Creative Writing: Prose (ELT256)

What makes us enjoy a children’s story, a fairy tale, or even someone’s personal story? ELT256 Creative Writing: Prose addresses this question by developing students’ skills in the narrative craft. This is a practical writing course that enables students to create compelling and engaging narratives in short fiction and non-fiction. The focus is on the elements and techniques of the short story and the narrative essay. Students will hone their writing skills in course-directed activities and design their own creative writing projects.

• The creative writing process
• Types of short fiction and style
• Setting the scene
• Showing and telling
• Perspectives and points of view
• Breathing life into characters
• Plot and structure
• Elements of the narrative essay
• The voice of personal experience
• Shaping style, structure and thought
• Managing the creative project
• Platforms for publishing: journals, blogs, magazines and more

• Identify key elements and techniques in short fiction and the narrative essay.
• Distinguish the various genres and styles in creative narrative writing.
• Analyse how narrative technique and form create meaning in stories and essays.
• Develop narrative outlines that illustrate compelling storytelling.
• Apply the elements and techniques of short fiction and essay in creative writing.
• Execute a creative writing project.