Creative Writing

The Master of Studies (MSt) in Creative Writing is designed for those who wish to develop high-level skills in creative writing both in fiction and non-fiction literatures. The MSt is taught over two years in short, intensive study blocks. It has been designed to be accessible to those in full- or part-time employment and to international students.

You will be guided in the production of creative work in a range of genres and styles, and also in critical reflection on your own work and that of other writers. The course tutors and guest speakers are all established literary professionals.

Who is the course designed for?

The MSt aims to facilitate students' creative practice, whether for their own personal creative development as writers or because their professional work impinges on these areas.

Aims of the programme

By the end of the course students should have:

• Developed their own writing and self-editing skills in a range of fiction and non-fiction genres
• Developed a solid and substantial understanding of the history (in terms of innovative developments) of fiction and non-fiction writing and of critical, analytical and narrative theory

The MSt is structured around four modules, each of which includes a residential block at Madingley Hall that students must attend. In the first year, each of the four residential blocks is preceded by guided preparatory reading and other activities, and followed by two writing assignments: one critical and one creative.

A Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) offers learning support to students while they are on the programme, including learning resources, peer-to-peer and student-to-tutor discussion between modules to build a virtual community of practice.

Year 1

The first year is characterised by variety. Students will engage and experiment with a wide variety of genres, building on existing strengths and exploring unfamiliar territories.

Module 1: Writing for readers: the art of poetry and the craft of criticism (11 - 14 October 2017)
This module will combine close critical reading of selected examples of poetry and autobiographical prose with the writing of both by students.

Module 2: Writing fiction: imagined worlds (11 - 14 December 2017)
This module focuses on prose fiction, examining the relationship between memory, imagination and research and exploring the essential concerns of the fiction-writer, including plot and narrative, voice and character and the importance of place.

Module 3: Writing for performance: monologue and polyphonic scripts (12 - 15 February 2018)
This module explores various forms of writing for an audience, encompassing writing for radio, theatre, television, cinema and other forms of scripted public address and performance.

Module 4: Writing life: creative non-fiction (14 - 17 May 2018)
This module explores the concept of creative non-fiction and examines examples drawn from a range of sub-genres. These are likely to include biography, memoir, travel-writing and writing about the environment. Sessions on study and research skills will prepare students for Year 2. Visiting speakers for this module will include those from the world of publishing.

Year 2

The second year is characterised by focus on a specialist genre. Students will work independently to explore further and develop their own literary and critical skills, resulting in an extended piece or portfolio of writing. They will work under the supervision of an expert in their chosen field with whom they will have regular contact.

Students will have five supervisions in the second year. The first will take place in October 2017, ideally at Madingley Hall, but Skype can also be used. The dates of this and the next three supervisions will be arranged between you and your supervisor (these can also be face-to-face or via Skype). The fifth and final supervision will usually take place at Madingley Hall at the time of the only residency in the second year, the Presentation and Discussion of Portfolios, on 29 - 30 April 2019.

It is essential that you attend all residential modules on the dates given above - your ability to complete the course will be severely compromised by missing any of these.

Contact time

• Lectures, seminars and classes: 4 x 4-day residential sessions in Year 1; a 2-day residential session in Year 2.
• Supervisions and tutorials: each student has their own tutor to whom they will have several one-to-one sessions during the first year. During the second year students have 5 x 1-hour sessions with their supervisor.

Assessment

Year 1

Following the first residency, students will produce 750 words of poetry and a critical commentary of 3,000 words. Following the other three residencies students will produce 4,000 words of creative prose and a critical commentary of 3,000 words.

Year 2

Students will produce a portfolio consisting of 15,000 words of creative prose (or an equivalent quantity of poems) and a 3,000-word critical commentary.

Feedback

Students are given formal written feedback on their assignments and informal feedback throughout the course, including during tutorials and supervisions. Tutors produce a report for each student at the end of Year 1 and supervisors produce termly reports for each student during Year 2.

Expected academic standard

Applicants for this course will normally have achieved a UK 2.i honours degree or overseas equivalent.

There is provision to accept non-standard applicants who do not satisfy the standard academic criterion. Such applicants must produce evidence of relevant and equivalent experience and their suitability for the course.

Language requirement

• IELTS Academic: Overall band score of 7.5 (with a minimum of 7.0 in each individual component)
• CAE: Grade A
• CPE: Grade A, B, or C
• TOEFL iBT: Overall score of at least 110 with no element below 25

Supporting documents

• References.You will need to provide the details of two referees who can provide academic or professional references. You will be asked to provide e-mail addresses for your referees so that they can submit their reference via the online referencing system, so it is important for you to ensure that your referee is able to provide a reference for you before you submit your application form. If your referees are unable to use the online referencing system, or do not have e-mail addresses, please contact the ICE Admissions office for further assistance.
• Transcripts. A transcript is a list of all the courses you have taken during a programme of study, with the result you obtained, and with the credit value if applicable. If you are currently studying, please provide a transcript listing the courses taken during your programme of study, with the results or grades obtained for each. Current Cambridge students should upload a copy of their unofficial transcript from their Student Self-Service. If you have previously completed degree-level study, please provide a transcript or degree certificate for each degree-level programme you have studied, showing the date the degree was awarded and the final class or grade obtained. The transcript should be uploaded via your Self-Service, using the ‘Academic – pre-decision’ category. Please note that we may also ask you to send the originals via post if we make you an offer of admission and supplying these may be a condition of your offer. If your documents are not in English, you must also upload a full translation of each document, prepared by a registered translator.
• Research Proposal. A proposal of approximately 500 words outlining the work to be carried out in the second year of study; your plans may change over the course of your first year, but we need to see at this stage that you have a viable project in mind. Please tell us what genre you are likely to be writing in (e.g. poetry, prose fiction, playwriting, creative non-fiction) and provide: - an outline of the intended topic; - an outline of ideas related to your project which might form the basis of a commentary on it; - an account of the sources upon which the writing project will draw, if appropriate.
• Personal Statement. Applicants are encouraged to provide information within the application form about their motivation for applying for the course and to outline relevant experience and interests.
• Writing Sample. 1 - Original writing sample consisting of ONE of the following: 1,000 words of prose; OR 1,000 words of script for stage, screen or radio; OR 500 words of poetry. This sample may be on any subject; if it is an extract from a longer piece, please provide a very brief summary showing how the sample fits into the whole work AND 2 - Original prose sample consisting of 1,000 words exploring an incident associated with food. Your exploration may be based on a memory or may be a work of fiction, but in either case we are looking for an original and imaginative approach to the subject.