What Students Say

"Being accepted on to the course in the first place was a good indication that I have got something to offer as a writer, but that feeling is often difficult to sustain.  I have times when I think I'm producing the best writing I have ever done and times of the complete polar opposite…One of the most important aspects of working in a group environment like this was getting to know that other people feel the same way and have the same high and low points.  The course helped foster a really supportive and encouraging atmosphere and I hope others feel the same way as I do - that I'm on the right track and can see a really positive outcome for my writing."

"Each tutor's comments were very useful in different ways to each other.  The focus each tutor takes on writing (e.g., plot, dialogue, characterization, the way the work appears on the page, narrative perspective) is varied…This means that over the course of the year you get a good idea of your strengths and weaknesses in all the different angles of your work."

"My tutor's comments were mostly very helpful and made me aware of what I was doing in my writing.  It was very constructive, and I really appreciate all the help I received, even in just being able to discuss what I wanted to do and figure things out for myself.  The comments from the group were great too because it made me more aware of what readers would get out of what I was writing.  I think the groups made a good 'mix' of different audience 'types' which is useful in thinking about who I want to write my book for."

"The tutors' comments were essential to my progress.  Especially for notes on language, clarity, emotional engagement and plot…As a test audience, the group provided me with invaluable visions of how my work was being received and some of my peers made particularly penetrating points."

"Comments from the group were always useful, even if they suggest things that you might not want to consider…The group discussions are useful in finding out whether or not people find reading your work enjoyable, difficult, impossible, confusing or just boring…. You also get a good idea of what sort of reader would be attracted to your work by different people reacting to it in different ways.  You know who your 'target audience' are…"

"The comments from the group were generally insightful and helpful.  Because so many of my classmates were examining my work, they were able to spot lots of problems that I would have overlooked on my own.  Also, the diversity of the group was helpful:  some had great insights about plot, while others focused on language; they all recommended different things for me to read…"

"Comments from the group were positive and encouraging.  It was very encouraging to find just how much time and effort people put into helping each other.  The online conferences were really useful in that they gave us the opportunity to take time over reading, pay great attention to detail and organize thoughts for the critique in a formal and structured way, which in turn helps you to learn a lot about how to critique and edit your own work."

"My writing has definitely improved.  I think I have loosened up quite a bit and have a better idea of more in-depth character and plot.  I think I have a better ability to look at my own work with a critical eye as well."

"The Residential was one of my favourite parts of the course.  I welcomed the opportunity to 'get away'; to have a week in a beautiful, peaceful setting; and to get to know my classmates socially…  From [one of the workshops during the Residential] I came up with one of the best poems I've ever written."

"The Residential course was essential for me.  It was just the kick-start I needed to go from working all day and zoning out in front of the TV all evening to taking time to read, think about my own writing and get back in to the habit of writing every day.  It started me feeling like a writer again and I had really missed that!  I think it helped me put my priorities in to place for the rest of the year."

"My writing has improved during the course in all kinds of ways, none of which were quite expected.  The positive influence of certain group members, the mixture of prose writers and poets, the opportunities to experiment, encouragement, the sense of readership, fear and pressure of deadlines have all played a part.  I hope to take away a better awareness of viewpoint and the importance of editing and an understanding of my strengths and weaknesses."

"The course has given me the confidence to embark on bigger writing projects.  I am currently doing research for a novel, which I know I couldn't have even contemplated before."

"I have had several years experience writing, but even so I found that the course added credibility to what I do as a writer.  It signals your intent to be professional and serious about the work.  The course was a great catalyst to the ideas process.  The combined creative energy of the students and tutors created an atmosphere, even in the virtual world, that inspired and developed thought."

"I took the course because I wanted to boost my confidence and boldly go where I had not.  I did gain confidence - I learned to trust the process: the initial idea, the shambolic first draft, the successive drafts.  I did go in a new direction, experimenting with writing a novel instead of only short stories."

"The feedback from my tutor was great, incisive and almost always spot on, helping me produce a better finished product.  I have come on immensely as a writer during the two years of the course and feel more able as a writer."

"The feedback for work in progress was spectacular!  The advice that my tutor and the other tutors had for work in progress was extremely useful for the work at hand, and it was also instrumental in teaching me how to evaluate my work on my own…My tutor was engaged and thoughtful for each tutorial, always generous of herself and her time.  She's a fantastic reader and an ideal tutor."

"Were the tutor's comments in tutorials useful?  Very. Immensely.  Completely. Invaluable.  My tutorials were definitely the highlight of the MA for me.  My tutor was wonderful in every way… She has sustained me and my writing (and the many twists and turns my writing and the novel has undergone) during these two years through our tutorials in a positive and productive way…  I would have given up if she hadn't been so perceptive and guided me so well - in spite of the distance! I appreciated her fearlessness and her total sense of adventure, prepared to follow me wherever I dared to roam while providing all the encouragement I needed to hear."

"In the conferences, what I loved most was the boldness and variety of comments.  Also, the feedback was both insightful and encouraging - never aggressive.  I was impressed by the amount of time each member of the conference group dedicated to the process."

"The best aspect of this course is that it provides a supportive network of fellow writers, which helped me to sustain my belief in what I was doing."

"The summer school was very useful.  Since the participants were spread over a wide geographical area, it was one of the few opportunities to get to know people socially.  Also, the week was responsible for a burst of creativity."

"The residential summer school was brilliant - easily the best aspect of this programme.  The tutorials were very well-structured and addressed the 'nuts and bolts' of creative writing in a very direct and insightful way.  I frequently refer back to the notes I took during this week - I think the lessons I learned will stay with me for the rest of my writing career."

"My writing has made quantum leaps.  I can see this as I am now preparing my work for final submission in the portfolio.  The poems I wrote 1-2 years ago have needed quite a lot of work in getting them to the level of my current pieces.  Thank you all so much for this: I consider it a real gift."