Creative Writing | BA (Hons) | University of Lincoln

Dr Christopher Dows - Senior Lecturer and Programme Leader

For the last 26 years, Chris Dows has combined his career as a professional author with teaching creative writing at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. His professional portfolio includes fifteen years as a comic book writer, leading to him being published worldwide across a wide range of genres. A contributor to 'The Official Star Trek Magazine' for more than eleven years, he has also authored a YA fantasy novel, 'Panthea', and the second world war drama 'Lokomotive'. Recently, Chris has been working for Games Workshop's 'Black Library Press'; in addition to over a dozen short stories and the novel 'Kharn: The Red Path', he now specialises in audio dramas, including the 'Elysia' trilogy, ‘Augur of Despair’ and the critically-acclaimed 'Titans' Bane'. News on his latest work can be found on his Twitter account @CSDows.

Academic Staff List

Welcome to BA (Hons) Creative Writing

Live the Writing Life at the University of Lincoln. If you love to read and write and want to explore the boundaries of your own creativity, Creative Writing at Lincoln can provide you with a new appreciation of literature.

Students can develop their own distinctive voice as an author and philosophy of composition, as well as explore the theory and practice of building a diverse portfolio of work across forms and styles. As a Creative Writing student at the University of Lincoln, you have the opportunity to work with, and become part of, an international community of writers who will aim to help you develop your skills in genres as diverse as prose fiction, psychological thrillers, scriptwriting, poetry, creative non-fiction, and the graphic novel. Our aim is to help you to develop your writing in innovative and exciting ways, becoming the best writer you can be.

The course has a strong focus on employability and aims to prepare you for a professional writing or publishing career. You may be taught by an enthusiastic team of professional writers whose work has been widely published, broadcast, and staged. They are led by six internationally known writers: award-winning science fiction writer Chris Dows; award-winning poet and literary translator Daniele Pantano; award-winning novelists Sarah Stovell, Guy Mankowski, and Amy Lilwall; and award-winning playwright Sue Healy.

You may also have opportunities to take part in readings, workshops, masterclasses, and events; to serve as editors for 'The Lincoln Review' (www.lincolnreview.org), an international literary journal edited exclusively by undergraduate and postgraduate students; and to benefit from the experience of a range of writers, editors, dramaturges, producers, and directors who come to the University of Lincoln as visiting lecturers, such as Ann Cleeves, Andrew Graham-Dixon, Chris Packham, and the former Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy, who became a Visiting Artist at the University in 2015 and regularly visits Lincoln to engage with students and read a selection of her works.

How You Study

The BA (Hons) Creative Writing programme concentrates on the practice and theory of developing a portfolio of work across a diverse array of forms and styles.

As well as discovering your own voice, you will have the opportunity to explore a range of techniques and practices which come from a wide range of historical and contemporary literature, both popular and classic, across poetry, prose, and scriptwriting.

Teaching and learning is centred on the writer's workshop, where there is a strong emphasis on participation. You will have the opportunity to learn the habits of a professional writer, including keeping a writer's journal, research and observation, redrafting and editing and presenting work to a high standard.

Delivery is predominately via seminars where tutor feedback and peer review is actively encouraged. Second and third year modules feature lecture programmes on which workshops aimed at practising the creative, technical, and academic topics explored in the lectures are based. While some modules include presentations, there are no examinations on this course at any level.

Throughout the three years, you can build up your portfolio and discover the commercial and social contexts of publishing in the 21st Century.

Student should note that the drafting process of creative texts and development of critical analyses will require a significant self-study commitment for the work to fulfil its potential.

What You Need to Know

We want you to have all the information you need to make an informed decision on where and what you want to study. To help you choose the course that’s right for you, we aim to bring to your attention all the important information you may need. Our What You Need to Know page offers detailed information on key areas including contact hours, assessment, optional modules, and additional costs.

Find out More

An Introduction to Your Modules

† Some courses may offer optional modules. The availability of optional modules may vary from year to year and will be subject to minimum student numbers being achieved. This means that the availability of specific optional modules cannot be guaranteed. Optional module selection may also be affected by staff availability.

