Telling True Stories: ways of Writing Creative Non-Fiction

On successful completion of this module students should be able to:

1. Demonstrate knowledge of a range of literary texts from across the Nineteenth Century.
2. Locate texts in appropriate cultural and historical contexts.
3. Articulate a detailed critical analysis of individual texts from the period that shows an understanding of their distinctive qualities.
4. Relate texts from the period either to each other or to a common theme.

Exploring real people, places and histories, this module looks at ways of telling real-life stories and asks how 'true' they really are. It looks at how the writer researches and presents his/her own experiences in memoir, autobiography or travelogue, before moving on to examine creative ways of writing history, nature, science or biography. The module examines the relationship between fiction and creative non-fiction, encouraging students to use their existing skills to explore new directions.

This module fills a gap in undergraduate creative-writing provision by addressing the core skills required to write creative non-fiction and introducing Part II students to key texts and approaches. It will enhance students' fiction and writing skills by expanding the range of material studied and exploring new techniques.

The module will be delivered through a series of seminars and workshops intended to introduce students to a particular theme from creative non-fiction practice and outline the approaches and ideas; students will also be required to study, and respond to, texts by influential writers in the field. Workshops will allow students to research, prepare and present their own work on the basis of material studied.
An overarching rationale to the module will ask students to consider and scrutinize key questions about creative non-fiction: what is creative non-fiction and how does it differ from fiction? How does research underpin the genre? How does the writer get the most from real stories? How responsible is the writer for telling the truth?
Seminars will consider:
- What is creative non-fiction? An introduction.
- The writing self: memoir and autobiography. Students will explore how to write about the self and personal experiences. How do you express your inner life, your thoughts and feelings – and make them interesting? What is the relationship between the writer, and the 'I' in the writing?
- The writer in a strange land: travel writing. Is travel writing only about making journeys? What does a reader want from travel writing? Students will explore traditional travelogues, as well as contemporary 'hybrid' works.
- The writer as researcher: history, nature and science. Students will look at the ways in which factual research can be brought to the page in a creative way.

This module is at CQFW Level 5