Creative Writing

UCAS code: W801

Here's what University of Wales Trinity Saint David says about its Creative Writing course.

Our Creative Writing programme, guided by the National Association of Writers in Education (NAWE), is designed to nurture and inspire budding writers. This course provides a supportive yet critical community where you can develop your skills and create new works. Through carefully designed modules, you will enhance your creative and critical awareness of the elements and techniques that make for effective writing.

In your first year, you will explore poetry, prose, and drama, laying a solid foundation in various forms of writing. As you progress into the second and third years, the focus broadens to include the writing of voice, form, and place, allowing you to refine and expand your creative abilities.

The programme includes specialised modules that focus on fiction and poetry writing. These modules are complemented by a strong emphasis on the critical, self-reflective, and editorial aspects of writing practice. You will also be able to use your research skills to produce an extended independent project, similar to a dissertation.

Core skills such as writing, research, and editing are essential parts of the course. These are further enriched by modules that introduce you to publication and performance. You will gain insights into the creative industries and understand how writing skills can be applied in different contexts.

Our programme also prepares you for real-world writing scenarios. You will have opportunities to explore digital content creation, screenwriting, journalism, and even writing for games. This diverse approach ensures you develop a versatile writing portfolio, making you well-equipped for various roles in the literary world and beyond.

By the end of this programme, you will have a thorough understanding of the writing craft, a strong body of work, and a clear sense of how to navigate and succeed in the creative sectors. Whether your goal is to become a professional writer, work in the publishing industry, or apply your skills in other creative fields, this programme offers the knowledge and experience to help you achieve your ambitions.

Our teaching philosophy is centred on fostering a supportive and engaging environment, where students are encouraged to develop their unique voice and skills. We believe in a balance of creative freedom and critical guidance, ensuring each student grows as a writer. Students will explore different genre options and will be supported by a range of different writers throughout the course.

In the first year, you will explore poetry, prose, and drama through introductory modules. These foundational courses will help you understand the basics of different genres and forms. You will also participate in workshop sessions, discussing your work with peers and receiving feedback from tutors to refine your writing skills.

Myths and Mythology: How Stories Shape the World (20 Credits) Exploring the Humanities (20 Credits) Historicising Texts (20 credits) Introduction to the Craft of Writing (20 credits) The Study of Literature: Text and Theory (20 credits) Popular Fiction (20 credits) Approaches to form People’s worlds: Interactions with the Environment (20 Credits)

Year two: This year broadens your focus, with an emphasis on the writing of voice, form, and place. You will delve deeper into fiction and poetry and begin to explore the critical and self-reflective aspects of writing. Modules on research and archiving will prepare you to produce an extended independent project.

Green to the very door: Ecocriticism and Romanticism (20 credits) Writing for TV, Film and Radio (20 credits) Error and Sweet Violence: Shakespeare and Renaissance Comedy and Tragedy (20 credits) Green to the very door: Ecocriticism and Romanticism (20 credits) Make it New: Aspects of 20th and 21st Century Writing (20 credits) The Art of the Pitch: Writing as a Career (20 credits) Speculative Fiction: Sci-fi, fantasy, magic realism and other imagined worlds (20 credits) Special Collections Research: The Roderic Bowen Library and Archives (20 credits) The Book, the Body, and the World: Renaissance Humanism, Medicine, and Exploration (20 credits) Writing for Theatre (20 credits) International Mobility Opportunity (60 Credits) A troubled unity: Philosophy, Society and Civil War in the Literature of the Seventeenth Century Glancingly from the side: Writing the Short story Off the Page: Performance Poetry Psyche, Text, and Society: Critical and Cultural Theory Professional Placement Novel writing Independent Creative Project Error and Sweet Violence: Shakespeare and Renaissance Comedy and Tragedy (20 credits) Make it New: Aspects of 20th and 21st Century Writing (20 credits) Special Collections Research: The Roderic Bowen Library and Archives (20 credits) The Book, the Body, and the World: Renaissance Humanism, Medicine, and Exploration (20 credits) Writing for Theatre (20 credits)

In the final year, you will concentrate on creating a major piece of work, potentially leading to publication. You will engage in advanced workshops, receiving one-on-one tuition and support from various writers. Additionally, you will learn about different aspects of the writing industry, including reviewing, editing, and writing to brief, preparing you for a career in the creative industries.

Independent Project (40 credits) Error and Sweet Violence: Shakespeare and Renaissance Comedy and Tragedy (20 credits) Green to the very door: Ecocriticism and Romanticism (20 credits) Special Collections Research: The Roderic Bowen Library and Archives (20 credits) Speculative Fiction: Sci-fi, fantasy, magic realism and other imagined worlds (20 credits) The Book, the Body, and the World: Renaissance Humanism, Medicine, and Exploration (20 credits) Writing for Theatre (20 credits) Make it New: Aspects of 20th and 21st Century Writing (20 credits) Novel writing

The programme is assessed in a variety of ways and will include several of the following type of assessment: essays of 1000 to 4000 words in length, document analyses, book reviews, short reports and reflective journals, timed tests, take home exams, field journals, posters, group and individual presentations, dissertations of 10,000 words, wikis, commentaries and film evaluations.