M F ALFREY

So, I finally did that part-time Master’s in creative Writing with the Open University I had been teasing myself about doing for years. It cost a lot of money (for me anyway), time, and effort, but was it worth it?

I learnt so much over the entire Master’s and it would be difficult to mention every aspect here, so I will focus on my writing process, approaches to form, and style, and technical issues I tackled regarding dialogue, and point of view in my WIP which formed my final assessed piece for the Creative Writing Master’s programme.

Before starting to write now, I create an ideal reader character study – an approach I was reminded of after attending a fantasy writers’ conference (something which I had been emboldened to do as a direct result of sharing my work with other on the Master’s course). This gave me a very clear idea as to who I am actually writing for – something I had not really considered before. I simply took it for granted that I knew, without really thinking about it. Though I can attest that knowing who you are writing for does smooth out your writing process. I now know my ideal reader enjoys reading non-gender normative characters, self-referential nods and Easter eggs relating to the genre they love, roleplay gaming, and music culture. I now feel confident that using this approach will make the story relatable to my readers, as if the story is personally written for them. It also ticks another box in terms of writing advice you no doubt have heard a lot: write what you know. I am very much writing from the perspective of what I know and love, and have drawn on my familiarity with fantasy stories, films, and gaming as well as my world travelling experiences.

During the Master’s you are, of course, tasked to read critically and reflectively and broadly. This is something I thought I actually did beforehand. Boy, was I mistaken. Sure, I read broad – in my genre, not beyond it. So, when researching for one of my assignments I was encouraged by my tutor and peers to truly read beyond fantasy and sci-fi. The short story I was writing was going to be a magical detective spoof, so I took a tentative step at first, dipping my toes in the genre of mystery and detective novels. Reading included Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams (2012) and The Day Aberystwyth Stood Still Malcom Pryce (2012). This has inspired me to add detective and mystery elements to my writing now and has taken what were okay stories and transformed them into much more compelling reading (I hope), due to the mystery elements.

“It was a real confidence boost, I can tell you, meeting the fantasy writing community – people like me, writing like I write, about the things I like, and sometimes struggling like me too.“

Every writer has their thing – themes within their writing, the subtext. I really had no idea what I was actually writing about, but after the structured sessions of the Master’s and the self-reflection, I now know what I am interested in discussing through my fiction; and it was a bit of a surprise at first. As it turned out, through looking back at my fantasy writing and identifying the common themes, I discovered that I often raise the very real-world issue of identity through sex and gender. I have a habit of using non-human cultures in a fictional world as a safe space to present themes of sex and gender, race, and ethnicity which, according to Passell (2013), are best explored through fantasy and science fiction. My conscious aim though, is not a deep dive into the issue, but to simply allow for my intended readership to feel represented whilst providing a fictional medium through which discussions on these themes can be considered. This is much clearer to me now, having gone through a more formalised process of learning the craft. The result is I find it easier to write because I know what I am trying to say and where my story might go.

Another thing you are asked to think about is the form in which you write and why. Again, when starting off, my answer would have been, “Well, I just like fantasy, duh”. This is a start, but I think good writing comes from a much deeper place. Discussing writing with other writers, seeing how they do it and chatting about the pros and cons of various forms and techniques, forces you to be more decisive in your own choices as a writer. I no longer write third-person just because, but because it suits the story I am writing at the time and is the better choice of presentation for that particular tale. If a story would be better in first person, then I will write that way. If it suits a real-world setting more than fantasy, then I will write like that because it is what the story demands, not simply my preference. That is a big change.

I now see I have chosen the form of fantasy fiction because I strongly feel that fantasy fosters critical literacy (Cox, M. 1990) and encourages us to make critical connections to the real world. Sure, other genres can do this also; crime, mystery, drama … and this is where my preference comes in. A least now though, I do not discount those other genres and I am more open to reading in them to influence my fantasy fiction. Yet I feel better informed as to why I write the form I write, due to the encouraged reading on the Master’s. Webb (2007) states “Taking one step away from reality to that ‘safe’ place of pretend, prepares us to look the world’s harsh realities in the face” and I feel that secondary world fantasy is perfect for exploring representation.

