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Creative Writing Dissertation

Module description

This module gives the opportunity to pursue a sustained piece of original writing of your choosing. You will have the chance to develop both your imaginative and critical abilities through the completion of a portfolio of creative work and reflective commentary. Possible project forms include an extract from a novel, a sequence of short stories, a collection of poetry, a combination of poetry and prose or a screenplay.

You will choose your project in consultation with academic staff and then write the dissertation, along with a related self-reflexive essay, under appropriate academic supervision.

The dissertation provides the opportunity to gain skills in active learning, research and writing.

Module aims - intentions of the module

• This module aims to provide the opportunity, at the end of your BA programme, to pursue a sustained piece of creative writing. A project is chosen by you, in consultation with an academic member of staff, and thereafter you write the dissertation, along with a related self-reflexive essay, under appropriate academic supervision. The module therefore develops qualities of independence, active learning, research and writing.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

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

• 1. Demonstrate a capacity to produce an extended piece of creative writing, as agreed with their supervisor
• 2. Demonstrate advanced knowledge of their knowledge of their chosen genres and styles of writing
• 3. Demonstrate an informed appreciation of appropriate contemporary creative texts and critical concepts

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

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

• 4. Demonstrate an advanced appreciation of formal techniques and imaginative expression in creative writing
• 5. Present persuasive written and oral arguments concerning their own creative writing and the work of other authors, both peers and published authors
• 6. Demonstrate an advanced understanding of a variety of theoretical positions
• 7. 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...

• 8. Through writing the dissertation, demonstrate appropriate research and bibliographic skills, an advanced capacity to construct a coherent, substantiated argument, advanced skills of creative expression, and a capacity to write clear and correct prose
• 9. Through research for the dissertation, demonstrate advanced proficiency in information retrieval and analysis

Syllabus plan

Whilst the content may vary from year to year, it is envisioned that it will cover some or all of the following topics:

You will attend a compulsory group meeting in the autumn, and submit a proposed dissertation title before leaving for the Christmas break. Supervisors will be assigned by the beginning of second semester, and you will have an initial group meeting with your supervisors at the beginning of that semester. This meeting will then lead to a sequence of three one-to-one supervisions over the course of the semester.

Responsibility for the selection and development of a topic of research is left to you, though you are invited to discuss it with one or more members of staff.

The completed Dissertation Proposal Form, signed by a member of staff, must be submitted to the departmental office by the specified deadline in term 1 of your final year. Allocation of an individual supervisor will be organised and confirmed in the first week of Term 2. Early in the term the supervisor will arrange a group meeting. There is also a special Library talk geared to the needs of dissertation research, and other workshops introducing key skills of research, writing and time management.

You should have a written plan of your dissertation ready for discussion at the first meeting. It is then your responsibility to arrange and attend three further 20-minute supervisions during the term. Supervisors will read and comment on up to 2000 words of written drafts.

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 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

To be developed, under direction, by the student.

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

The Exeter Learning Environment is an online resource which will accompany the module, offering you a forum to discuss your work and to access links to external sites that might help in your research. Electronic versions of all course materials will also be hosted at this location. The ELE site will include links to useful online resources, including support for creative and academic writing and lists of key journals and websites compiled by the different research groups.

• ELE – https://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=11530
  

Indicative learning resources - Other resources

Students will be encouraged to draw upon the archival resources offered by the University’s Special Collections and by The Bill Douglas Centre for the History of Cinema and Popular Culture.

Key words search

dissertation, creative writing, prose, poetry, screenplay