Creative Writing Programme (Online) 2023-2025
(Two years. One morning or one evening per week for 25 weeks per year)
The online version of the Creative Writing Programme (CWP) has been developed to allow writers who live abroad or who cannot travel to our programme centres to benefit from this prestigious university level writing programme. It has been carefully designed to provide you with support and structure to develop your understanding of the craft of writing. Your course tutors will teach you writing techniques, offer you focused written feedback and help you set realistic deadlines.
Overview
In your first year you will reflect on the sources and themes of your own writing:
- develop an understanding of your own creativity and the creative process
- learn how to create dynamic fictional characters
- discover ways of enhancing the dramatic impact of your fiction and explore the different ways in which stories can be told.
In the second year the focus will shift from short scenes to longer narratives. You will:
- develop your understanding of plot, story structure and the ‘world of the story’
- explore the complex relationship between characters, narrators and readers
- discover the importance of theme, conflict and dramatic tension and gain further insights into language, technique and style.
Throughout the course you will deepen your understanding of the function and role of character as you move from short character sketches to multi-character scenes, to the complex interaction and character development of longer narratives.
You will hone your critical and editing skills and develop your eye for a good story. In the writing workshops, you will share, discuss and evaluate your work with the other writers in your writing group.
By the end the programme you will have developed a substantial body of work and have either finished your writing project or be in a position to bring it to completion.
What this creative writing course will do for you
This programme will help you:
- develop your confidence and ability as a writer.
- organise and manage your work
- evolve a strong individual style.
It is ideal for writers who want to write a novel, a collection of short stories or an experimental piece of imaginative prose and are looking for structure, encouragement and feedback to help them achieve this.
What is required of me?
All you need to bring to the programme is your imagination, a love of reading, a passion to write and the determination to succeed.
You will need to commit to a minimum of twelve hours per week for the duration of each course. This includes online seminar time, writing time and reading time. You will need a computer/laptop with a built in camera, good internet access and be able to be online regularly once a week. All students on the distance learning courses are responsible for ensuring that their own computers and Internet connections are working and properly maintained.
For writers joining the programme from outside the UK a good grasp of the English language is essential as all the discussions and writing on the course will be in English.
How our online creative writing course works
Once you have enrolled you will be taken to your course page on our website. When your course starts your tutor will add course outlines, supporting seminar notes, writing exercises and a Writers’ Forum where you can chat with other writers in your group. To join your online class, you simply click on the link on your course page and the online classroom will open up. On your screen you will see your tutor and the other writers in the online classroom. Each weekly writing seminar runs for two and a half hours. Seminars will include a mix of practical writing exercises, discussion of work written in the seminar and published texts, group work, tutor led feedback and taught sessions. Over the course of the two-year programme you will work closely with two of our tutors. On each course you will be offered one-to-one tutorials and an opportunity to take additional seminars with visiting writers on the Creative Writing Programme Weekend Schools.
Click here to find out more about the structure and content of individual courses
Key Facts
Programme length:
Two years. Maximum group size 12
Term Dates:
Autumn: 2nd October – 15th December (Reading Week 23rd – 27th October)
Spring: 8th January – 22nd March (Reading Week 12th – 16th February)
Summer: 22nd April – 24th May
(Dates for 2024-2025 will be given in the summer term of 2024)
Seminar times
Wednesday mornings 10 – 12.30pm.
Entry requirements:
No formal qualifications required.
Programme tutors:
Dr Mark Slater and Cathy Hayward (programme directors), Rosie Chard and Jacq Molloy
Fees:
£950 per annum
Fees can be paid in full or at the beginning of each term. There is a £20 additional admin fee or the Autumn Term if fees are paid per term:
Autumn term only: £400
Spring/Summer term only: £570
International Students, please note fees must be paid in GB Pounds.
To enrol: choose one of the payment links at the bottom of this page and click on it
Please ensure that you have read our Terms and Conditions. For further information on this course or our other programmes contact
Mark Slater
mark.slater@creativewritingprogramme.org.uk