Course Catalogue

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Starting to write a novel for the first time can be daunting task. Join this course to learn with others the key techniques, writing advice and helpful habits that will help you kick start the process. Together we'll look at inspiring examples and discover key techniques such as narration, voice and character that keep readers turning the page. Writing exercises will help us apply these techniques to our own writing and share our early work for group feedback. We will also discuss practical habits and ideas that help us start writing our novels. Overall, this course offers a practical first step and reinvigorating new way to realise your ambition to write a novel.

2 hours per week for 10 weeks

For timetable details, please see our web pages University of Glasgow - Study - Short courses

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ADED11098E Introduction to Creative Writing: The Novel

ADED11341 The novel: getting started

ADED11344 Writing Fiction: The Novel

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To assess ILOs 1 and 2:

Portfolio (1,500 words) of an original novel extract in the form of several shorter pieces, extract(s) from a longer work or one singular complete piece (75%)

Note: students opting to submit a revised version of work that has already submitted for credit on another course must clearly highlight any passages from that work and they should not exceed 10% of the entire wordcount to avoid auto or self-plagiarism as per the University of Glasgow's plagiarism statement 32.2

To assess ILO 3:

Self-reflective essay (500 words) discussing their future plans for their novel and how advice discussed on the course could help them achieve this (25%).

The aims of this course are to:

■ Introduce students to some of the key literary characteristics of the novel form such as narration, character and voice through textual analysis of notable examples

■ Encourage individual, creative approaches to the novel form through practical writing exercises that enable students to apply key techniques to their own writing 

■ Build students' confidence and resilience by submitting their creative writing for peer and tutor feedback, and discussion of helpful writing habits

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ Identify some of the key literary characteristics of the novel form and apply these to their own writing

■ Compose persuasive, artistically coherent and technically competent written work that demonstrates key techniques of the literary form being attempted

■ Reflect upon their own creative process and that of others, including helpful writing habits

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.