of field trips or costs associated with travel abroad.

For departmental specific costs, please see the Modules tab on this web page for the list of core and optional core modules with hyperlinks to our Module Catalogue Link opens in a new window (please visit the Department’s website if the Module Catalogue hyperlinks are not provided).

Associated costs can be found on the Study tab for each module listed in the Module Catalogue (please note most of the module content applies to 2023/24 year of study). Information about module specific costs should be considered in conjunction with the more general costs below:

• Core text books
• Printer credits
• Dissertation binding
• Robe hire for your degree ceremony

Further information

Find out more about tuition fees from our Student Finance team .

Scholarships and bursaries

Learn about scholarships and bursaries available to undergraduate students.

We offer a number of undergraduate scholarships and bursaries to full-time undergraduate students. These include sporting and musical bursaries, and scholarships offered by commercial organisations.

Find out more about funding opportunities for full-time students. Link opens in a new window

International scholarships

If you are an international student, a limited number of scholarships may be available.

Find out more information on our international scholarship pages. Link opens in a new window

You may be eligible for financial help from your own government, from the British Council or from other funding agencies. You can usually request information on scholarships from the Ministry of Education in your home country, or from the local British Council office.

Warwick Undergraduate Global Excellence Scholarship 2023

We believe there should be no barrier to talent. That's why we are committed to offering a scholarship that makes it easier for gifted, ambitious international learners to pursue their academic interests at one of the UK's most prestigious universities. This new scheme will offer international fee-paying students 250 tuition fee discounts ranging from full fees to awards of £13,000 to £2,000 for the full duration of your Undergraduate degree course.

Find out more about the Warwick Undergraduate Global Excellence Scholarship 2023. Link opens in a new window

Part-time fee waiver

Find out more about the Warwick scholarship for part-time students. Link opens in a new window

Warwick Bursary for low income students

We provide extra financial support for qualifying students from lower income families. The Warwick Undergraduate Bursary is an annual award of up to £3,000 per annum. It is intended to help with course-related costs and you do not have to pay it back.

Find out more about your eligibility for the Warwick Undergraduate Bursary. Link opens in a new window

Sanctuary scholarships for asylum seekers

As part of the 'City of Sanctuary' movement, we are committed to building a culture of hospitality and welcome, especially for those seeking sanctuary from war and persecution. We provide a range of scholarships to enable people seeking sanctuary or asylum to progress to access university education.

Find out more about the Warwick Undergraduate Sanctuary Scholarships for asylum seekers. Link opens in a new window

Find out more about Warwick undergraduate bursaries and scholarships.

Eligibility for student loans

Your eligibility for student finance will depend on certain criteria, such as your nationality and residency status, your course, and previous study at higher education level.

Check if you're eligible for student finance .

Home students residing in England

Tuition fee loan.

You can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan to cover your tuition fees. It is non-means tested, which means the amount you can receive is not based on your household income. The Loan is paid directly to the University so, if you choose to take the full Tuition Fee Loan, you won’t have to set up any payments.

Maintenance Loan for living costs

You can apply for a Maintenance Loan towards your living costs such as accommodation, food and bills. This loan is means-tested, so the amount you receive is partially based on your household income and whether you choose to live at home or in student accommodation.

Find out more about government student loans for home students residing in England. Link opens in a new window

Home students residing outside of England

Find out more about student funding for home students residing outside of England. Link opens in a new window

EU students

If you’re starting a course on or after 1 August 2021, you usually must have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme Link opens in a new window to get student finance.

If you are an EU student and eligible for student finance you may be able to get a Tuition Fee Loan to cover your fees. It is non-means tested, which means the amount you may receive is not based on your household income. The Loan is paid directly to the University so, if you choose to take the full Tuition Fee Loan, you won't have to set up any payments.

Help with living costs

For the 2023 academic year, you may be eligible for help with your living costs if both of the following apply:

• You have lived in the UK for more than 3 years before the first day of the first academic year of your course
• You have Settled Status ( see further details on Settled Status) Link opens in a new window

If you are coming to the UK from 1st January 2021, you may need to apply for a visa Link opens in a new window to study here.

