Advanced Creative Writing Workshop Part 2

Drawing on some of the themes and techniques explored in the Advanced Creative Writing Workshop, you will delve further into the craft required to produce effective writing, whether in the form of flash fiction, short stories, or extracts from novels by published authors.

By examining what you can learn from a range of authors’ work, including technique, structure, and style, you will learn how to apply these skills in your own writing.

This module will help you develop your writing skills at a more advanced level.

Building on your funds of knowledge from prior creative writing courses, you will explore how to advance your writing skills in a way that enhances your professional development as well as opportunities for having work published.

This includes understanding how to be ‘competition ready’, how to approach an agent, how to approach a publishing house and how to self-publish successfully.

Please note that this module has prior learning requirements.

Learning and teaching

There will be two-hour meetings once a week (20 contact hours in all) which will include workshops, seminars and lectures.

You will be encouraged to talk about their progress, ask questions, discuss concepts covered in lectures, and workshop their stories in small groups.

The university’s Virtual Learning Environment, Learning Central, provides a useful resource for course materials, lecture slides and additional reading.

This is an advanced creative writing course. Therefore, students must have successfully completed at least three Level 4 writing modules within Lifelong Learning.

Other prior learning from other providers will be considered on a case-by-case basis. For further advice, please contact learn@cardiff.ac.uk

You may have already studied the first Advanced Creative Writing Workshop before enrolling on this course, but there is no requirement to study these courses in order.

Syllabus

Topics are likely to include:

• Published Prose Fiction Analysis: flash fiction, short stories, and novels
• Advanced Characterisation
• Advanced Dialogue
• Advanced Structure & Plotting
• Advanced Style & Technique
• Advanced Drafting & Editing
• Work Sharing/Reading Out Loud

Coursework and assessment

To award credits, we need to have evidence of the knowledge and skills you have gained or improved. Some of this has to be in a form that can be shown to external examiners so that we can be absolutely sure that standards are met across all courses and subjects.

The most important element of assessment is that it should enhance your learning. Our methods are designed to increase your confidence and we try very hard to devise ways of assessing you that are enjoyable and suitable for adults with busy lives.

You will produce a complete a creative writing portfolio (2,500–3,000 words) and a critical commentary (around 500 words) where you analyse your understanding of writing and your progress as a writer. Unlike many of our introductory courses, this course is marked on a percentage basis.

Reading suggestions

Essential Reading:

Students will be encouraged to read and analyse a wide range of flash fiction, short stories, novels. Further details will be provided in class.

Library and computing facilities

As a student on this course you are entitled to join and use the University’s library and computing facilities. Find out more about using these facilities.

Accessibility

Our aim is access for all. We aim to provide a confidential advice and support service for any student with a long term medical condition, disability or specific learning difficulty. We are able to offer one-to-one advice about disability, pre-enrolment visits, liaison with tutors and co-ordinating lecturers, material in alternative formats, arrangements for accessible courses, assessment arrangements, loan equipment and dyslexia screening.