General entry requirements + English B.
Merit rating is calculated based on Swedish upper secondary grades achieved, according to specific entry requirement 6/A6.
No main field.
The course can normally be included as part of a general degree at undergraduate level.
This introductory course in creative writing in English develops student awareness of imaginative writing as a craft and establishes a student-centered venue for the development of that craft, the student’s own creative writing. While developing the craft of writing, the student acquires numerous transferable skills, enumerated below in Learning Outcomes.
The course consists of acquiring basic imaginative writing skills in the following genres:
- literary nonfiction
- fiction
- poetry
The course concludes with the submission of a portfolio containing the student’s work for the term.
The course recognizes that good reading is at the heart of good writing. Reading broadly in the genres studied in the course is thus emphasized.
Knowledge and understanding
After finishing the course, the student:
- understands imaginative writing as both craft and self-expression;
- understands writing as a process;
- has an awareness of literary forms and genres;
- can show knowledge of Malmö University’s perspectives, as they pertain to creative writing.
Skills and ability
After finishing the course, the student:
- has developed basic imaginative writing skills;
- can write imaginatively at a basic level in literary non-fiction, fiction, and poetry;
- can edit his/her writing and the writing of others;
- can analyze and critique creative work;
- can write persuasive and expressive texts;
- can read both critically and creatively;
- understands style concerns of written English, such as punctuation and formatting;
- understands applied aspects of English syntax and diction;
- has increased his/her general English language proficiency.
Critical skills and approach
After finishing the course, the student:
- can reflect on how creative and analytical skills interact;
- has gained an awareness of the importance of self-learning;
- can read literature analytically from the perspective of writerly craft.
This is a workshop-centered course in the "studio" model. It features:
- distance learning via an online learning platform
- online writing workshops
- formal, written peer review at workshops
- writing exercises
- reading
The student is assessed through:
- the mastering of skills and concepts learned in the course, as evidenced in the submission of three creative assignments;
- the submission of an end-of-term portfolio, including a self-reflective essay, reflecting knowledge of writing as a process;
- the submission of a reading journal on the breadth reading texts;
- the quality of his/her participation and peer review in online workshops.
The total grade for the course is the amalgamate grade of the Creative Portfolio: 50%, Reading Journal and Exercises: 25%, Workshop Skills and Workshop Skills: 25%).
1) Burroway, Janet. Imaginative Writing: The Elements of Craft, 4th Edition. ISBN 9780134053240. (Available at bokus.com, adlibris.com, amazon.com, etc.)
2) Halpern, Daniel. The Art of the Story: An International Anthology of Contemporary Short Stories. ISBN 9780140296389. (Available at adlibris.com, amazon.com, etc.)
3) Collins, Billy. Poetry 180: A Turning Back to Poetry. ISBN 9780812968873. (Available at bokus.com, adlibris.com, amazon.com, etc.)
The above three books are mandatory: you cannot manage this course without them.
Towards the end of the term, students are required to give anonymous formal feedback in an online survey. The results are available for viewing by all students in the course. Students are also given the opportunity to offer informal feedback at various points earlier in the term.