Please note: Irish citizens do not need to apply for a visa or to the EU Settlement Scheme.

Find out more about government student loans for EU students Link opens in a new window

Repaying your loans

You will repay your loan or loans gradually once you are working and earning above a certain amount (for students starting their course after 1 August 2023 the repayment threshold is £25,000). Repayments will be taken directly from your salary if you are an employee. If your income falls below the earnings threshold, your repayments will stop until your income goes back up above this figure.

Find out more about repaying your student loan. Link opens in a new window

Your career

Graduates from our course have gone on to work for employers including:

• Bloomsbury Publishing
• British Council
• Cambridge University Press
• Civil Service
• The Forward Poetry Foundation
• Pan Macmillan
• The Poetry Society
• Penguin/Random House
• Royal Opera House
• The Society of Authors
• The Sunday Times
• Teach First

They have pursued roles such as:

• Authors, writers, dramatists, poets, and translators
• Journalists, newspaper, and periodical editors
• Creative directors
• Arts officers, producers, and directors
• Musicians and composers
• Marketing associate professionals
• Academics and researchers
• Higher Education administrators

Helping you find the right career

Our staff have excellent links not only with other writers but also with publishing houses, literary journals and agencies, with national and regional organisations such as the Arts Council, PEN, and with other creative writing programmes both in Britain and in the USA. We also run the Young Writer of the Year Award jointly with The Sunday Times and host the prestigious Warwick Prize for Women in Translation.

Our School of Creative Arts, Performance and Visual Cultures also has a dedicated professionally qualified Senior Careers Consultant to support you. They offer impartial advice and guidance, together with workshops and events throughout the year. Examples of workshops and events include:

• Discovering Careers in the Creative Industries
• Careers in Publishing and Journalism
• Freelancing
• Careers in the Public Sector
• Warwick careers fairs throughout the year

Find out more about careers support at Warwick. Link opens in a new window

Welcome to the Warwick Writing Programme, an internationally acclaimed writing programme that attracts writers and literary translators from across the globe. If you join us you will immerse yourself in contemporary and experimental narratives, including screenwriting, literary translation, gaming, spoken word and fieldwork.

We foster and maintain excellent creative industry links and networks to enable our students to achieve their career ambitions. We are title partner for The Sunday Times and University of Warwick Young Writer of the Year Award, whose recent winners have included Raymond Antrobus, Adam Weymouth and Sally Rooney. We are also the home of the Warwick Prize for Women in Translation.

Our teaching staff of novelists, poets, non-fiction writers, screenwriters and literary translators includes Lucy Brydon, A.L. Kennedy, Tim Leach, Nell Stevens, Maureen Freely, Gonzalo C. Garcia, David Morley, Dragan Todorovic and Jodie Kim.

Find out more about us on our website Link opens in a new window

Explore our new Faculty of Arts building

The department recently moved into the brand new £57.5 million Faculty of Arts building.

This means, as an Arts student at Warwick, you’ll find your home amongst brand new teaching, learning and social spaces, including specialist facilities, all designed to support collaborative working and to enable your creativity and innovation to flourish.

The sustainably built, eight-storey building is located next to the newly refurbished Warwick Arts Centre in the heart of the University’s creative and cultural arts quarter.

Explore our new Faculty of Arts building further.

Life at Warwick

Within a close-knit community of staff and students from all over the world, discover a campus alive with possibilities. A place where all the elements of your student experience come together in one place. Our supportive, energising, welcoming space creates the ideal environment for forging new connections, having fun and finding inspiration.

Accommodation

• Arts, Culture and Events
• Clubs and societies
• Food and drink
• Sports and Fitness
• Wellbeing support

Keep exploring life at Warwick

Find out how to apply to us, ask your questions, and find out more.

Warwick Accommodation

Finding the right accommodation is key to helping you settle in quickly.

We have 12 self-catering undergraduate halls of residence on campus.