“I started creating story and character tables. These tables consist of many fantasy sub-genres, character traits, drivers, etc. and I roll dice to select random elements as a starting point. I find this technique nudges me away from comfortable routines.“

I also discovered that when I let my natural humour out into my writing that it was better for it. At first, I tried to be a “serious” writer – whatever that is. What I produced was okay, but looking back, I can see it was lacking personality or voice. The Master’s, the tutor and peer support, and informed critical feedback actually encouraged me to let go and allow myself into my writing. Yet it was not without its stumbling blocks. But now, when writing with humour, I keep in mind tutor advice that “good comic fantasy […] also uses parodic technique to throw new light on the real” (Bower, S. 2023). This advice has led me to consider the measure and my use of humour.

The reasons for choosing one particular style of presentation over the other became clearer to me after considering that fresh and thrilling writing occurs when genres clash. For instance, for an assignment I parodied detective fiction within the genre of urban fantasy. For this project I explored the works of Malcom Pryce (2012) which led me to read Raymond Chandler (2020), Elmore Leonard (2009), Agatha Christie (2020), and Dashiell Hammett (2018), further influencing my style choices for my WIP. This experiment, and peer and tutor feedback, taught me that despite being a parody, such stories still require rigorous research not just in setting, but also in the genre they are parodying.

Regarding my process, the Master’s encouraged me to reach out beyond the course forums. I ended up attending fantasy conferences such as ProWritingAid Fantasy Writers’ Week (2023) and the British Fantasy Society Golden Jubilee (2022), along with joining the British Fantasy Society, and a local Science Fiction and Fantasy writers’ group. This helped me develop my professional contacts and view myself more seriously as a writer. It was a real confidence boost, I can tell you, meeting the fantasy writing community – people like me, writing like I write, about the things I like, and sometimes struggling like me too.

A great revelation over the Master’s was that I have discovered outlining is my preference, rather than discovery writing. Previously, I considered myself a seat-of-the-pants writer like Steven King (2012). Though, due to my love for complex worlds and plots, I explored the techniques of outliners such as Brandon Sanderson who states he has “grown to follow what I call a ‘Points on the Map’ philosophy of writing […] some call this a ‘floating outline’ method” (2018) and Christopher Paolini who comments that his first stories “flatlined […] because I didn’t know where the story was going. It wasn’t until I learned how to plot a story that I was able to create the outline for the Inheritance Cycle” (Paolini, C. 2014). Reading these views on method helped confirm to me that I also prefer a “floating outline”.

“I learned from screenwriting and from delivering D&D sessions, to establish a new scene quickly and place the characters in an interaction sooner rather than later, leaving the overall image building to the imagination of the reader/player.“

Now, I am clearer in my method: I take a top-down approach. I establish the setting (a world I have been building for six years through hand drawn maps, lore developed through short stories, and an ever-growing world encyclopaedia). I develop characters by adding to techniques I picked up over the Master’s too, specifically inspired by roleplay gaming. I love Dungeons & Dragons and stuff like that. I took it up to improve my storytelling, and knowledge of the fantasy genre which now influences how I plan. I started creating story and character tables. These tables consist of many fantasy sub-genres, character traits, drivers, etc. and I roll dice to select random elements as a starting point. I find this technique nudges me away from comfortable routines. And best of all (and really encouraging too), my tutor found this fascinating and wanted to know more. I do not know why I felt silly about using this technique, but it was the Master’s that gave me the bravery to claim it in an academic essay and put it out there. I know I am not the only one who writes like this, but now, yet again, I feel more confident in my process.