Introduction to Prose 2023-24CRW1005MLevel 42023-24Prose is fundamental to understanding narrative whether in fiction or non-fiction. This module aims to give students an understanding of how stories work, using the insights that have originated and developed from narrative theory and prose techniques. Contemporary writers in both the short story and non-feature writing will be used to introduce a set of critical concepts for the analysis of all forms of prose writing.CoreIntroduction to Scriptwriting 2023-24CRW1006MLevel 42023-24This module is an introduction to scriptwriting and is designed to aid students in their initial exploration of scripts. With an initial focus on writing for the stage and live performances, students may discover ways to generate ideas and turn them into stories, how to write dialogue to aid character development and how visual narrative storytelling works. The course also provides a broader insight into the script industries and how to pitch projects.CoreIntroduction to Writing Formats 2023-24CRW1001MLevel 42023-24This module aims to introduce students to a wide range of writing formats offered at the University of Lincoln. Students will be encouraged to try different forms to establish good writing habits, with an emphasis on routine and discipline, and by providing clearly structured creative writing exercises that draw on their reading (textual interventions). The module will establish points of contact between creative and critical writing, and encourage students to develop their ideas while understanding their creative process.CoreWriter's Workshop 2023-24CRW1007MLevel 42023-24This module provides students with the opportunity to develop their creative writing as ongoing practice. Students meet regularly with fellow writers and tutors to discuss their own original work, and in turn develop the skill of providing feedback on others writing. The aim of this module is to provide a creative space for students to begin asking questions about why they write, how do they write, and what future strategies for writing do they wish to adopt.CoreWriting Narrative 2023-24CRW1004Level 42023-24This module introduces students to the core skills and ideas involved in writing stories along with the fundamentals of good research. The module examines the nature of story and narrative, how to create a character, and it introduces the idea of the character in action as a fundamental ingredient in building a dramatic story. Focussing on how to blend fact and fiction, the student will be expected to create a historically accurate sequence that utilises all of the previously considered concepts and in-class writing exercises.CoreWriting Poetry 2023-24CRW1002MLevel 42023-24This module is an introduction to poetry writing and allows students to develop as writers and readers of poetry. Students can read a variety of texts and study various poetic forms and techniques by a range of contemporary poets. The close reading and the innovative application of language will enable students to develop their own skills in these areas and help them to craft their own poetry, paying close attention to the mechanics of poetic writing. Emphasis is placed upon journal writing and workshop practice.CoreWriting Portfolio 2023-24CRW1003MLevel 42023-24This module gives students the freedom to work within whatever genres and written formats they choose and put together a portfolio of their own work. This might take the form of one long piece or of several shorter pieces. The notion of work in progress that is developed through to completion will be the basis of this module. Students have the chance to employ the skills gained in previous modules to undertake a more challenging and larger piece of creative work through a series of workshop-based classes that include detailed peer and tutor reviews of students work-in-progress.CoreNarrative Theory and Reading the World 2024-25CRW2005MLevel 52024-25In this module students are given the conceptual terms required for an understanding of how narrative works, and how narrative constructs our idea of ourselves and our social relationships as well as informs our ability to create stories. In lectures and workshops, students will be studying the analysis, practice and enjoyment of narrative and will be asked to consider a wide range of texts across a range of forms and genres, literary and popular, visual as well as verbal, as examples of story telling.CoreWriting and Enterprise 2024-25CRW2001MLevel 52024-25The aim of this module is to give students an insight into careers in the writing industries. It aims to prepare and support them in the process of applying for employment, residencies, grants, internships and other work in the creative industries and also help to prepare them for the realities of life as a contemporary writer.CoreNarrative Theory and Reading the World - B 2024-25CRW2009MLevel 52024-25In this module students are given the conceptual terms required for an understanding of how narrative works, and how narrative constructs our idea of ourselves and our social relationships as well as informs our ability to create stories. In lectures and workshops, students will be studying the analysis, practice and enjoyment of narrative and will be asked to consider a wide range of texts across a range of forms and genres, literary and popular, visual as well as verbal, as examples of story telling.OptionalNarrative Theory and Reading the World A 2024-25CRW2009MLevel 52024-25In this module students are given the conceptual terms required for an understanding of how narrative works, and how narrative constructs our idea of ourselves and our social relationships as well as informs our ability to create stories. In lectures and workshops, students will be studying the analysis, practice and enjoyment of narrative and will be asked to consider a wide range of texts across a range of forms and genres, literary and popular, visual as well as verbal, as examples of story telling.OptionalStudy Period Abroad - Creative Writing 2024-25CRW2011MLevel 52024-25OptionalThe Craft of Creative Non-Fiction 2024-25CRW2003MLevel 52024-25While students are introduced to prose fiction writing and essential narrative techniques at level 1, the field of prose writing is much wider than short stories or novels. In areas such as travel, historiography, literary journalism and biography, writers frequently employ similar techniques to those used by novelists to make events and characters more vivid. This module will encourage students to use their creative and technical skills to write non-fiction, including but not limited travel writing, life writing, articles, reviews and journals. Particular attention will be paid to balancing the need to convey factual information with the creative potential of narrative, language and form. This module will allow students to research a field they wish to investigate such as current events, the arts, history or some aspect of science. Students will learn both how to conduct research (through archival research, observations, and interviews) as well as the fundamental techniques of telling a true story. Extended over two semesters, it will enable students to engage more deeply with a chosen field of non-fiction, for example to produce chapters that would contribute to a book as well as features.OptionalThe Craft of Fiction 2024-25CRW2006MLevel 