Our student property management and lettings agency manages more than 8,000 rooms both on and off campus, and provides advice to all full-time undergraduates.

Explore Warwick Accommodation

You won't be short of ways to spend your time on campus - whether it's visiting Warwick Arts Centre, using our incredible new sports facilities, socialising in our bars, nightclub and cafés, or enjoying an open-air event. Or if you need some peace and quiet, you can explore lakes, woodland and green spaces just a few minutes’ walk from central campus.

Explore our campus

We have lots of cafés, restaurants and shops on campus. You can enjoy great quality food and drink, with plenty of choice for all tastes and budgets. There is a convenience store on central campus, as well as two supermarkets and a small shopping centre in the nearby Cannon Park Retail Park. Several of them offer delivery services to help you stay stocked up.

And don't miss our regular food market day on the Piazza with tempting, fresh and delicious street food. Soak up the atmosphere and try something new, with mouth-watering food for all tastes.

Explore food and shops

Explore Students' Union venues

We currently have more than 300 student-run societies.

So whether you’re into films, martial arts, astronomy, gaming or musical theatre, you can instantly connect with people with similar interests.

Or you could try something new, or even form your own society.

Explore our societies

Sports and fitness

Staying active at Warwick is no sweat, thanks to our amazing new Sports and Wellness Hub, indoor and outdoor tennis centre, 60 acres of sports pitches, and more than 60 sports clubs.

Whether you want to compete, relax or just have fun, you can achieve your fitness goals.

Explore sports at Warwick

Studying on campus

Our campus is designed to cater for all of your learning needs.

You will benefit from a variety of flexible, well-equipped study spaces and teaching facilities across the University.

• The Oculus, our outstanding learning hub, houses state-of-the-art lecture theatres and innovative social learning and network areas.
• The University Library provides access to over one million printed works and tens of thousands of electronic journals
• Three Learning Grids offering you flexible individual and group study spaces.

Studying at Warwick

Travel and local area

Our campus is in Coventry, a modern city with high street shops, restaurants, nightclubs and bars sitting alongside medieval monuments. The Warwickshire towns of Leamington Spa and Kenilworth are also nearby.

The University is close to major road, rail and air links. London is just an hour by direct train from Coventry, with Birmingham a 20-minute trip. Birmingham International Airport is nearby (a 20-minute drive).

Travelling from campus

Wellbeing support and faith provision

Our continuous support network is here to help you adjust to student life and to ensure you can easily access advice on many different issues. These may include managing your finances and workload, and settling into shared accommodation. We also have specialist disability and mental health support teams.

Our Chaplaincy is home to Chaplains from the Christian, Jewish and Muslim faiths. We provide regular services for all Christian denominations and a Shabbat meal every Friday for our Jewish students. There is also an Islamic prayer hall, halal kitchen and ablution facilities.

Student support

How to apply

Learn more about our application process.

Key dates for your application to Warwick.

Writing your personal statement

Make an impression and demonstrate your passion for your course.

After you've applied

Find out how we process your application.

Our Admission Statement

Read Warwick's Admission Statement

Useful links

• Access to Warwick degrees
• Contextual Offers
• Entry requirements
• Exemption from part of a degree
• Guidance for parents and carers
• International applicants
• Returners to study
• Students with disabilities
• Younger applicants

3 ways to connect

Join us at a live event. You can ask about courses, applying to Warwick, life at Warwick, visas and immigration, and more.

See event calendar Link opens in a new window

Warwick Experience

Take a virtual, student-led campus tour. Then join an interactive panel session, where you can hear from and chat to our current students and staff.

Book a tour Link opens in a new window

Student blogs

Explore our student blogs in Unibuddy. You can read about campus life from students themselves, and register to post questions directly to students.

Ask a student Link opens in a new window

Explore campus with our virtual tour

Our 360 tour lets you:

• Watch student videos
• View 360 photography and drone footage
• Learn about facilities and landmarks

Explore our campus virtually through our 360 campus tour now

Come to an Open Day

Don’t just take it from us, come and see for yourself what Warwick is all about. Whether it's a virtual visit or in-person, our University Open Days give you the chance to meet staff and students, visit academic departments, tour the campus and get a real feel for life at Warwick.

