Aims of the course
- To explore the nature of creative non-fiction
- To look at a range of writing skills, techniques, genres, and literary styles
- To develop an appreciation of writing in terms of communication and pleasure
- To begin to discover one's own voice
Target audience
Anyone at any stage of their writing development who want guidance to further their skills in creative non-fiction.
Course content overview
- To discuss how non-fiction can be creative
- To discuss style, language, narrative, structure, description, characterisation, dialogue, brevity and clarity
- To explore and experiment with different writing styles
- To learn editing and revising skills
Schedule (this course is completed entirely online)
Orientation Week: 8-14 July 2024
Teaching Weeks: 15 July-18 August 2024
Feedback Week: 19-25 August 2024
Teaching week 1 - What makes non-fiction creative?
Purpose: To discuss the nature of creative non-fiction.
Learning outcomes:
- To gain an understanding of this hybrid genre: what does 'creative non-fiction' mean?
- To explore creative non-fiction and its many forms and styles: what is it for and what can it do?
Teaching week 2 - Developing writing skills
Purpose: To explore the building blocks of creative non-fiction.
Learning outcomes:
- To gain an understanding of structure, style, language, flow, brevity, clarity, characterisation, description, and dialogue.
- To appreciate how writing can communicate, inform, and induce delight.
- To give participants an opportunity to begin to develop their own writing voice.
- To read and critique a piece of creative non-fiction.
Teaching week 3 - Facts, facts, facts...
Purpose: To explore what facts are, where to find them, and what to do with them.
Learning outcomes:
- To gain an understanding of resources and how to access them.
- To explore the idea of the 'hook' or idea, and the means of how to find one.
- To develop the means to recognise and assess what makes a good story.
- To develop an appreciation of structure, framing the narrative, and driving it.
Teaching week 4 - Writing is such sweet sorrow
Purpose: To explore the process of editing and revising.
Learning outcomes:
- To gain the knowledge of how to vary the pace, inject tension, when to cut and when to stop.
- Experiencing writing for a particular audience.
- To gain an understanding of what to do if you get stuck.
- To explore the means to develop a lucid and engagingly memorable style.
Teaching week 5 - The art of the essay
Purpose: To look at the essay form, from journalistic to lyrical, variously using argument, exposition, narrative, and description.
Learning outcomes:
- To gain an understanding of humour, with, and satire in creative non-fiction.
- To develop an appreciation of the ways writers can use research, including interviews, in their work.
- To explore different genres and styles of writing.
- To provide the opportunity to experiment with their own voice.
Each week of an online course is roughly equivalent to 2-3 hours of classroom time. On top of this, participants should expect to spend roughly 2-3 hours reading material, etc., although this will vary from person to person.
While they have a specific start and end date and will follow a weekly schedule (for example, week 1 will cover topic A, week 2 will cover topic B), our tutor-led online courses are designed to be flexible and as such would normally not require participants to be online for a specific day of the week or time of the day (although some tutors may try to schedule times where participants can be online together for web seminars, which will be recorded so that those who are unable to be online at certain times are able to access material).
Virtual Learning Environment
Unless otherwise stated, all course material will be posted on the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) so that they can be accessed at any time throughout the duration of the course and interaction with your tutor and fellow participants will take place through a variety of different ways which will allow for both synchronous and asynchronous learning (discussion boards etc).
Certificate of participation
A Certificate of Participation will be awarded to participants who contribute constructively to weekly discussions and exercises/assignments for the duration of the course.
