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Creative Writing Degrees: My Experience

Wednesday 14 February 2018
I remember applying for University and there not being much out there about the specific course I had found (Creative and Media Writing). Although I found a lot of advice about English Literature courses (my original preference) which helped, I would love to start making content for people who are in the position I was then to get a sense of what the course involves.

These are some of the Creative Writing and Media units you can choose from at the University of Portsmouth:
  • Poetry
  • True stories/Memoir
  • Animation
  • Review writing
  • Fan fiction and Historical fiction 
  • News, War and Peace 
  • Cultures of Consumption
  • Feature writing
  • Writing for Children/Young Adults
  • Writing for the Press
  • Travel Writing
  • Talk Shows
  • Media & Propaganda
  • Script/Radio writing
  • Short stories
  • Non-fiction
  • Theoretical Studies/Critical Thinking (feminism, existentialism, sociology) 
  • Publishing
  • Contemporary media events
  • Popular culture
  • Magazine design and content (including learning Indesign and other applications) 
  • Film/Television studies and society
  • Print media (the history and contemporary studies) 
  • Comedy and culture 
As you can see, there is lot more to it than the 'arty' label suggests. It amazes me how much fits into a three year time frame, and I've really enjoyed the course overall.

If you are - like I was - juggling between English Literature and a Creative Writing degree, I would definitely suggest looking at the Creative Writing path as an option. Much of the essay writing is in the style of English Literature, and you can analyse your own work alongside other authors. I feel like we were able to get a taster of so many different forms, seeing what we liked and were good at, which I might not have tried outside of Uni. 

Something to bear in mind, like most courses, this one involves a lot of independent study and often assignments are broad so you are able to mould it to your chosen subject. This takes a bit of getting used to for some people, and I for one really wanted clear guidance, but after a while it becomes fun testing the boundaries and brainstorming. I applied theoretical studies to Sherlock, Gilmore Girls, Charlie Brooker's Black Mirror and so many more. Even seemingly complex concepts can be explored through modern texts, which I enjoyed experimenting with. 

So what jobs can you get after graduating? I'm in the process of researching career paths and options, but really - so long as you can find a way to use your gained skills, you can take it anywhere! People tend to become journalists, screen writers, authors and editors, but the world is quickly developing and new jobs are popping up which will be relevant, especially in the creative industry. Don't panic. Apply for internships and work experience in advance, as you will not only get experience which looks good on your CV, you'll get a sense of what kind of role you feel most comfortable doing.

Good luck! 
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