We offer a number of modules that are Creative Writing and
English Literature at the same time. How would there be parity, they asked, as
it went through the approval process, between the two different skills. That
was actually quite easy to answer. We have sets of mark descriptors for
Creative Writing and for English Literature. They complement each other quite
well.
English Literature
|
Creative Writing
|
Task
|
Task
|
Knowledge
|
Expression
|
Analytical skills
|
Technical skills: [structure; beginning/middle/end; show
don’t tell; etc]
|
Secondary reading and research
|
Writerly reading and research: [relates mainly to critical
/ reflective essays, bibliography]
|
Conceptual abilities
|
Style
|
Writing Skills
|
Writing Skills
|
Argument |
Reflection: [relates mainly to critical/reflective essays, bibliography] |
Presentation
|
Presentation
|
On these modules, there is usually a short analytical first
essay and then a choice for the larger task between a critical essay and a
creative piece. Notice that in our Mark Descriptors Analytical Skills in
English Literature match Technical Skills in Creative Writing. These query the substance
of the module, whilst Knowledge expects the student to know a genre and Expression
demands that they write appropriately and creatively in that genre.
How this all works out in Intro to Children’s Literature
We look at the history of children’s literature, so that students have a context for the literature they are studying. Then we look at the various key stages and how literature needs to be designed for those children. We also, week by week, look at some general writing skills and how writers are using them.The first task is a close reading of a text of their choice. It could be an historical text or one for a particular key stage. If they pick a particular key stage for this task they must pick another one for the main task. In this task and if they do the critical essay later they must show an element of some compare and contrast with other sub-genres for this key stage and this genre across other keys stages.
The main task is a 3000 word critical essay with a bibliography or a 2500 creative piece with drafts, a self-assessment and an annotated bibliography. Literature students may attempt the creative piece and Creative Writing students may attempt the critical essay, and anyway, some take it as their literature option. Naturally, I could not expect literature students to have all of the creative writing skills that the creative writers have. I focus only on those that we specifically discuss in the course. These are covered by Technical Skills. In any case, both tasks require the students to demonstrate that they understand the key stage in which they are working. This manifests in Knowledge and Expression. Style is also a creative writing consideration. It is often learnt through an osmosis-type strategy; students learn good style by reading a lot. English Literature students read a lot.
Why hybrid modules are useful
They allow us to provide modules that are viable and that
recruit large numbers.
They can provide a dual opportunity for our students.
They provide a solid option for those students who are
ambivalent about the contrast between creative and critical writing.
