ENG-10023: Fiction Through Practice

School of Humanities

ENG-10023

Fiction Through Practice

Co-ordinator:

Mr James Sheard Tel:33302

Teaching Team:

Mrs Tracey Lea, Mrs Amanda Porritt, Miss Jo-Anne Watts

Lecture Time:

See Timetable...

Level:

Credits:

Study Hours:

150

School Office:

Tel: 01782 733147

Programme/Approved Electives for

English and American Literatures Single Honours (Level 1)
English Dual Honours (Level 1)
English Major (Level 1)
English Minor (Level 1)
English Single Honours (Level 1)

Available as a Free Standing Elective

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description

This module is designed to establish a bridge between the composition and criticism of prose fiction by introducing students to different literary modes through practice. Reading a wide selection of twentieth-century short stories, the module will look at the major elements of prose fiction (for example voice, narrative structure, evocation of character and place), explore how different writers approach these elements and encourage students to develop them in their own writing. The course will be taught in small group classes, in which students will read and discuss selected short stories and compose work of their own.

Aims

To introduce students to the key characteristics of prose fiction.
To show how the understanding of these characteristics can be employed to explore the meaning of a text.
To provide students with an awareness of the literary traditions to which their writing might respond.
To provide students with an awareness of the contemporary literary context of their own writing.
To introduce an awareness of form and genre to students&© own creative writing.
To give students the opportunity to engage with creative as well as critical practice and to begin to explore the relationship between the two.

Intended Learning Outcomes

demonstrate familiarity with the distinctive characteristics of prose fiction (narrative voice, narrative structure, evocation of place etc.) will be achieved by assessments: 01, 03, 04
demonstrate analytic skills - close reading, description and analysis of form and meaning - using appropriate literary terminology will be achieved by assessments: 01, 03, 04
write short, creative prose pieces that demonstrate an engagement with the critical questions raised on the module will be achieved by assessments: 02, 04
reflect critically on the creative practice (of themselves and others) will be achieved by assessments: 03, 04
show knowledge of the work of a range of authors of short fiction. will be achieved by assessments: 01, 03, 04

Study hours

Small group classes: 20 hours
Individual study (reading, tutorial preparation, workshop preparation): 65 hours
Preparation of written assessments: 64 hours
Feedback: 1 hour

Description of Module Assessment

01: Portfolio weighted 50%

A portfolio of creative writing
Formative exercise that the students are required to complete in order to pass the module. This assesment will take place in the first half of the semester and will require students to give a 1,000 word commentary on part of a short story chosen from those studied in tutorials.

02: Commentary weighted 40%

Critical commentary on the portfolio
A collection of between 3 and 5 short (3,000-word total) extracts or a single short story (2,000 words)

03: Tutorial weighted 10%

Assessment of contribution to tutorials and workshops
A 2,000-word commentary that shows in detail the way in which the student&©s own work situates itself within the context of a particular literary mode/genre.

Version: (1.06B) Updated: 02/Oct/2013

This document is the definitive current source of information about this module and supersedes any other information.