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A image to illustrate MA Creative Writing part 1 module
Building on skills learned at undergraduate level or as a practising writer, this module helps harness your individual strengths, enabling you to generate and develop ideas. You'll build a disciplined practice of writing in your chosen genre (fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction or scriptwriting for film, radio or stage) while experimenting with at least one other genre. You'll develop a practical focus, learn to read as a writer, and encounter texts from various cultural settings while refining your analytical and editorial skills. You'll learn about professional writing practice and hone your craft through sharing, reading and critiquing work-in-progress.
This module is the first part and a compulsory module of the MA in Creative Writing (F71). It consists of four blocks, each of which will develop your understanding of different approaches to particular genres and will introduce you to a range of techniques and ideas. You'll engage in online forum work and peer-to-peer feedback while honing your ability to read as a writer by analysing a variety of texts relevant to your chosen genres. Choosing from fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction and scriptwriting, you'll study a primary genre (your specialism) and a secondary genre, thereby defining your own pathway through the module.
You'll start Block 1 writing in your primary genre, and in Block 2, you'll write in your secondary genre. In Blocks 3 and 4, you'll revert to your primary genre but reap the rewards of having widened your understanding. The module will culminate with you writing a substantial piece of creative work in your chosen genre.
Block 1: You'll study your primary genre by covering the essentials, reintroducing ideas and techniques that may be familiar to you from your undergraduate studies, and taking them further in terms of sophistication and complexity. Topics covered include point of view, plot and setting in fiction; figurative language, voice and structure in poetry; research, memoir and narrative-shaping techniques in creative non-fiction; and dialogue, scene and character in scriptwriting. You'll engage in the exchange and critique of work within your peer group.
Block 2: You'll select a secondary genre to study. For instance, if your primary genre is fiction, you might now choose poetry as your secondary genre. You'll start thinking about your end-of-module submission and further develop your peer reviewing and feedback skills. You'll also refine your approaches to thinking and writing reflectively about your creative process.
Block 3: The materials and activities in this block will advance your understanding of your primary genre, focusing on some of its finer points as well as introducing more challenging techniques and themes. Topics covered range from rhetoric, maximalism, and minimalism, to subgenres in fiction; characterisation, experimentalism, and personal poetics; the lyric essay, place writing, and style in creative non-fiction; and collaboration, structure, and adaptation in scriptwriting.
Block 4: The final block is mainly composed of independent study, as you'll develop a substantial piece of creative writing as your end-of-module assessment. In the taught weeks of study, you'll reflect on issues of professional practice, as well as approaches to planning and editing.
Throughout this module, you'll encounter guided activities and prompts to stimulate your writing and thinking. However, there is a much greater emphasis on generating and developing your own ideas independently than at undergraduate level.
Online tutor-group forums will enable peer-group discussion of your work. Peer review is an essential element of all Creative Writing courses, and you'll be expected to give informed, friendly and constructive feedback on your peers’ work and to submit your own writing for peer review. You'll be assessed on this work, as well as on your ability to generate, develop, write and edit your creative writing and on your ability to reflect upon, write about and contextualise your creative process.
In this module, you will:
Studying creative writing will equip you with an adaptable set of skills that can give you entry to a vast range of occupations and career directions. You’ll develop sophisticated writing, communication and editorial skills, and you’ll learn to evaluate and assimilate information when identifying and solving problems. Creative writing will help you to increase your critical and analytical abilities. Often, you’ll work independently as a creative thinker, but you’ll collaborate at other times too. You’ll also acquire flexible, fluent and sophisticated research and IT skills. All of the above are skills greatly valued in the workplace – whether you’re already working, volunteering, planning to work freelance or changing careers.
You'll have a tutor who will help you with the study material and mark and comment on your written work in assessments, and whom you can ask for advice and guidance. Tutors will mainly use the provided online forums to keep in touch. There are four online tutorials on this module: two delivered by your tutor and two delivered to the whole cohort by the module team.
Contact us if you want to know more about study with The Open University before you register.
Course work includes:
All teaching material for this module is delivered online via the module website, which includes:
You may find it useful to have access to a large public or university library.
You can study this module on its own or use the credits you gain towards an Open University qualification.
A802 is a compulsory module in our:
A802 is an option module in our:
MA Creative Writing part 1 starts once a year – in October.
This page describes the module that will start in October 2026.
We expect it to start for the last time in October 2029.
As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the academic regulations, which are available on our Student Policies and Regulations website.
You must hold a UK honours degree (or equivalent), preferably with at least a 2:1 classification and preferably in Creative Writing or a closely related subject. If you are not a creative writing graduate, you will need some experience of the subject as this module assumes all candidates have the knowledge and skills usually acquired by pursuing the subject at undergraduate level. Please note that this is not a module for those who are just starting to write.
If your degree is not in Creative Writing or a closely related subject, we strongly recommend that you read the preparatory work indicated below. Alternatively, you could undertake our free open-access creative writing courses on OpenLearn (Writing what you know, Start writing fiction and Creative writing and critical reading to ensure your skills – writing, reading, editorial, reflective, analytical – are at an appropriate standard.
As this module is completed entirely online, you will need basic computing skills such as sending and receiving emails, using online forums, downloading and uploading documents, and participating in online meetings or events.
If you have any doubt about the suitability of the module, please speak to an adviser.
If you have not studied creative writing at university, you are advised to read the following:
The materials for this module are provided as a series of web pages via the module website and should be accessible using screen readers. Written transcripts of any audio components are available.
Please be aware that there will be:
If you think you'll have difficulty in completing these tasks, you should contact us for advice before registering.
If you’re using printed materials as part of reasonable adjustments to support your studies, note that printed versions of online materials are unavailable for this module.
To find out more about what kind of support and adjustments might be available, contact us or visit our disability support pages.
StartEndRegister byEngland fee
03 Oct 202630 Jun 202717 Sep 2026Not yet available*
*This start date is open for pre-booking, which means you can reserve your place ahead of the fees being confirmed. We’ll publish updated 2026/27 fees and funding information on the 25th of March.
If you study this module as part of an eligible qualification, you can apply for a postgraduate loan to support your study costs. To find out more, see Postgraduate loans in England.
Studying with The Open University can boost your employability. OU courses are recognised and respected by employers for their excellence and the commitment they take to complete. They also value the skills that students learn and can apply in the workplace.
Over 30,000 employers have used the OU to develop staff so far. If the module you’ve chosen is geared towards your job or developing your career, you could approach your employer to see if they will sponsor you by paying some or all of the fees.
You can pay part or all of your tuition fees upfront with a debit or credit card when you register for each module.
We accept American Express, Mastercard, Visa and Visa Electron.
Please note: your permanent address/domicile will affect your fee status and, therefore, the fees you are charged and any financial support available to you. The fee information provided here is valid for modules starting before 31 July 2026. Fees typically increase annually. For further information about the University's fee policy, visit our Fee Rules.
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