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Overview

Creative non-fiction is an ever-evolving genre challenging traditional ideas of fact-based narratives. This module explores the ways in which writers have troubled the distinction between writing that is classed as ‘fiction’ and its constitutive others, such as biography, autobiography, history, travel writing, critical writing and nature writing. By reading and discussing contemporary and historical works of non-fiction, and listening to contemporary non-fiction podcasts and audio, students will gain insights into the process of researching and writing creative non-fiction. Through creative writing exercises and workshops, students will experiment with different ways of producing fact-based texts, and have the opportunity to develop their own works of creative non-fiction.

Module topics may include: writing the self; writing history; biography; the essay form; creative audio and writing for the ear; writing place; art criticism; nature writing and travel writing. As well as examining these subjects from the practitioner's perspective, students will be encouraged to work on and share their own creative practice, helped by writing exercises and workshops, whilst developing skills in reading and constructive criticism.

Assessment Strategy

Excellent: Typically, work graded A- to A** (or 70 to 100) will show many of the following qualities: • Excellent levels of originality, vision and depth; striking and thorough engagement with ideas. • Excellent understanding and control of form. • Impressive linguistic control and/or innovation. • Sophisticated understanding of the creative process and assured control of decisions made in writing. • Dynamic work approaching publishable standard.

Good: Typically, work graded B- to B+ (or 60 to 69) will show many of the following qualities: • Demonstration of a degree of vitality and originality. • Very good understanding of generic conventions; sound use of structures and forms. • Resourceful use of language. • Sound understanding of the creative process and thoughtful control of decisions made in writing. • Very good work, which at times comes close to publishable standard. Satisfactory: Typically, work graded C- to C+ (or 50 to 59) will show many of the following qualities: • Some attempt at serious exploration of ideas. • Some link between themes and form. Good attempt to engage with form, but this may not be entirely sustained. • Use of language technically proficient, but not always focused. • Some awareness of the creative process and of decisions made in writing. • Good work, but its strengths need to be more fully sustained to reach publishable standard.

Threshold: Typically, work graded D- to D+ (or 40-49) will show many of the following qualities: • Limited engagement with ideas. • Link between themes and form not always clear. • Limited sense of formal conventions. Inconsistent with regard to linguistic technicalities. • Limited awareness of redrafting and editing process.

Learning Outcomes

• Experiment with creative strategies to critically evaluate the distinctions between fiction and non-fiction forms.

• Integrate creative and reflective processes with research techniques to produce a range of creative non-fiction forms.

• The ability to critically evaluate ways in which practices of predecessors and contemporaries, peers and established practitioners relate to own practice.