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Full time | Edinburgh Napier University | 1 year | 08-SEP-25

Study mode

Full time

Duration

1 year

Start date

08-SEP-25

Key information
DATA SOURCE : IDP Connect

Qualification type

MA - Master of Arts

Subject areas

Creative Writing

Course type

Taught

Course Summary

Overview

If you want to make a career in writing, this course is for you. You already have talent and ideas, we'll add the expertise you need to approach your chosen market with confidence, originality and skill. No ambitions are out of bounds: we love commercial genre fiction and literary experiments equally.

We aim to ensure our graduates are equipped to succeed - and to change the culture they choose to enter. We will add expertise to your talent and ideas, while you learn in the company of industry experts on this innovative, inspiring course for emerging writers.

Our unique combination of genres and specialisms encourages and enables you to professionalise your practice as a writer. We put genres like science fiction, fantasy, crime and horror at the heart of our learning journey. Writing for young adult readers and graphic novels are just some of the options available to you as a student on our programme.

We take an innovative approach to the training and support of aspiring writers, driven by intellectual ambition and practical industry experience.

There are four strands to the programme:

pre-writing skills, concepts and technique for full-length narratives
writing practice for first person stories and a range of options
experimental, theoretical and personal development work
regular one-to-one editorial mentoring.

Course details

Uniquely, the course offers a dynamic range of cross-disciplinary options. Writing for graphic fiction, young adult audiences, screenwriting and interactive media are all available as specialisms, while our pioneering module in genre fiction covers crime, horror, fantasy and science fiction.

Assessments

Assessments focus on practical creative challenges and achieving professional levels of critical reflection, enabling students to become more self-sufficient as writers and collaborative practitioners.

Tasks includes crafting original short stories; creating pre-writing materials for full-length narratives; critical self-reflection on your work; keeping a learning journal of progress through one-to-one mentoring; plus developing strategies and content for teaching, public engagement events, and digital self-publishing.

Careers

  • Book deals
  • Representation by literary agents
  • International and national competition wins
  • Collaborations with comic artists
  • Publication in magazines and anthologies
  • Edinburgh International Book Festival appearances
  • Paid editing and writing commissions
  • Performances and teaching
  • Working for national literary organisations

Modules

This module focuses on concepts, skills and techniques for the pre-writing development of a full-length narrative project. Each session examines a particular element of pre-writing, building into a complete process you can use to hone and shape a potential novel, graphic novel, screenplay or interactive project. The first few weeks interrogate the initial stages of your creative process, such as defining the purpose of your work, examining ways to develop ideas into stories, and using contextual reading and research to enhance the authenticity and originality of your project. Next you will explore thematic architecture and linguistic development to enrich your world-building and create a purposeful network of themes and ideas underpinning your narrative. The following weeks are devoted to characterisation and structure, helping you build unique characters and define the most appropriate choice of tone and narrative position(s) for your project. Plot and synopsis writing bring your learning journey to its conclusion, giving you the tools to shape a compelling journey for your project and its characters while embracing the challenges of perfect pacing and elegant exposition.

Tuition fees

UK fees
Course fees for UK students

For this course (per year)

£7,280

International fees
Course fees for EU and international students

For this course (per year)

£18,800

Entry requirements

The entry requirements for this course are an Honours Degree at a 2:2 or above in any discipline with relevant writing experience.