2024/25 Taught Postgraduate Module Catalogue

ENGL5920M Writing Prose Fiction

30 creditsClass Size: 16

Module manager: Dr Ross Raisin
Email: r.r.raisin@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable

Year running 2024/25

Pre-requisite qualifications

N/A

Module replaces

N/A

This module is not approved as an Elective

Module summary

In this module, you will explore a wide range of aspects of fiction writing, with the aim of developing your writing craft and writing confidence. You will engage with a range of contemporary texts that demonstrate the state of contemporary fiction, including its characteristics and key debates. You will be set writing exercises to stretch their practice, as well as having the opportunity to write in a self-directed manner. You will regularly submit your writing for workshop feedback from both peers and tutor. By the end of the module, your portfolio and a critical reflection will show the particular approach to writing fiction that you will have developed.  Students on the MA Creative Writing must take Writing Fiction or Writing Poetry as one of their Semester 2 modules. Students are welcome to take both modules. Students opting from outside the creative writing programme will need to demonstrate creative writing skills, so should email a writing sample of 1000 words of fiction writing to both the module manager and the programme lead (j.richards3@leeds.ac.uk)

Objectives

This module enables students to specialise in writing prose fiction. Through regular writing, focused textual analysis of contemporary and classic texts and weekly discussion, students will engage with a range of formal and technical approaches to fiction writing. Students will a develop an advanced specialist writing, redrafting, and editing practice through the submission of work in progress for regular workshop feedback from both peers and tutor. The module culminates in the submission of a portfolio and critical reflection that demonstrate the student’s own approach to writing fiction. 

Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this module, you should be able to:

1. Identify, examine, and practice a range of advanced formal and technical approaches to writing fiction.

2. Select from and apply these approaches to demonstrate your own approach to writing fiction. 

3. Locate that particular approach in the context of contemporary fiction, including regarding key debates in form and topicality. 

4. Develop a specialist writing practice in fiction, which includes editing and redrafting following peer and tutor feedback. 

Syllabus

This workshop-based prose fiction module will indicatively cover:

- Workshop participation – for individual student work-in-progress to be given constructive and considered feedback from the group and tutor.

- A weekly focus on specific elements of fiction writing, through discussion, targeted writing exercises, and close examination of a variety of selected extracts of fiction. Particular emphasis to be placed on the idea of the writing process.

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Workshop	10	2.00	20.00
Private study hours			280.00
Total Contact hours			20.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			300.00

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

One unassessed informal presentation and brief extracts of work-in-progress submitted regularly for peer and tutor feedback. 

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Portfolio	A portfolio of 2,500 words of prose	80.00
Critique	A critical reflection of 1,500 words	20.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		100.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 28/10/2024

Disclaimer

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