Open Days at Warwick

Sign up for updates

Discover more about our courses and campus life with our helpful information and timely reminders.

Why Warwick

Discover why Warwick is one of the best universities in the UK and renowned globally.

About Warwick

Find out more about life at Warwick including:

Open days and online events

Sign up for emails.

Register to take part in our next Open Day

Page updates

We have revised the information on this page since publication. See the edits we have made and content history .

9th in the UK (The Guardian University Guide 2024) Link opens in a new window

67th in the world (QS World University Rankings 2024) Link opens in a new window

6th most targeted university by the UK's top 100 graduate employers Link opens in a new window

(The Graduate Market in 2024, High Fliers Research Ltd. Link opens in a new window )

About the information on this page

This information is applicable for 2025 entry. Given the interval between the publication of courses and enrolment, some of the information may change. It is important to check our website before you apply. Please read our terms and conditions to find out more.

Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

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The Purdue On-Campus Writing Lab and Purdue Online Writing Lab assist clients in their development as writers—no matter what their skill level—with on-campus consultations, online participation, and community engagement. The Purdue Writing Lab serves the Purdue, West Lafayette, campus and coordinates with local literacy initiatives. The Purdue OWL offers global support through online reference materials and services.

A Message From the Assistant Director of Content Development 

The Purdue OWL® is committed to supporting  students, instructors, and writers by offering a wide range of resources that are developed and revised with them in mind. To do this, the OWL team is always exploring possibilties for a better design, allowing accessibility and user experience to guide our process. As the OWL undergoes some changes, we welcome your feedback and suggestions by email at any time.

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CRWT20010 Introduction to Creative Writing

Academic year 2023/2024.

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Curricular information is subject to change

On completion of this course a student may expect to: -Understand some of the skills and techniques required when beginning to write creatively -Work on one long piece of creative work or a selection of shorter pieces -Be able to make connections between the literary texts you study on the programme and the writing you undertake -Become familiar with some of the basic strategies for reading and talking about others’ writing -Be able to reflect critically on your own writing practice

Fiction/Poetry/Script-writing Free writing/pre-writing Character Plot Voice Beginnings/Endings Editing/Redrafting Critiquing

Not applicable to this module.

• Peer review activities • Self-assessment activities

Opportunities for students to peer review a range of different exemplars of other students’ work, either in class.

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Advanced creative writing

Advanced creative writing develops your writing ability by widening your generic range and developing your knowledge of style. The module works on the forms introduced in the OU level 2 module Creative writing (A215) – fiction, poetry and life writing – and supplements these with dramatic writing, showing you how to write for stage, radio and film. You’ll explore how these scriptwriting skills might enhance your prose style, improve your writing across the range of forms, and further develop your individual style and voice. The module offers guidance on professional layouts for the dramatic media and is a natural progression from Creative writing (A215).

Modules count towards OU qualifications

OU qualifications are modular in structure; the credits from this undergraduate module could count towards a certificate of higher education, diploma of higher education, foundation degree or honours degree.

Browse qualifications in related subjects

Module code.

• Credits measure the student workload required for the successful completion of a module or qualification.
• One credit represents about 10 hours of study over the duration of the course.
• You are awarded credits after you have successfully completed a module.
• For example, if you study a 60-credit module and successfully pass it, you will be awarded 60 credits.

Study level

Study method, module cost, entry requirements, student reviews.

This module was very different from Creative Writing (A215) which I also enjoyed, although it did build on the skills... Read more

When I enrolled on this module, I wondered what writing techniques could be improved upon after studying Creative writing (A215).... Read more

Request your prospectus

Explore our subjects and courses, what you will study.

This module is structured in four parts. At the core of the module is a handbook that takes you week-by-week through methods, readings and writing exercises. This handbook covers the first three parts of the module. The fourth part is a period of independent study and project work.

