Fiction Matters
| Module title | Fiction Matters |
|---|---|
| Module code | EAS3501 |
| Academic year | 2023/4 |
| Credits | 30 |
| Module staff | Dr Ben Smith (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 16 |
|---|
Module description
This module asks why fiction matters and how we, as writers of fiction, can engage with the pressing matters of our time. How might we write about the latest scientific theories, new cultural perspectives, or recent advances in technology that are shaping society?
In tackling these questions, you will be given the opportunity to think outside your discipline and explore cutting-edge research taking place in other departments, faculties and institutes across the university. Through the study of published fiction, themed interdisciplinary lectures and workshops, and guided independent research, you will learn how to engage with new and unfamiliar subjects, and how to write the stories that matter most to you.
As this is an advanced fiction module you must have taken at least one previous Creative Writing module at Exeter, or equivalent elsewhere.
Module aims - intentions of the module
- To introduce you to a wide range of published ‘interdisciplinary’ fiction and help you to develop the research methods and creative practices that will allow you to engage with expertise and knowledge from unfamiliar fields.
- To introduce you to a sample of cutting-edge research taking place in a range of disciplines across the university and use this to develop prompts and exercises that will push your writing into new imaginative territory.
- To encourage you to pursue your own self-directed research around subjects that matter to you, and to help you to develop the confidence and technical ability to engage with big ideas and real-world issues in your fiction.
- To develop your autonomy as a writer and researcher, and enable you to explore new subjects, new styles and new perspectives in your work.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Demonstrate an understanding of a range of approaches to interdisciplinary creative practice, through your own practice-as-research and the study of other authors work.
- 2. Demonstrate an ability to synthesise complex research in unfamiliar disciplines and use the techniques of narrative fiction to craft creative responses to this subject matter.
- 3. Produce fiction that engages with real-world issues in new and exciting ways.
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 4. Demonstrate an informed appreciation of advanced formal techniques and imaginative expression in creative writing.
- 5. Present persuasive oral and written arguments concerning your own creative writing and the work of other authors, both peers and published writers.
- 6. Articulate a broad range of appropriate critical and professional terminology related to fiction craft and interdisciplinary practice.
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 7. Demonstrate, through workshops and conversation with researchers outside your field, advanced communication skills, and an ability to work both individually and in groups.
- 8. Demonstrate advanced skills in creative expression, and a capacity to write clearly about a range of real-world issues in ways that engage broad audiences.
- 9. Demonstrate, through research in unfamiliar disciplines, creative and adaptable approaches to information retrieval and analysis.
Syllabus plan
As the aim of this module is to engage with current research and writing, the precise course content will necessarily vary from year to year. However, topics discussed might include Artificial Intelligence, Medicine and Society, Life on Exoplanets, Forensic Archaeology, Green Futures and Translating Cultures (more information on current research in these areas can be found in the Indicative Learning Resources).
Alongside these topics you will study a wide range of fiction and explore the techniques and practices of authors who engage in ‘interdisciplinary’ research and writing. This will be used to frame discussions and exercises around issues such as style, voice, form and genre, which will help you develop your own writing.
The module will be delivered in a combination of weekly one-hour lectures followed by two-hour workshops, and it is it is envisioned that the module will be broadly structured as follows:
- Lectures will be used to introduce you to a range of approaches to interdisciplinary practice and examples of current research taking place in other disciplines around the university. Some lectures may feature a guest speaker from another department who will introduce their research, which will be used as the basis for discussion, writing prompts and exercises.
- Workshops will be used for writing exercises and discussion of set reading relating to the week’s topic, as well as group feedback on your own ongoing work.
As an example: a lecture might feature a talk/Q&A with a scientist working on the development of artificial intelligence systems. That week’s reading might include articles on the science and social implications of AI, and a selection of short fiction exploring this subject. The workshop would involve group discussion of the lecture and the set reading, then a writing exercise designed to help you find your own way of responding this subject in fiction.
