ENG5742 - Writing Practices II: Innocence & Experience

Objectives:

On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
demonstrate an understanding of, and practical response to, a range of literature dealing with myth, childhood, love and loss
analyse and discuss the different ways in which writers have responded to these perennial themes and apply this to their own writing practice
use this understanding and analysis to explore the relationship between subject, form and genre in their own original writing
discuss and explore the writing process per se by drawing parallels between published work and their own creative practice

Content:

The module builds on students' theoretical and creative work in Level 4 by introducing important recurring themes in literature through critical reading and imaginative writing. Students will study, discuss and respond creatively to a range of poetry and prose dealing with myth, childhood, love and loss. The myth element will draw on classical Greek and Roman mythology and that of other cultures. The childhood, love and loss elements will draw on contemporary and non-contemporary literature. The texts studied will form the basis of creative exercises, culminating in the production of a body of original writing at the end of each semester.

Learning and Teaching Information:

Learning and teaching methods will combine seminars, creative writing workshops and directed reading and writing, with a typical session divided between critical reading and discussion of selected texts and a related in-class writing exercise. Peer and tutor feedback on students' original writing will be given, with time set aside in each session for work to be read aloud and discussed.

Seminar/workshop
Contact hours: 32 (16 x 2 hours)
Intended Group size: 20

Guided independent study
Hours: 168

Further details relating to assessment
By discussion with the module tutor, students may submit a combination of prose and poetry for each assessment. Prose submission for semester 2 may take the form of collaborative work on a ten-minute TV production with students for History and Television Production, plus reflective commentary (1000 words for each element).

Other relevant matters
Formative assessment is built-in to the teaching sessions: At each session from the second teaching week onwards, in both semesters, students will take turns to read out their draft pieces of creative writing and receive verbal feedback in class from the tutor and fellow students. The ninth and tenth teaching weeks in both semesters will be designated as 'independent learning', with students given time to develop, revise and edit their creative piece(s) for submission for assessment.

Assessment:

001 Creative writing (coursework) 1,250 words (prose) or 75 lines (poetry) End Sem 1 40%
002 Creative writing (coursework) 2,000 words (prose) or 120 lines (poetry), or equivalent End Sem 2 60%

Fact File

Module Coordinator - Nathan Uglow
Level - 5
Credit Value - 20
Pre-Requisites - NONE
Semester(s) Offered - 5YL