Part 1: Ways of writing  You'll begin by looking at different approaches to writing. In particular, you'll focus on the influence of genre, world-building in dystopian and fantasy fiction, setting in life writing and narrative in poetry. Work includes readings and writing exercises in fiction, poetry, and life writing.

Part 2: Dramatic writing You'll progress to explore writing techniques for three dramatic media: stage, film and audio, which will illustrate the narrative strengths and constraints of each medium. You'll examine the conventional layouts for these media, and this part will also deal with dramatic principles connected to dialogue, subtext, status and exposition, as well as media-specific elements such as sets for the stage, aural contrast in audio and montage in film. You’ll also consider the techniques involved in adapting work in other genres to script.

Part 3: Developing style and structure You'll look at how some of the methods used in dramatic writing can improve fiction writing, life writing and poetry. You’ll consider the inner world in life writing, and dramatic techniques in poetry. This section goes on to explore writing approaches in a wide-ranging fashion, covering poetic form, time, voice, long and short-form work, theme and structure, and the uses of rhetoric and analogy. You’ll focus on improving your writing style and voice in all genres.

Part 4:   Independent study This final part involves working on a larger project, culminating in the presentation of an end-of-module assessment comprising a substantial piece of creative writing in one of the forms taught in the module – fiction, poetry, life writing or drama.

As in Creative writing (A215), the emphasis is very much on practice through guided activities, although as the module progresses, you will increasingly be expected to generate and develop your own ideas without reliance on the study materials. In comparison to the OU level 2 module, the emphasis will be on working independently to enhance and improve your writing style and voice. You'll spend longer developing, editing and redrafting your work and will write a dramatic adaptation and explore the influence of drama on your work.

Online tutor-group forums will enable peer-group discussion of some of your work. You'll be expected to engage in these activities, giving impersonal and informed evaluations of your own and others’ work through constructive criticism. Some of the tutor-marked assignments will require evidence of engagement on the online forum.

Teaching and assessment

Support from your tutor.

You’ll have a tutor who will help you with the study material and mark and comment on your written work, and whom you can ask for advice and guidance both via online forum and by phone or email. Your tutor also offers general support throughout the module, as you progress through the Handbook, which is the principal guide to your learning.

There will be online tutorials that you are encouraged, but not obliged, to attend. You can access recordings of tutors covering material that was delivered in online tutorials.

Full guidance will be provided on accessing the teaching provided via online forums. Online tutor-group forums enable peer discussion of some of your work and allow tutors to make general points of relevance to the whole group.

Contact us  if you want to know more about study with The Open University before you register.

The assessment details for this module can be found in the facts box.

Future availability

Advanced creative writing starts once a year – in October. This page describes the module that will start in October 2024. We expect it to start for the last time in October 2035. 

Regulations

Course work includes:.

This module builds on the explicit skills taught in Creative writing (A215), ideally which you'll have completed, or equivalent study, before embarking on this module.

If this is your first creative writing module, then ‘equivalent study’ would comprise preparation, including our Creative Writing Tasters and Exercises , which has interviews with writers, sample writing exercises and links to other creative writing study at the OU.  

If you have any doubt about the suitability of the module, please speak to an  adviser .

Preparatory work

You are also strongly advised to prepare for the module by reading  Creative Writing: A workbook with readings  (2nd edition).

Additional Costs

Study costs.

There may be extra costs on top of the tuition fee, such as set books, a computer and internet access.

If your income is not more than £25,000 or you receive a qualifying benefit, you might be eligible for help with some of these costs after your module has started.

Ways to pay for this module

Open university student budget account.

The Open University Student Budget Accounts Ltd (OUSBA) offers a convenient 'pay as you go' option to pay your OU fees, which is a secure, quick and easy way to pay. Please note that The Open University works exclusively with OUSBA and is not able to offer you credit facilities from any other provider. All credit is subject to status and proof that you can afford the repayments.

