Modules

Core Module Information
Module title: Writing Young Adult Fiction
SCQF level: 11:
SCQF credit value: 20.00
ECTS credit value: 10
Module code: CLP11136
Module leader: David Bishop
School School of Arts and Creative Industries
Subject area group: Media and Humanities
Prerequisites

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Description of module content:

This module introduces you to and enhances your understanding of writing for a young adult market. This will include examining the various genres encompassed in YA, including realism, romance, science fiction, fantasy, horror, and/or crime. It will begin by examining the recent history of young adult emerging as a distinct market in the 21st century and its historical relationship with other genres. It will investigate the trends and themes most common in YA that connect with the teenage experience, such as coming of age narratives. Next, you will focus on techniques and approaches, augmenting your writing practice from the first trimester by interrogating the creative choices and sub-genres or mashups available to you. Mastering young adult audience expectations and writing for that market will be emphasized throughout the trimester. You will undertake writing challenges and receive formative, in-person masterclass feedback to help you chart the progress of your YA genre fiction. The module will have an extensive reading list, exposing you to the cutting edge of current YA fiction from contemporary to historical steampunk mashups.
Learning Outcomes for module:

Upon completion of this module you will be able to:
LO1: Generate ideas for a variety of genre approaches of fiction for a young adult market
LO2: Exercise appropriate judgement in identifying the most effective techniques for a particular genre fiction narrative for a young adult market
LO3: Analyse the function, limitations and possibilities of young adult fiction
LO4: Engage in professional critical self-reflection and appraising your own work
LO5: Produce artistically ambitious and marketable short pieces of young adult fiction
Full Details of Teaching and Assessment
2022/3, Trimester 1, FACE-TO-FACE, Edinburgh Napier University
VIEW FULL DETAILS
Occurrence: 001
Primary mode of delivery: FACE-TO-FACE
Location of delivery: MERCHISTON
Partner: Edinburgh Napier University
Member of staff responsible for delivering module: David Bishop
Module Organiser:


Learning, Teaching and Assessment (LTA) Approach:
Teaching will comprise a weekly three-hour session including tutorials, masterclass feedback, in-class
group work and other formative feedback (Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5). The sessions will provide you
with the necessary information, analytical framework and creative guidance for further activities, to be
undertaken independently or as part of group work (Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5). Formative feedback
will be delivered by a variety of methods - such as recorded verbal feedback and/or written feedback
uploaded to the VLE - to help embed learning and prepare you for the summative assessment challenge
at the end of the trimester.

Formative Assessment:
Formative in-class feedback will be offered on a range of activities during the trimester, while two
structured formative assessments give you the opportunity to receive feed forward on specific
development tasks as you build and/or enhance your writing practice for young adults. Formative
Assessment #1 will be masterclass feedback during the first half of the trimester on a short YA story
using one (or more) of the following genres: romance, realism, science fiction, fantasy, crime, and horror
(Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5). Formative Assessment #2 will be to submit a 500 word story along
with a critical self-reflection and a self-assessment using a provided rubric, with bullet point reasoning for
their decisions (Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5). You will then receive a fifteen minute one-to-one
meeting with your tutor to discuss your self-assessment and see if it aligns with the tutor’s appraisal of
the piece, working towards the final summative assessment.

Summative Assessment:
Summative assessment will take the form of an extended version of the second formative assessment
due in week 13, consisting of a creative portfolio of a longer young adult short story of approximately
2500 words, which also encompasses one or more of the genres studied in the module, along with a
critical self-reflection of 1500 words (Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5).

Student Activity (Notional Equivalent Study Hours (NESH))
Mode of activityLearning & Teaching ActivityNESH (Study Hours)
Face To Face Seminar 36
Independent Learning Guided independent study 164
Total Study Hours200
Expected Total Study Hours for Module200


Assessment
Type of Assessment Weighting % LOs covered Week due Length in Hours/Words
Portfolio 100 1-5 13 , WORDS= 4000
Component 1 subtotal: 100
Component 2 subtotal: 0
Module subtotal: 100

Indicative References and Reading List - URL:
CLP11136 Writing Young Adult Fiction
 

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