LT209-5-AU-CO:
Writing Structures

The details
2025/26
Literature, Film, and Theatre Studies
Colchester Campus
Autumn
Undergraduate: Level 5
Current
Thursday 02 October 2025
Friday 12 December 2025
15
20 August 2024

 

Requisites for this module
LT191
(none)
(none)
(none)

 

(none)

Key module for

BA W800 Creative Writing,
BA W801 Creative Writing (Including Year Abroad),
BA W803 Creative Writing (Including Placement Year),
BA W808 Creative Writing (Including Foundation Year),
MLITQ392 Creative Writing,
BA PW38 Film and Creative Writing,
BA PW39 Film and Creative Writing (Including Placement Year),
BA PW88 Film and Creative Writing (Including Foundation Year),
BA PWH8 Film and Creative Writing (Including Year Abroad),
BA QW30 Literature and Creative Writing,
BA QW31 Literature and Creative Writing (Including Year Abroad),
BA QW33 Literature and Creative Writing (Including Placement Year),
BA QW38 Literature and Creative Writing (Including Foundation Year),
MLITQ393 Literature and Creative Writing,
BA WW80 Drama and Creative Writing,
BA WW81 Drama and Creative Writing (Including Foundation Year),
BA WW82 Drama and Creative Writing (including Placement Year),
BA WW83 Drama and Creative Writing (including Year Abroad)

Module description

This focusses on two key aspects of all writing –how writers continually make the familiar unfamiliar ('defamiliarisation') and how writers tell stories (and in so many different genres and ways). Accordingly, we look together at techniques and examples of defamiliarisation and narrative-making in both theory and practice. Seminars typically allow space for individual and group writing exercises.


Module content note: topics may include racism.
Please contact the module supervisor if you have any questions.

Module aims

The aims of this module are:



  • To enhance awareness of structural possibilities open to writers of poetry and prose

  • To develop appropriate range of exercises in order to avoid over-writing

  • To promote a more sensitive awareness of the potential of metaphor together with increasing confidence in using it appropriately (and surprisingly)

  • To explore a range of (possibly unfamiliar) narrative structures

Module learning outcomes

By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:



  1. Demonstrate an evolving individual poetic or prose style

  2. Think critically and rigorously about the use of language in literary contexts

  3. Demonstrate a development of (self-)critical engagement and discriminatory ability over the course of the module

  4. Engage with a wide range of reading and literary models in a focussed and analytical-critical way

Module information

Indicative Syllabus:



  • Defamiliarisation 1: 'Making it new'

  • Defamiliarisation 2: On metaphor

  • Defamiliarisation 3: Foregrounding. Writing as commodity

  • Defamiliarisation 4: Dreams, metaphor and the surreal

  • Defamiliarisation 5: Graphic writing and synoptic forms

  • Narrative 1: What are narratives?

  • Narrative 2: Fairy tales

  • Narrative 3: Epics

  • Narrative 4: Narratives in verse

  • Narrative 5: Narrative and myth. Properties of dragons

Learning and teaching methods

This module will be delivered via:

  • A weekly 2-hour seminar

Bibliography

The above list is indicative of the essential reading for the course.
The library makes provision for all reading list items, with digital provision where possible, and these resources are shared between students.
Further reading can be obtained from this module's reading list.

Assessment items, weightings and deadlines

Coursework / exam Description Deadline Coursework weighting

Exam format definitions

  • Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
  • In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
  • In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
  • In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary, for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.

Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.

Overall assessment

Coursework Exam
100% 0%

Reassessment

Coursework Exam
100% 0%
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Dr Holly Pester, email: hpester@essex.ac.uk.
tbc
liftstt@essex.ac.uk

 

Availability
No
No
Yes

External examiner

No external examiner information available for this module.
Resources
Available via Moodle
No lecture recording information available for this module.

 

Further information

Disclaimer: The University makes every effort to ensure that this information on its Module Directory is accurate and up-to-date. Exceptionally it can be necessary to make changes, for example to programmes, modules, facilities or fees. Examples of such reasons might include a change of law or regulatory requirements, industrial action, lack of demand, departure of key personnel, change in government policy, or withdrawal/reduction of funding. Changes to modules may for example consist of variations to the content and method of delivery or assessment of modules and other services, to discontinue modules and other services and to merge or combine modules. The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will also keep students informed appropriately by updating our programme specifications and module directory.

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