You pay the OU through OUSBA in one of the following ways:

• Register now, pay later – OUSBA pays your module fee direct to the OU. You then repay OUSBA interest-free and in full just before your module starts. 0% APR representative. This option could give you the extra time you may need to secure the funding to repay OUSBA.
• Pay by instalments – OUSBA calculates your monthly fee and number of instalments based on the cost of the module you are studying. APR 5.1% representative.

Joint loan applications

If you feel you would be unable to obtain an OUSBA loan on your own due to credit history or affordability issues, OUSBA offers the option to apply for a joint loan application with a third party. For example, your husband, wife, partner, parent, sibling or friend. In such cases, OUSBA will be required to carry out additional affordability checks separately and/or collectively for both joint applicants who will be jointly and severally liable for loan repayments.

As additional affordability checks are required when processing joint loan applications, unfortunately, an instant decision cannot be given. On average the processing time for a joint loan application is five working days from receipt of the required documentation.

Read more about  Open University Student Budget Accounts (OUSBA) .

Studying with The Open University can boost your employability. OU courses are recognised and respected by employers for their excellence and the commitment they take to complete. They also value the skills that students learn and can apply in the workplace.

More than one in ten OU students are sponsored by their employer, and over 30,000 employers have used the OU to develop staff so far. If the module you’ve chosen is geared towards your job or developing your career, you could approach your employer to see if they will sponsor you by paying some or all of the fees. 

• Your employer just needs to complete a simple form to confirm how much they will be paying and we will invoice them.
• You won’t need to get your employer to complete the form until after you’ve chosen your module.  

Credit/debit card

You can pay part or all of your tuition fees upfront with a debit or credit card when you register for each module. 

We accept American Express, Mastercard, Visa and Visa Electron. 

We know that sometimes you may want to combine payment options. For example, you may wish to pay part of your tuition fee with a debit card and pay the remainder in instalments through an Open University Student Budget Account (OUSBA) .

For more information about combining payment options, speak to an  adviser  or book a  call back at a time convenient to you.

Can you study an Access module for free?

Depending on eligibility and availability of places, you could apply to study your Access module for free.

To qualify, you must:

• be resident in England
• have a household income of less than £25,000 (or be in receipt of a qualifying benefit)
• have not completed one year or more on any full-time undergraduate programme at FHEQ level 4 or above or successfully completed 30 credits or more of OU study within the last 10 years

How to apply to study an Access module for free

Once you've started the registration process , either online or over the phone, we'll contact you about your payment options. This will include instructions on how you can apply to study for free if you are eligible and funded places are still available.

If you're unsure if you meet the criteria to study for free, you can check with one of our friendly advisers on +44 (0)300 303 0069 , or you can request a call back .

Not eligible to study for free?

Don't worry! We offer a choice of flexible ways to help spread the cost of your Access module. The most popular options include:

• monthly payments through OUSBA
• part-time tuition fee loan (you'll need to be registered on a qualification for this option)

To explore all the options available to you, visit Fees and Funding .

What's included

You’ll be provided with the printed module Handbook, which is the principal guide to your learning,  and have access to a module website, which includes:

• a week-by-week study planner
• module materials
• audio, video and interactive content
• assignment and assessment details and submission section
• online forums and tutorial access.
• electronic versions of the printed study materials
• online exercises
• links to online resources

Computing requirements

You’ll need broadband internet access and a desktop or laptop computer with an up-to-date version of Windows (10 or 11) or macOS Ventura or higher.

Any additional software will be provided or is generally freely available.

To join in spoken conversations in tutorials, we recommend a wired headset (headphones/earphones with a built-in microphone).

Our module websites comply with web standards, and any modern browser is suitable for most activities.

Our OU Study mobile app will operate on all current, supported versions of Android and iOS. It’s not available on Kindle.

It’s also possible to access some module materials on a mobile phone, tablet device or Chromebook. However, as you may be asked to install additional software or use certain applications, you’ll also require a desktop or laptop, as described above.

If you have a disability

The OU strives to make all aspects of study accessible to everyone and this  Accessibility Statement  outlines what studying A363 involves. You should use this information to inform your study preparations and any discussions with us about how we can meet your needs.

