Writing for Media concentrates on the area where fiction and journalism overlap. Long-form journalism,  blog-posting, serial fiction writing and contributing to online communities will be studied and students get a chance to experiment with some, or all of these forms, and learn how to pitch their work for publication.

Memoir, biography and autobiography constitute some of the most dynamic and exciting forms of life writing and this module introduces students to advanced level study of theories and practice around the writing of biography and memoir, by locating key examples in literature and culture from writers such as Wilde, Proust, McGahern, Sage, O’Faolain and others. It allows students to explore the creative practices around their own use of memoir and memory recall, within the genres of poetry, fiction and other forms of writing and, week by week, draws on a variety of techniques to open out this vital element within the imagination.

This core module promotes an awareness of the business and commercial aspects of writing and introduces students to the practical aspects of working as a professional writer. The module also encourages students to gain experience of working in creative or cultural organisations, and draws on speakers from the world of publishing, the arts and literary organisations.

[April – August 2018 – All Creative Writing Staff]

This is the final module of the MA in Creative Writing, undertaken from April to August – September (in the case of part-time students, in the second year). The dissertation comprises a substantial piece of creative writing, usually in a single genre (fiction, short story, poetry, memoir, radio drama etc.). This final project is the capstone of the learning experience on the MA and is written with the support and direction of a member of staff, with professional experience of the genre being undertaken. The length of the work will depend on the chosen genre, but is normally no longer that 15,000 words.

[Spring Semester 2018 – Thomas Morris]

This is a special guest workshop offered by the School of English Writer-in-Residence.  The theme and genre of the workshop will vary, depending on the specialty of the writer-in-residence.  This year, short story writer and consulting editor of The Stinging Fly, Thomas Morris, will be leading the workshop.

The core of Poetry 1 is a weekly, three hour workshop which includes focused reading of one aspect of poetic craft (eg. form, imagery, sound, language), as well as a reading and workshopping of one poem that each student has written over the previous week.  The aim of the workshop is to write poems that are of a publishable standard and to allow students to mine the inevitable and imaginative wellspring of material that will comprise their poems.

There will be an opportunity to read widely and to also discuss elements of technique and theory. Students receive regular one-to-one tutorials and extensive feedback on their poetry.

This course is a pre-requisite for Mythology and Contemporary Poetry.