This introductory unit begins to explore the relationship between creative writing and individuals. The knowledge contained looks at pertinent areas of relevance such as; why people choose to write, their experiences of writing and what types of text people write.
The following topics are covered:
- Reasons for writing
- First experience of writing
- Experience of writing
- What you write
- When and where you write
- The course and your aims
This unit explores the range of different types of texts and genres that currently exist in the field of creative writing and examines areas of relevance, such as; defining different genres, sub-genres and critical analysis.
The following topics are covered:
- Creative writing genres
- Sub-genres
- Creative writing conflict
- Critical analysis
This unit is focussed on the initial practice of putting pen to paper for the first time to write your text, exploring useful techniques such as; writing style, creating characters and writers block.
The following topics are covered:
- Writing in the first, second and third person
- Writers block
- Writing style
- Dialogue
- Creating a believable character
This unit focusses specifically on the form of concise fictional prose known as the short story, and examines multiple areas of relevance such as; its structure and techniques on how to write this style of text.
The following topics are covered:
- The short story genre
- Elements of the short story
- How to write a short story
This unit is concerned with the unique type of imaginative writing laid out in lines, known as poetry. In order to aid learner understanding of this writing style, the knowledge contained examines areas of relevance, such as; rhyming, different poem forms and free verse.
The following topics are covered:
- Defining poetry
- Rhyming verse
- Free verse
- Different poem forms
Having looked specifically at the printed word thus far, this unit now looks at behind the scenes writing; focussing on the writing required for radio. The knowledge contained looks at areas such as; what skills are required, writing short stories for radio and radio feature structure.
The following topics are covered:
- Radio writing skills
- Writing a short story for radio
- Writing radio poems
- Radio feature structure
This unit studies the well-known text type of the invented story known as a novel and explores the production of this creative endeavour though the study of relevant areas, such as; novel writing skills, location and plotting the novel.
The following topics are covered:
- Skills needed for novel writing
- Novel history
- Novel location
- Plotting the novel
This unit shifts focus from the study of fictional texts to the non-fictional process of writing about one’s life. The knowledge contained details techniques on how to write in this manner and explores areas of relevance, such as: the life writing genre and plotting a biography.
The following topics are covered:
- The life writing genre
- The sub-genre of the biography
- Plotting a biography
- Writing a biography
The study of this unit is writing for children. The module challenges the common belief that writing for young people is easy and examines the process of applying this specialised writing technique, though the study of areas such as; myths, age and story writing.
The following topics are covered:
- Myths
- History
- The genre
- The age
- Poems
- Story writing
This unit explores the practice of writing on the basis of fact, known as non-fiction and focusses specifically on the practice of journalism, through the examination of areas such as; non-fiction requirements, research and interviews.
The following topics are covered:
- Non-fiction writing requirements
- Journalism
- Writing news stories
- Research
- Interviews
This unit is concerned with the loose working document which enables a cast of actors to perform for an audience, known as a script. In order to aid learner understanding of this unique type of writing, areas such as; the history of drama, scriptwriting skills and script layouts are examined.
The following topics are covered:
- The history of drama
- Scriptwriting skills
- Script layouts
- Writing a script
Having focussed solely on the actual writing of your text, this unit now examines the practise of revising and amending your text, an important process known as editing. Learners are given guidance on efficient practice, through the study of areas such as; editing considerations, types of editing and legal reasons for editing.
The following topics are covered:
- The editing process
- Editing considerations
- Legal reasons for editing
- Types of editing
- What should be cut out?
Given that previous units have covered the writing process, this module now looks at the part that comes after; the task of seeing work through to print. The knowledge contained looks at the difficulty of getting published and provides guidance on success with this process, through the study of areas such as; planning, marketing your work and types of publishing.
The following topics are covered:
- Types of publishing
- Preparing manuscripts
- Marketing your work
- Planning
This concluding unit ties up all the previous knowledge gained from the course and examines what it means to be a writer when all the necessary skills have been acquired. The content looks at relevant areas such as; how to keep motivated, sticking to a writing calendar and seeking support for writing.
The following topics are covered:
- Motivation
- Practising your writing skills
- Planning your writing calendar
- Support for writers