To find out more about what kind of support and adjustments might be available, contact us or visit our disability support pages .

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Creative Writing Q2 Module 1

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Text & Image: Creative Writing

Module description.

This module explores the interplay of Text & Image in various genres, from visual and concrete poetry, to asemic writing, altered books, collage, photopoems and photodocumentary, graphic novels, cartoneras, and interactive digital works. You will study the writing of hybrid Text & Image works in their historical and critical contexts and develop a portfolio that allows you to experiment. Team taught by experts in creative and graphic writing, you will experiment with a range of different written/graphic forms in conjunction with image making, exploring the ways in which Text & Image can work together on the page and in exhibition (physical or digital) in ways that go beyond the merely illustrative.

Module aims - intentions of the module

The module introduces you to a diverse range of writing and graphic traditions which make hybrid use of Text & Image in integrated ways. Materials will explore narrative, poetic and graphic strategies, developing imagery, written and visual voice, in conjunction with visual materials. The integration of writing, reading, research and visual elements will give you an advanced understanding of technical and imaginative approaches to Text & Image work across genres (poetry, prose, graphics, interactive). The module examines the different narrative tracks that comics offer, verbal (recitative) and visual (monstration), and aims to introduce you to interactive digital programs. It also aims to help you develop text and image making strategies in poetry and prose combined with drawing, collage, photography and digital text manipulations. Through the study of simply book making ( cartoneras etc) the emphasis will be on developing an integrated body of work in which Text & Image work together integrally.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

Ilo: module-specific skills.

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Demonstrate an advanced understanding of Text & Image traditions and genres.
• 2. Evaluate your own practice and that of others at an advanced level, justifying those evaluations at an advanced level, with reference to genres of Text & Image works, traditions and theories.

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

• 3. Analyse and critically examine, at an advanced level, diverse forms of Text & Image making, to present sustained and persuasive written and oral arguments concerning your own Texts & Image practice and the work of others, implementing such ideas in the development of your own creative works.
• 4. Demonstrate the ability to independently originate and develop projects that respond positively to appropriate criticism and genres and styles covered by the module.

ILO: Personal and key skills

• 5. Demonstrate advanced communication, time-management and planning skills, to work both individually and in groups.
• 6. Demonstrate an awareness of readership, publishability, market and an understanding of the purpose of formal structures, layouts, and techniques.

Syllabus plan

While the content may vary depending on the tutors available to teach on the module, it will cover some of the following topics:

Altered books; artists’ books; asemic writing; assemblage boxes; cartoneras ; collage; comics (visual and verbal communication); concrete and visual poetry; photodocumentary and photopoetry; visual short stories; text and image for interactive storytelling.

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods, formative assessment, summative assessment (% of credit), details of summative assessment, details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral), 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 50%) 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 50%.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Tutors will provide you with weekly reading/viewing in class. A precise reading/viewing list will be available, weekly, on the module’s ELE page. – College to provide hyperlink to appropriate pages

You will find the following texts useful:

• Asemic: The Art of Writing . Peter Schwenger. University of Minnesota Press. 2019.
• Photopoetry: 1845-2015, a Critical History . Michael Nott. Bloomsbury. 2022.
• Woman’s World: a novel . Graham Rawle. Atlantic Books. 2005.
• A Humument . Tom Phillips. Thames and Hudson. 2005.
• 40 Stories . Donald Barthelme. Penguin. 1987.
• Comics and Language: Reimagining Critical Discourse on the Form . Hannah Miodrag. UP of Mississippi, 2013.
• Comics and Narration.  Thierry Groensteen. Trans. Ann Miller. UP of Mississippi, 2013.
• Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth . Chris Ware. Jonathan Cape, 2000.
• Making Comics . Lynda Barry. Drawn & Quarterly, 2019.
• Rumble Strip . Woodrow Phoenix. Myriad, 2008
• Vox . Anne Carson.

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

• Tom Phillips - A Humument

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