Strong instantly recognisable character voices became crucial for me, due to the style in which I write and who I write about: monsters – quite often creatures that do not communicate in the conventional human way. Having characters who do not speak, or use a lingua franca, allows me to demonstrate how real-world communication is often fraught with misunderstandings and complications, and my hope is that what I write will encourage critical reflection on this topic for some, if not all, readers.

I found my experiences in other genres of writing, which the course encourages, were fundamental to developing my process, particularly with dialogue. I chose Script as one of these extra genres to study after being influenced by the writer Edgar Cantero and his book Those Meddling Kids (2018). Cantero is also a screenwriter and in his humorous Lovecraftian homage to Scooby Doo (Hanna, W. and Barbera, J. 1971), he employs screenwriting techniques. I appreciated the directness of the resulting prose. When I am zero-drafting now, I use screenplay-style dialogue and screen directions. This method encourages me to maintain a healthy dialogue pace and show through speech and actions and how to show the world to my reader more effectively through the senses and build a more concise image in the reader’s head.

Commencing the Master’s, I tended towards a more maximalist approach, though unintentionally. As a fan of J.R.R Tolkien, G.R.R. Martin, and Brandon Sanderson, I naturally wrote longer prose. Studying poetry as a secondary genre and taking an excursion in screenwriting helped develop my use of the line, and drafting methods, respectively. This led me to favour dialogue driven scenes and worldbuilding through character interaction. By pulling the reader along through dialogue and giving just enough imagery to avoid confusion between characters and establish the setting. I learned from screenwriting and from delivering D&D sessions, to establish a new scene quickly and place the characters in an interaction sooner rather than later, leaving the overall image building to the imagination of the reader/player. I found as a Games Master that when I took a lighter approach and allowed my players to imagine the finer details, I managed to retain their engagement and maintain a good pace. I wanted to carry this across into my writing.

For my current project (at the time of writing this reflection), it was clear when commencing I would need to use multiple perspectives for the group of protagonists rather than a single member. I explored the methods of several authors who have dealt with a large cast, namely Tolkien, Martin, Pratchett, and Sanderson. In his saga, A Song of Fire and Ice (1996 – present), G.R.R. Martin uses a shifting perspective defined by chapters. This gives the reader time with each character, building closeness and tension. Pratchett, who did not use chapters (in his UK published works), shifts characters scene to scene and sometimes, for comedic effect, by paragraph. I opted for a mix of Sanderson’s and Pratchett’s approach; no chapters, with each scene change marking a new focal character. When the setting changes, I use a journal entry to indicate the bigger shift. When the scenes are linked by setting and time, I simply use a line break to indicate the shift.

“You also gain the skill of recognising good critical (and informed) feedback when you get it, and the ability to differentiate between constructive critical feedback which informs your writing and uninformed personal opinion which could potentially damage your development as writer.”

Because of the mystery element of that particular WIP, I felt compelled to consider plotting more carefully than in previous projects. To aid plotting, I wrote a separate story in the form of a journal. The writer of the journal was the catalyst for the calamity the main characters find themselves embroiled in. I planned his movements on a calendar and in turn the subsequent events that befall the city in the story. I plotted the protagonists’ movements on the same calendar. From the resulting timeline, I developed a rough outline and from that developed the synopsis which presented me with a clear route and a sense of the ending.

I chose a linear narrative for the main story given that the reader already has to deal with several characters, fictitious words, and the occasional shifts in POV. I am aware that time shifts would be possible, as Douglas Adams manages to great effect in Dirk Gently’s Wholistic Detective Agency (Adams, D. 2012). Yet, I found this book, as with Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Adams, D. 2009), frustratingly abstract in parts and too jumpy for my taste. I wanted to be kind to my reader and deal with time in a predictable fashion using flashbacks and retrospective conversation to deal with the past. The exception being the diary which presents the reader with extracts long before the protagonists physically discover the journal. Sanderson inspired me here as he uses journal extracts in place of chapter headings. I found when I read his work it forwarded the plot and presented the reader with questions the main story could answer. I wanted to achieve this engaging effect in my own work.

