Write after Reading
| Module title | Write after Reading |
|---|---|
| Module code | EAS1042 |
| Academic year | 2024/5 |
| Credits | 30 |
| Module staff | Dr Christine Lehnen () |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 30 |
|---|
Module description
Excellent writers need to be excellent readers, and this module will set you on your way to becoming both. Focusing on the writing craft, you will read the work of a diverse selection of some of most dynamic poetry and fiction writers working today.
Putting these ideas into practice, you will experiment with your own creative writing, supported by the workshop process in your seminar groups, and learn how to self-edit and to frame your work appropriately with reference to your reading.
The module is compulsory for those of you taking the combined-honours English and Creative Writing degree programme.
Module aims - intentions of the module
This module will introduce you to a diverse selection of contemporary authors and texts, including poetry and prose, through lectures, discussions, videos and workshops. It will encourage you to develop a craft-oriented approach to reading, and to take inspiration from this reading to produce a series of thoughtful, rigorous and imaginative responses in your own creative writing.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Demonstrate an informed appreciation of a diverse range of contemporary creative writing in the English language
- 2. Demonstrate an understanding of some of the key debates and issues in contemporary publishing that shape creative writing, authorship, and readership
- 3. Demonstrate a capacity to produce creative writing in a range of styles and genres, informed by engaged reading
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 4. Demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of key craft techniques and approaches in creative writing
- 5. Present persuasive oral arguments concerning your own creative writing and the work of other authors, both peers and published writers
- 6. Articulate a broad range of appropriate critical and professional terminology
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 7. Through workshop participation, demonstrate advanced communication skills, and an ability to work effectively both individually and in collaborative groups
- 8. Through writing essays and creative work inspired by new reading material, demonstrate advanced skills in delivering clear, well-structured, and persuasive writing and communication in response to assignments
- 9. Through research and critical reading, demonstrate advanced proficiency in digesting, understanding and analysing a wide range of source material, and communicating that understanding clearly and effectively
Syllabus plan
Whilst the content may vary from year to year, it is envisioned that the module will cover some or all of the following topics:
Poetry:
- Political activism in contemporary poetry
- Traditional poetic forms in contemporary poetry
- Titles and openings in contemporary poetry
- Sensory engagement in contemporary poetry
- Contemporary prose poetry and when it becomes flash fiction
Prose fiction:
- Experimentation and formal play in contemporary fiction
- Characterisation and point of view in contemporary fiction
- Dialogue and voice in contemporary fiction
- Setting and place in contemporary fiction
- Construction and plotting in contemporary fiction
- Editing and publishing contemporary fiction and poetry
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 33 | 267 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 11 | Lectures or equivalent |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 22 | Weekly seminars with a workshop element: 11 x 2-hour workshops. |
| Guided Independent Study | 100 | Preparation for lectures and seminars |
| Guided Independent Study | 100 | Study groups, research, reading, assigned listening |
| Guided Independent Study | 67 | Assessment drafting and writing |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portfolio of writing | Ongoing, variable | 1-7, 9 | Oral feedback in seminar with opportunity for office-hours follow-up |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short story | 50 | 2000 words plus 500 words of explanatory introduction. | 1-4, 8-9 | Feedback sheet with opportunity for office-hours follow-up |
| Poetry | 40 | 60 lines plus 500 words of explanatory introduction. | 1-4, 8-9 | Feedback sheet with opportunity for office-hours follow-up |
| Workshop participation | 10 | Continuous | 1,2, 4-7, 9 | Oral feedback, opportunity for office-hours discussion |
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short story | Short story | 1-4, 8-9 | Referral/deferral period |
| Poetry | Poetry | 1-4, 8-9 | Referral/deferral period |
| Workshop participation | Repeat Study/Mitigation | 1-2, 4-7, 9 | N/a |
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 40%) 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 40%.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
A precise reading list will be available on the module’s ELE page for each week, and most of this will be freely accessible online or via scanned extracts. No book purchases are mandatory. However, the following books are highly recommended, and all will be covered on the course:
Two anthologies – one poetry, one prose fiction:
- Hensher, Philip ed., The Penguin Book of the Contemporary British Short story: from Ali Smith to Zadie Smith, Penguin, 2019
- Noel-Todd, Jeremy ed., The Penguin Book of the Prose Poem: from Baudelaire to Anne Carson, Penguin, 2018
Two useful handbooks – one poetry, one prose fiction:
- Sansom, Peter, Writing Poems, Bloodaxe, 1994
- Cowan, Andrew, The Art of Writing Fiction, Routledge, 2011
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
- ELE pages for EAS1042: https://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=11184
- The New Yorker creative writing podcasts: Fiction, Poetry, and The Writer’s Voice
- The Paris Review website for creative writing and author interviews: http://www.parisreview.com
| Credit value | 30 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 15 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 4 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 01/10/2019 |
| Last revision date | 09/05/2023 |
