Course Dates
Course details
Tutors
Key Features
Aims of the course
- To explore the nature of creative non-fiction.
- To look at a range of writing skills, techniques, genres, and literary styles.
- To develop an appreciation of writing in terms of communication and pleasure.
- To begin to discover one's own voice.
Course content overview
- To discuss how non-fiction can be creative.
- To discuss style, language, narrative, structure, description, characterisation, dialogue, brevity and clarity.
- To explore and experiment with different writing styles.
- To learn editing and revising skills.
Target audience
Anyone at any stage of their writing development who want guidance to further their skills in creative non-fiction.
Welcome week (Week 0)
Purpose:
- personal introductions
- introducing the course
- useful reading
- personal objectives
Learning outcomes:
By studying this week, the students should have:
- become familiar with navigating around the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) and from VLE to links and back
- test your ability to access files and the web conferencing software and sort out any problems with the help of the Technology Enhanced Learning team
- learn how to look for, assess and reference internet resources
- contribute to a discussion forum to introduce yourself to other students and discuss why you are interested in the course and what you hope to get out of your studies
Teaching week 1: What makes non-fiction creative?
Purpose:
To discuss the nature of creative non-fiction.
Learning outcomes:
- to gain an understanding of this hybrid genre: what does 'creative non-fiction' mean
- to explore creative non-fiction and its many forms and styles: what is it for and what can it do
Teaching week 2: Developing writing skills
Purpose:
To explore the building blocks of creative non-fiction.
Learning outcomes:
- to gain an understanding of structure, style, language, flow, brevity, clarity, characterisation, description, and dialogue
- to appreciate how writing can communicate, inform, and induce delight
- to give participants an opportunity to begin to develop their own writing voice
- to read and critique a piece of creative non-fiction
Teaching week 3: Facts, facts, facts...
Purpose:
To explore what facts are, where to find them, and what to do with them.
Learning outcomes:
- to gain an understanding of resources and how to access them
- to explore the idea of the 'hook' or idea, and the means of how to find one
- to develop the means to recognise and assess what makes a good story
- to develop an appreciation of structure, framing the narrative, and driving it
Teaching week 4: Writing is such sweet sorrow
Purpose:
To explore the process of editing and revising.
Learning outcomes:
- to gain the knowledge of how to vary the pace, inject tension, when to cut and when to stop
- experiencing writing for a particular audience
- to gain an understanding of what to do if you get stuck
- to explore the means to develop a lucid and engagingly memorable style
Teaching week 5 - The art of the essay
Purpose:
To look at the essay form, from journalistic to lyrical, variously using argument, exposition, narrative, and description.
Learning outcomes:
- to gain an understanding of humour, with, and satire in creative non-fiction
- to develop an appreciation of the ways writers can use research, including interviews, in their work
- to explore different genres and styles of writing
- to provide the opportunity to experiment with their own voice
Week 6 - what next?
- assessment of student learning
- assessment of student satisfaction
- encouragement of further study
This course is open to everyone, and you don’t need any previous knowledge or experience of the subject to attend.
Our short courses are designed especially for adult learners who want to advance their personal or professional development. They are taught by tutors who are expert in both their subjects and in teaching students of all ages and experiences.
Please note that all teaching is in English. You should have near-native command of the English language to get the maximum benefit from the course.
Each week of an online course is roughly equivalent to 2-3 hours of classroom time. On top of this, participants should expect to spend roughly 2-3 hours of self-study time, for example, reading materials, although this will vary from person to person.
While they have a specific start and end date and will follow a weekly schedule (for example, week 1 will cover topic A, week 2 will cover topic B), our tutor-led online courses are designed to be flexible and as such would normally not require participants to be online for a specific day of the week or time of the day (although some tutors may try to schedule times where participants can be online together for web seminars, which will be recorded so that those who are unable to be online at certain times are able to access material).
Unless otherwise stated, all course material will be posted on the VLE so that they can be accessed at any time throughout the duration of the course and interaction with your tutor and fellow participants will take place through a variety of different ways which will allow for both synchronous and asynchronous learning (using discussion boards etc).
Fees
The course fee includes access to the course on our VLE, personal feedback on your work from an expert tutor, a certificate of participation (if you complete work and take part in discussions), and access to the class resources for two years after your course finishes.
Concessions
For more information, please see our concessions information page.
Alison Fordham Bursary
University of Cambridge Professional and Continuing Education is proud to offer the Alison Fordham bursary, which is awarded to students who wish to study on one of our short online courses via our VLE, reducing the fee paid by 50%. The bursary is limited to a single award for each set of online courses.
Application criteria:
- applicants should set out their personal learning motivations since priority will be given to those who are returning to learning after an extended break, or have not previously engaged with fully online learning, or are seeking to use the online short course as a bridge towards undergraduate award-bearing study
- applicants who can demonstrate financial need
For more information, please see our bursaries information page.
A certificate of participation and a digital credential will be awarded to those who contribute constructively to weekly discussions, exercises and assignments for the duration of the course.
