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Continuation of Find Your Voice 2, but new students very welcome. Bring a sense of humour, self-discipline and a desire to write. From ‘hands on’ stimulating and interactive experiences to all forms of creative writing, the creative process is yours!
No prior knowledge required. However, those students who attended courses one and two will be able to build on their experience.
1. Introductory exercises in banning self-censorship sine die; and prompts for writing for Week 2.
2. Guided discussion of students’ work presented each week. Bring two printed copies. The aim is to share at least one piece from each student per week. We free wheel through experimental and established form and genre following our own voices while looking at (for example) life-writing, comedy, satire and the surreal. No holds barred. We look through tension and conflict at reader (or audience) expectation: how to fulfil; when to deny. We explore positive editing (murdering our darlings) and developing ‘rhythm’ in voice and structure: how to develop the bigger narrative (or dramatic) arc; how to avoid the (merely) episodic to create the organic: the world which continues when the reader has ‘finished’. Prompts are always open-ended to allow students to develop their own interests or creative endeavours. Guidance on publication and performance.
By this time each student should have explored prose, poetry and drama writing, now specialising more in their stronger fields but making sure there is a balanced approach as evidenced in portfolio work. Specific work on comic writing in each/all genres.
It is intended that by the end of the course students will have achieved a better understanding of their own abilities and why they wish to write, as well as what. Hopefully, some will go on to publish.
There are many ‘guides’ and ‘handbooks’ to creative writing which you may choose to read from. In general, you should read widely, as you wish, in different genres (novels, stories, scripts and modern/contemporary poetry). You are encouraged to register with the University Library, the National Library of Scotland, the Edinburgh Central Library and the Scottish Poetry Library; and to make use of information and advice on book publishing, literary magazines etc. to be found through the Writers and Artists Yearbook and the Scottish Book Trust.
Reading writers’ autobiographies is particularly recommended. Among such, we could include:
Bennett, A., 1997. Writing Home. London: Faber & Faber.
Dylan, B., 2004. Chronicles. London: Simon & Schuster.
MacDiarmid, H., 1972. Lucky Poet. London: Jonathan Cape.
Neruda, P., 2004. Memoirs. London: Souvenir Press.
Miller,A., 1999. Timebends. London: Methuen Publishing.
Milosz, C., 1992. Native Realm. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.
Muir, E., 2008. An Autobiography. Edinburgh: Canongate Classics.
Handouts and reading recommendations. Exercises and themes (sometimes seasonal) will be open-ended and/or cross genre as far as possible.
10 credit courses have one assessment. Normally, the assessment is a 2000 word essay, worth 100% of the total mark, submitted by week 12. To pass, students must achieve a minimum of 40%. There are a small number of exceptions to this model which are identified in the Studying for Credit Guide.
If you choose to study for credit you will need to allocate significant time outwith classes for coursework and assessment preparation. Credit points gained from this course can count towards the Certificate of Higher Education.
If you have questions regarding the course or enrolment, please contact COL Reception at Paterson's Land by email COL@ed.ac.uk or by phone 0131 650 4400.
If you have a disability, learning difficulty or health condition which may affect your studies, please let us know by ticking the 'specific support needs' box on your course application form. This will allow us to make appropriate adjustments in advance and in accordance with your rights under the Equality Act 2010. For more information please visit the Student Support section of our website.