Creative Writing courses are like jelly beans they come in every colour and flavour imaginable. And this is surprising because only a few years ago you had to hunt to find one at all.
In 1990 there were a handful of MA courses, one undergraduate degree and a sprinkling of creative writing modules within English degrees. Now UCAS lists eighty institutions which offer writing courses.
These courses vary widely in content and style. The range of names reflects the spectrum of possibilities - they may be called Creative Writing, Professional Writing, Media Writing, Imaginative Writing, Dramatic Writing, Writing and Personal Development or simply Writing. Some exist as single subject courses, others combine with English or a wide range of other subjects. They include online courses, HE certificates, degrees, MAs or PhDs.
This rich variety reflects the fact that creative writing is a relatively new academic subject in the UK. Most courses have been devised by enthusiastic writers and lecturers who probably took traditional English degrees themselves, so each course has been created afresh, and they are as individualistic as their creators.
As the number of courses has grown, So we decided to ask the students to give you a flavour of some of the courses on offer, because they have nothing to sell and nothing to hide. We commissioned a number of students on a range of different types of courses to write articles about their experience. They reflect what it is really like to take a writing course at University - the hard work, the frustration, the support and the companionship. They include articles from several mature students who have 'plucked up the courage' to give up their previous jobs and found 'the rewards are immense'.
All these courses will give you a chance to experiment and take risks within a supportive and creative environment, to stretch your writing muscles. The undergraduate courses will probably give you an opportunity to try a number of different media and genres of writing, while MA courses are more likely to expect you to focus on one form.
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