52024-25This module will explore the role of fiction writing with an initial emphasis on the short story. Many writers begin with the short story. Through writing short stories they are able to experiment, learn the fundamentals of narrative composition, and have the satisfaction of completing something to a high standard in a relatively short period of time. This module will introduce students to the work of a range of fiction writers, whilst helping them to develop their skills in crafting prose. They will be asked to study particular stories each week, but also expected to pursue their own interests in reading. The skills required for writing short stories are also key to working in other forms, so this module will help students to develop as writers, whatever their plans and ambitions may be.OptionalThe Craft of Poetry 2024-25CRW2004MLevel 52024-25The poetry workshop operates as a series of sessions in which students experiment with a variety of poetic forms with the aim of compiling a collection of their own verse. Students will engage with a number of different poets each week as a stimulus to their own poetic engagement, and will compose and perform their own work as part of a practice of critique.OptionalThe Craft of Scriptwriting 2024-25CRW2007MLevel 52024-25This module develops students' knowledge of the craft of scriptwriting for a wide range of formats, including but not limited to audio drama, graphic novel and moving image (short film). Students will study, watch and listen to a number of texts appropriate to the format they wish to practice and develop their understanding of the relationship between character, script and production. Attention will be given to the nuts and bolts of scriptwriting - dialogue, pace, setting, and story. These are key to all forms of creative writing and literary analysis, as well as to creating successful script-based texts.OptionalWriting and Enterprise A 2024-25CRW2010MLevel 52024-25Please note, this module is only available to students undertaking a period of study abroad. The aim of this module is to give students an insight into careers in the writing industries. It aims to prepare and support them in the process of applying for employment, residencies, grants, internships and other work in the creative industries and also help to prepare them for the realities of life as a contemporary writer.OptionalWriting and Enterprise B 2024-25CRW2010MLevel 52024-25Please note, this module is only available to students undertaking a period of study abroad. The aim of this module is to give students an insight into careers in the writing industries. It aims to prepare and support them in the process of applying for employment, residencies, grants, internships and other work in the creative industries and also help to prepare them for the realities of life as a contemporary writer.OptionalFinal Major Project (Creative Writing) 2025-26CRW3003MLevel 62025-26The major project in creative writing provides students with the opportunity to write an extensive piece of work of 12,000 words (or 30 pages/ 300 lines of poetry) over a period of two terms. The choice of form, style, genre, etc. is up to the student. Skills developed at level 2 are further enhanced through the project; these include the structuring of an extended piece from an initial idea, the drafting process, editing, and mastery of the particular genre or form in which they have chosen to work. This close engagement with literary production as a practical exercise is not only designed to help students develop an effective writing style but, by placing them in the position of the author, also deepens their understanding of writing and literature in general.CoreFinal Major Project Critical Analysis (Creative Writing) 2025-26CRW3004MLevel 62025-26This module accompanies the Final Major Project in Creative Writing. Students are expected to work through lectures and seminars on strategies for reflecting upon their projects, producing a relevant outline of their critical responses that will aid the formation of their project.CoreWriting Centre 2025-26CRW3006MLevel 62025-26In this module students will be given the opportunity to specialise in digital or print production as they work towards publications to showcase their creative work. Working in small production groups and independently students are expected to build on the experience they have gained at Levels 1 and 2 in a range of forms and genres. Using an online journal, they can produce work for public consumption in a professional environment throughout the year. They will also have the opportunity to work on small-press publications, learning aspects of how to get published. During the module, students may work in dedicated writing rooms. An advanced level of editorial and writing skills will be expected.CorePoetry and Innovative Form 2025-26CRW3005MLevel 62025-26This module enables students to practice advanced techniques and develop innovative strategies for writing poetry. Students will read and reflect upon a range of contemporary works (including emergent forms) in order to further develop their own poetics and poetic practice. Furthermore, the study of poetics as a writerly and speculative discourse will accompany and influence the students' own writing - and the reflection upon the writing - and suggest emergent writing possibilities that students might engage in beyond the module, i.e. various creative environments and cultural economics.OptionalThe Psychological Thriller and Crime Fiction 2025-26CRW3002MLevel 62025-26This module aims to introduce students to some of the specific elements of writing contemporary fiction in the field of crime and the psychological thriller. The module will consider the origins of crime fiction in the nineteenth century before concentrating on what has become one of the most popular genres in contemporary publishing.OptionalWriting for Children and Young Adults 2025-26CRW3009MLevel 62025-26In this module, students approach writing for children and young adults in a way that reflects the genres relationship to literary fiction and traditional storytelling. By examining the narrative, technical and aesthetic aspects identified in these narrativesas well as in their own writingstudents are encouraged to craft narratives that appeal to readers of all ages. With frequent reference to contemporary works, the module is structured in a way that encourages students to learn and develop practical, incremental skills and progressively apply these to their final project: the opening passage to a novel-length work, with an accompanying outline for the complete story.OptionalWriting Historical Fiction 2025-26ENL3083MLevel 62025-26OptionalWriting Science Fiction and Fantasy 2025-26CRW3007MLevel 62025-26This module will introduce students to some of the specific elements of writing science fiction and fantasy. Although these two genres only emerged fully during the twentieth century, they have their roots in literature that is as old as the classics in the case of fantasy and the writings of Jonathan Swift and Mary Shelley with regard to science fiction. Frequently a medium for satire and social commentary, this module will explore some of the ways in which science fiction and fantasy authors offer means to develop thought experiments and oblique commentary on contemporary developments.Optional

