Course summary

MA Creative Writing at Winchester offers students the opportunity to improve their creative writing in a dynamic, constructive environment. The programme is supported by teaching staff who are all professional writers. Students study both classic and current literature, allowing them to explore different styles and genres while gaining a critical foundation for their own writing. Furthermore, students learn about the publishing world, aiming to understand where their work fits in the constantly changing publishing market. Students have opportunities to meet agents, editors and other published writers. The structure of the programme enables students to focus on one or more genres (for example, fiction, creative non-fiction, scriptwriting or poetry) during their coursework. Throughout the programme, students write their own creative work while reading contemporary and classic literature. Students begin with a module that focuses on writing fiction alongside a module that explores the term research and what it means for a writer - this forms a creative and critical foundation for their writing. Before progressing and selecting an optional genre module, students look outward at the market in the core Publishing Project module, which features readings and seminars with six writers, agents and editors each semester. Students develop a writing project which may explore a newer form, such as a blog, or a more traditional format, such as a short story and covering letter to a literary magazine. They also undertake the Independent Study Preparation module which is designed to prepare the students for the rigour of a longer-form creative piece. The programme culminates with a creative dissertation known as the Independent Study.