Accessibility statement

Creating Chronicles - Writing From Life: Journals, Memoirs, Autobiographies & Biographies - CED00052C

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  • Department: Centre for Lifelong Learning
  • Module co-ordinator: EL529
  • Credit value: 10 credits
  • Credit level: C
  • Academic year of delivery: 2023-24

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Spring Term 2023-24

Module aims

The module aims to offer students insight into the major aspects of life writing (non fictional prose) by exposing them to the theories and practices of the genre, looking at published examples in particular looking at:

  • Types of life writing; the modern genre of autobiography – ‘Misery Literature’, Celebrity biographies/autobiographies, memoirs, journals, blogging etc.
  • Examining historical aspects of life writing.
  • How to begin to develop appropriate vocabulary and writing techniques to explore and write a truth narrative.
  • The importance of keeping a writer’s diary.
  • How to select experiences, recollections and real life phenomenon and transform them into literary works.
  • The importance of research and accuracy.
  • The skills appertaining to good writing, redrafting and reworking.
  • The development of critiquing skills to enable critical judgement for their own writing and the ‘work in progress’ of their peers.

Module learning outcomes

Upon successful completion of the module, students will have:

  • A basic understanding of the types and contexts of life writing.
  • A basic understanding of key features (perspective, dialogue, voice etc) required for the form.
  • Participated in writing exercises aimed at developing technical expertise.
  • Begun the process of creating a sustained piece of life writing
  • Begun to develop their critiquing abilities.
  • Broadened their knowledge through the reading of a range of published works in the area of Life Writing.

Assessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
Essay/coursework		 N/A 100

Special assessment rules

None

Reassessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
Essay/coursework		 N/A 100

Module feedback

The tutor will give regular individual verbal and written feedback throughout the module on work submitted.

The assessment feedback is as per the university’s guidelines with regard to timings.

Indicative reading

  • Hackles, L Writing from Life: How to turn your Personal Experiences into Profitable Prose. (How To Books, 2008)
  • Oke, M Times of Our Lives: The Essential Companion to Writing Your Own Life Story (How To Books, 2004)
  • Roorbach, B Writing Life Stories: How to make Memories into Memoirs, Ideas into Essays and Life into Literature ( Writer’s Digest Books, 2008)
  • Singleton, J & Luckhurst, M The Creative Writing Handbook. Second Edition. (Palgrove, 2000)


The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University is constantly exploring ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary by the University. Where appropriate, the University will notify and consult with affected students in advance about any changes that are required in line with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.