In the first weeks of the module, your tutor will set writing exercises based on the weekly lectures, reading and discussion. As the course progresses, you will be encouraged to pursue your own self-directed writing, based on your own interests, and bring this into class for feedback.
The texts, topics and writing tasks covered in weekly lectures and workshops will be designed as jumping-off points for your own research and writing. A continuous element of the syllabus will be the discussion and testing of a wide range of interdisciplinary research and writing practices that will help guide your independent writing project.
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 33 | 267 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 22 | Weekly workshops (11 x 2 hours) |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 11 | Weekly lectures (11 x 1 hour) |
| Guided Independent Study | 100 | Preparation for workshops and lectures |
| Guided Independent Study | 100 | Independent interdisciplinary research |
| Guided Independent Study | 67 | Assessment drafting and writing |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portfolio of writing in development | Ongoing, variable | 1-9 | Oral feedback in workshop with opportunity for office hours to follow up |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 90 | 0 | 10 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fiction Portfolio | 60 | 3,500 words | 1-9 | Feedback sheet with opportunity for tutorial follow-up |
| Writers Project Book/Blog (submitted at the end of term) | 30 | Continuous (50 pages absolute minimum) | 1-2, 4-9 | Feedback sheet with opportunity for tutorial follow-up |
| Participation | 10 | Ongoing | 1-2, 5, 7, 9 | Tutorial feedback and follow-up |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fiction Portfolio | Fiction Portfolio | 1-9 | Referral/Deferral Period |
| Writers Project Book/Blog | Writers Project Book/Blog | 1-2, 4-9 | Referral/Deferral Period |
| Participation | Repeat Study or Mitigation | 1-2, 5, 7, 9 | Referral/Deferral Period |
Re-assessment notes
Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.
Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Each week you will read a selection of ‘interdisciplinary’ fiction and critical material chosen by your tutor, which will be used as a jumping-off point for your own independent research. As the course progresses, you will be expected to develop your own self-directed reading, with the guidance of your tutor, based on personal interests relevant to your portfolio and ongoing writing project.
Full details of weekly set reading will be provided on the ELE site, but may include stories from the following anthologies:
Adams, John Joseph (ed.), Loosed Upon the World: The Saga Anthology of Climate Fiction. New York: Saga Press, 2015.
De Waal, Kit (ed.), Common People: An Anthology of Working Class Writers. London: Unbound, 2019.
Ings, Simon (ed.), We, Robots: Artificial Intelligence in 100 Stories. London: Head of Zeus, 2020.
Lewis, P and Page, R (eds), Spindles: Stories from the Science of Sleep. Manchester: Comma Press, 2015.
Page, Ra (ed.), Bio-Punk: Stories from the Far Side of Research. Manchester: Comma Press, 2012.
Page, Ra (ed.), Litmus: Short Stories from Modern Science. Manchester: Comma Press, 2014.
Thornton, A and Soar, K (eds), Strange Relics: Stories of Archaeology and the Supernatural. London: Handheld Press, 2022.
Tidhar, Lavie (ed.), The Best of World SF: Vol 1. London: Head of Zeus, 2021.
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
- ELE – College to provide hyperlink to appropriate pages
The following websites dedicated to institutes and networks will be used as jumping off points to explore current research going on at the university:
The Global Systems Institute: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/research/gsi/
The Institute of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/research/idsai/researchthemes/
Environment and Sustainability Institute: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/research/esi/research/projects/
The Living Systems Institute: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/research/livingsystems/research/researchoverview/
Societies and Cultures Institute: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/research/sci/
The Wellcome Centre for Cultures and Environments of Health: https://wcceh.org
Green Futures Network: https://gfn.exeter.ac.uk/opportunities/
Exeter Research Networks: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/research/networks/
| Credit value | 30 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 15 |
| Module pre-requisites | At least one previous Creative Writing Module |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 6 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | Dec 2022 |
| Last revision date | Jan 2023 |
