English and Writing for Creative Industries MA

Modules

• Utopian and Dystopian Writing: Identity, Education and Ecology – 15 credits

  This module introduces you to the key theoretical concepts and texts relating to literary utopia and dystopia. You will learn to critically assess utopian and dystopian components in fiction and philosophy. You will examine how utopian and dystopian ideas in fiction and philosophy intersect with concepts such as gender, violence, technophobia and technophilia, and how they influence contexts such as architecture, the environment, communities or bureaucracy. Theoretical sessions will contextualise and historicise the evolution of utopian and dystopian literature and will include close readings of utopian and dystopian literary texts.

  Compulsory

• Gothic Nature – 15 credits

  Gothic Nature explores the literature, theory and reception of the gothic, horror, the weird and the eerie and their relationship to human and more-than-human environments. While reading nineteenth-century short stories to present-day novels, you will also consider the roots of these contested terms in earlier forms such as myth, fairy and folk tales. It will primarily feature British, European, North American and Australian literature, but will also consider film, radio, computer games and other media. You will be encouraged to identify and critique the frequent entanglements of the gothic, horror, the weird and the eerie with other genres and modes, including fantasy and science fiction, and to combine ecocritical theory with intersecting disciplines including queer theory, ecofeminism and critical race studies.

  Compulsory

• Developing Academic Skills for Postgraduate Study – 15 credits

  This module helps you develop your academic writing skills so you can carry out and complete written tasks on your MA programmes. Activities will focus on fostering and enhancing your ability to communicate effectively when writing in English in both critical and creative contexts. The module aims to increase the range and accuracy of your use of language and to develop your communication skills in specific situations. Areas covered will include planning and drafting written work, addressing the task, organisation of texts, paraphrasing and summarising, citation, referencing and proofreading. There will also be opportunities to reflect on and critically evaluate your written work.

  Compulsory

• Critical Reading and Writing Skills for Postgraduate Literary Study – 15 credits

  This module prepares you for coursework assignments and your final project. The focus of the module is to advance your literary skills of analysis by engaging with activities that encourage critical reading and writing. It aims to help you make the move from an undergraduate skills level of analysis to a postgraduate level of critical thinking. Therefore, this is a practice-based module with the aim of developing your skills in the critical interrogation of texts (including your own work) and developing your own voice in your written work. The module complements and supports the other content modules on the course in that, a flexible learner-centred approach is built into the module, encouraging your choice in the selection of materials from the required reading for your literature modules. The assessment is a portfolio consisting of four components which encourages you to establish a structured approach to research which will directly feed into your final project.

  Compulsory

• Role Playing and Interactive Narratives – 15 credits

  This module will explore the role-playing and interactive narratives industries and you will be given the choice to create a video game script, a live-action role-playing experience or a table-top narrative (DnD/narrative driven pen and paper game). The gaming and role-playing industries are extremely popular forms of entertainment, with video games representing some of the largest income generators in media. Through a series of lectures and workshops, you will gain an in-depth understanding of how each industry functions as well as analyse the way they deliver their form of entertainment via branching narratives, interactive storytelling and live content delivery. You will analyse the market and tailor your work to the requirements of the industry of your choice. You will also explore theoretical and critical issues in your writers’ diaries, including issues relating to the social, (inter)cultural and professional context of video games and role-playing games.

  Compulsory

• Creative Non-fiction – 15 credits

  This module will provide you with an in-depth examination and analysis of creative nonfiction writing. Ranging from early examples of the essay in the work of Michel de Montaigne, to contemporary experimental personal writing, memoir and cultural criticism, you will engage with a diverse list of writers in this varying mode. Through lectures and seminars, you will hone your critical skills and develop an excellent understanding of literary techniques. You will also create your own piece of extended creative non-fiction, which you will develop throughout the module in workshops and in your own preparation time. The module is also designed to give you an informed insight into the process of writing, pitching and publishing creative non-fiction thereby preparing you for life as a working writer.

  Compulsory

• Emerging Screenwriting – 15 credits

  This module aims to equip you with the essential tools for writing scripts for various mediums (short film, online drama, streaming, cinema screenplay and original documentary) in a format compatible for submission to producers, commissioners and heads of development in the media industries, or for direct upload to platforms such as YouTube and Twitch. The module will focus on the elements of storytelling common to all genres: story arc, narrative themes, the ‘active question’ (or dilemma), character journey, visual style and dialogue. Emphasis will be on engaging audiences by creating compelling characters confronting dynamic situations and choices. You will be expected to read and view a wide range of contemporary dramatic output – streaming scripts and programmes, screenplays, movies and documentaries - in order both to develop your understanding of the media and improve your own practice. You will also analyse traditional and emerging patterns of dramatic production, focusing on national and international examples including European, American and Asian formats.

  Compulsory

• Graphic Novels and Illustrated Storytelling – 15 credits

  This module will explore the phenomenon of illustrated storytelling. Through analysing both western comic books and animation (from the superheroes of Marvel and DC to non-superhero fiction and even non-fiction) and Japanese manga and anime, you will gain an understanding of the unique nature of narrative delivered through sequential art and moving images. You will explore differences in approaches to narrative and reflect upon the standards of presentation in each industry. You will also look at ways comic art can be applied to non-fiction work, providing entertaining ways to impart important information to young people and adults - this could include posters, guides and other similar materials.

  Compulsory

• Creative Futures and Social Change – 10 credits

  This module explores the changing world of work which Arts and Humanities students enter after study. New technology and the changing global economy mean that jobs and skills are changing and evolving quickly and will continue to do so. This is an exciting and new world, and this module is designed to empower you to realise your potential in it. The module provides tools for you to develop into a changemaker, thrive in a changing world of work and participate in creating a better future for society. You will be guided through a process of reflection that explores four possible futures for the world of work and how to situate your own professional identity as the future of work evolves through your career. This module is designed in collaboration with The RSA (Royal Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce), and upon successful completion you will receive RSA digital badging.

  Compulsory

• Final Project – 50 credits

  This module gives you the chance to conceive and carry out an individual programme of research that will result in the production of either a piece of writing (creative, critical or both) or a creative output in digital or other media of your choosing. The project will be conducted under the supervision of a member of staff with teaching and/or research interests in the area to be studied, leading to the ultimate submission of a final project. You may write about or create content in response to any area of your studies that staff in the school can supervise.

  Compulsory