How you are assessed

The way students are assessed on this course may vary for each module. Examples of assessment methods that are used include coursework, such as written assignments, reports or dissertations; but the greatest emphasis is on the production of a creative portfolio. The weighting given to each assessment method may vary across each academic year, and the University of Lincoln aims to ensure that staff return in-course assessments to students promptly. Please note this course has no examinations.

Fees and Scholarships

Going to university is a life-changing step and it's important to understand the costs involved and the funding options available before you start. A full breakdown of the fees associated with this programme can be found on our course fees pages.

Course Fees

For eligible undergraduate students going to university for the first time, scholarships and bursaries are available to help cover costs. The University of Lincoln offers a variety of merit-based and subject-specific bursaries and scholarships. For full details and information about eligibility, visit our scholarships and bursaries pages.

Entry Requirements 2023-24

United Kingdom

A Levels: BBC (112 UCAS Tariff points from a minimum of 3 A levels or equivalent qualifications).

International Baccalaureate: 29 points overall

BTEC Extended Diploma: Distinction, Merit, Merit

T Level: Merit

Access to Higher Education Diploma: 45 Level 3 credits with a minimum of 112 UCAS Tariff points

Applicants will also need at least three GCSEs at grade 4 (C) or above, which must include English. Equivalent Level 2 qualifications may also be considered.

If you would like further information about entry requirements, or would like to discuss whether the qualifications you are currently studying are acceptable, please contact the Admissions team on 01522 886097, or email admissions@lincoln.ac.uk.

International

Non UK Qualifications:

If you have studied outside of the UK, and are unsure whether your qualification meets the above requirements, please visit our country pages:

https://www.lincoln.ac.uk/home/studywithus/internationalstudents/entryrequirementsandyourcountry/ for information on equivalent qualifications.

EU and Overseas students will be required to demonstrate English language proficiency equivalent to IELTS 7.0 overall, with a minimum of 6.5 in each element. For information regarding other English language qualifications we accept, please visit the English Requirements page:

https://www.lincoln.ac.uk/home/studywithus/internationalstudents/englishlanguagerequirementsandsupport/englishlanguagerequirements/

If you do not meet the above IELTS requirements, you may be able to take part in one of our Pre-sessional English and Academic Study Skills courses.

https://www.lincoln.ac.uk/home/studywithus/internationalstudents/englishlanguagerequirementsandsupport/pre-sessionalenglishandacademicstudyskills/

Features

Students have the opportunity to learn from active professional authors with interests in fields as diverse as psychological thrillers, creative non-fiction, and graphic novels. Their publications include novels, plays, short films, audio dramas, graphic novels, poetry, and prize-winning short stories.

Teaching is enriched by workshops, readings, and masterclasses with visiting contemporary authors, editors, and other industry professionals. Former Poet Laureate Dame Carol Ann Duffy became a Visiting Artist at the University of Lincoln in 2015 and has visited the University to read a selection of her works. Students have also enjoyed masterclasses with TV presenter and author Chris Packham CBE.

An option exists for second-year students to study abroad with partner institutions in North America for a single semester, which will be fully funded by the individual.

The University’s Great Central Warehouse Library is open 24/7 during key times of the academic year and provides access to more than 200,000 journals and 600,000 print and electronic books, as well as databases and specialist collections.

"I always look forward to the exciting, buzzing atmosphere that the start of each term brings. I can honestly say that studying Creative Writing at Lincoln has been one of the best decisions of my life."

Philip Dixon-Smith, BA (Hons) Creative Writing student

Career Opportunities

Creative Writing graduates may choose to pursue careers in various literary and creative professions, such as publishing, journalism, advertising, public relations, marketing, the civil service, and communications. Students can choose to continue their studies at postgraduate level or take qualifications in teaching.

Visit Us in Person

The best way to find out what it is really like to live and learn at Lincoln is to join us for one of our Open Days. Visiting us in person is important and will help you to get a real feel for what it might be like to study here.

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Key Information

BA (Hons) Creative Writing