In conclusion, regarding the technical elements and writing processes discussed above, I feel that when I write now, I do so with the knowledge of the course modules and expansive reading behind me, and in a much more informed and considered manner. The upshot of this is confidence. Something we can all do with as writers, right? It can be a lonely task and one fraught with self-doubt, and sometimes well-meaning but rough feedback from family, friends and strangers.

Is a Master’s worth it? If you apply yourself, yes, without the shadow of a doubt. You develop critical awareness of Creative Writing and your place in that world as a writer. You also gain the skill of recognising good critical (and informed) feedback when you get it, and the ability to differentiate between constructive critical feedback which informs your writing and uninformed personal opinion which could potentially damage your development as writer. Do you need to do a Master’s to be a good writer? Of course not. There are many out there who do very well without formally being educated in the craft. But, having read about such authors, I can tell you one thing; their breadth and knowledge of the craft would undoubtably have been informed by similar insights one gets from a structured course.

So, you are probably asking which is best: formal education, self-teaching, or a non-academic writing course? Well, that all depends on how best you learn. The best way to find out is a good dose of research and talk to people – namely, other writers. There is a big community out there, and a friendly one at that. Remember, every writer has gone through, or is still going through very similar experiences to you, and is most likely happy to help and offer sage advice.

References

Adams, D. (2009) Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. London:Macmillan.

Adams, D. (2012) Dirk Gently’s Wholistic Detective Agency. London: Pan Macmillan.

British Fantasy Society (2022) Golden Jubilee Conference. https://britishfantasysociety.org/golden-jubilee-event-readings

Bower, S. (2023) TMA Form (Pte3) to Marek Alfrey, 17 June.

Cantero, E. (2018) Those Meddling Kids. London: Titan Books.

Christie, A. (2020) Poirot Investigates. eBook. Available at: www.gutenberg.org.

Christie, A. (2022) The Body in the Library. London: HarperCollins.

Chandler, R. (2020) The Big Sleep. eBook. Available at: https://www.pgdpcanada.net

Cox, M. (1990) ‘Engendering Critical Literacy through Science Fiction and Fantasy’, English Journal, vol. 79, no. 3, pp. 35. Available online at: https://www.proquest.com/docview/237288102?parentSessionId=dDqhCor5b5tXJvP3sKg2TXopAVqzlgK93PqNvdhS5LM%3D&pq-origsite=primo&accountid=14697

Hammett, D. (2018) The Maltese Falcon. eBook. Available at: http://www.pgdpcanada.net

King, S. (2012) On Writing. London: Hodder & Stoughton.

Leonard, E. (2009) Get Shorty. London: Phoenix.

Paolini, C. (2014) ‘Thoughts on writing: Odds and ends.’ Paolini.Net. Available at: https://www.paolini.net/2014/11/12/thoughts-on-writing/

Passell, A. (2013) ‘SF Novels and Sociological Experimentation: Examining Real World Dynamics through Imaginative Displacement’ in Thomas (ed) Science Fiction and Speculative Fiction: Challenging Genres. Brill, pp66. Available online at: https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/open/reader.action?docID=3034866

ProWritingAid (2023) Fantasy Writers’ Week. February 22 ­– March 2, Virtual conference online: https://prowritingaid.com/fantasy-week/register

Pryce, M. (2012) The Day Aberystwyth Stood Still. London: Bloomsbury.

Sanderson, B. (2018) ‘Can you go into depth about outlining?’. BrandonSanderon.com. Available at: https://faq.brandonsanderson.com/knowledge-base/can-you-go-into-depth-about-outlining

Scooby Doo (1971) Directed by W. Hanna and J. Barbera. [Cartoon series]. United Kingdom: Hanna-Barbera Productions. Webb, B. (2007) ‘The real purpose of fantasy’. The Guardian, 23 April. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2007/apr/23/bridgingthegapswhyweneed