Writing Workshop Part II

Course Type	Course Code	No. Of Credits
Discipline Core	SCC2CW104	4

Course coordinator and team: SCCE Faculty

1. How does the course link with the vision of AUD?

This course aligns with Dr. B.R. Ambedkar University Delhi’s commitment to critical, interdisciplinary, and socially engaged learning by foregrounding writing as both a creative and reflective practice. It encourages students to situate their writing within broader historical, cultural, and political contexts, while developing an awareness of writing as a form of knowledge production.

By combining creative experimentation with critical reading and self-reflexive practice, the course supports AUD’s emphasis on engaged scholarship and the development of culturally aware practitioners. Students are encouraged to interrogate literary forms, examine their own positionalities, and respond to contemporary concerns through writing.

2. How does the course link with the specific program (s) where it is being offered?

Writing Workshop Part II: Craft, Form and Experimentation is a core course within the Creative Writing programme and builds on the foundational skills introduced earlier. It deepens students’ engagement with fiction and narrative non-fiction by emphasizing sustained writing practice, revision, and critical reflection.

The course supports the programme’s objectives by:

Strengthening narrative craft and stylistic experimentation
Developing disciplined writing habits
Encouraging independent creative and critical thinking
Preparing students for advanced workshops and longer-form writing

3. Does the course connect to, build on, or overlap with any other courses offered in AUD?

Yes. This course builds directly on earlier writing workshops by advancing students’ engagement with narrative craft and process-oriented writing. It complements courses in literary theory, cultural studies, and narrative analysis by emphasizing the intersection between reading and writing.

While overlapping conceptually with courses on fiction and literary criticism, this course maintains a distinct focus on practice-based learning, revision processes, and workshop methodologies.

Specific requirements on the part of students who can be admitted to this course:

(Pre-requisites; prior knowledge level; any others – please specify): None.

According to the structure of the two-year postgraduate program, this course is designed for first-year students enrolled in the Creative Writing programme. It is a compulsory course and must be taken as a core requirement.

5.No. of students to be admitted (with justification if lower than the usual cohort size is proposed): usual cohort size

6.Course scheduling (semester; semester-long/half-semester course; workshop mode; seminar mode; any other – please specify): Winter semester/Summer Semester

7.Course Details:

a. Summary:

Writing Workshop Part II: Craft, Form and Experimentation is a practice-based course focused on the development and refinement of creative writing through sustained engagement with fiction and narrative non-fiction. The course emphasizes conceptual development, narrative structure, and stylistic experimentation while fostering disciplined writing practices.

Students will explore writing as a process involving drafting, revising, and reflecting. Through workshops, readings, and individual writing exercises, they will engage with questions of form, voice, and narrative technique. The course also encourages students to situate their writing within broader literary and cultural contexts, developing both creative and critical sensibilities.

Objectives: The course aims to:

Strengthen students’ skills in fiction and narrative non-fiction writing
Develop understanding of narrative elements such as plot, voice, and structure
Encourage disciplined writing practices including journaling and revision
Foster critical engagement with literary texts and writing processes
Enable students to situate their work within broader literary and cultural frameworks

Expected Learning Outcomes

On completion of the course, students will:

Demonstrate advanced understanding of narrative techniques and structures
Produce and revise substantial pieces of creative writing
Engage critically with peer writing through workshops
Develop sustained writing practices including journals and process logs
Situate their writing within broader literary and cultural contexts.

Module I:

Writing Contexts and Reflective Practice (Week 1- 2)

This module introduces students to writing as a historically situated and reflective practice. It focuses on how writers engage with form, content, and context across time. Students explore writing through journals, notebooks, and reflective exercises, while examining how literary traditions inform contemporary writing practices.

Topics Covered:

Writing as reflective practice

Historical perspectives in literary creativity

Reading as a writer

Journals and notebooks as tools

Readings:-

Gandhi, M. K. An Autobiography: The Story of My Experiments with Truth. Ahmedabad: Navajivan Publishing House, 1927.
Nehru, Jawaharlal. Glimpses of World History. New Delhi: Penguin India, 2004.
Narayan, R. K. My Days: A Memoir. Chennai: Indian Thought Publications, 1974.
Chaudhuri, Nirad C. Selected autobiographical essays from Autobiography of an Unknown Indian. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1951.
Prose, Francine. Reading Like a Writer. Union Books, 2012.
Miller, Henry. The Books in My Life. New Directions, 1969.
Arnold, David, and Stuart Blackburn, eds. Telling Lives in India: Biography, Autobiography and Life History. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2004.
James, Henry. The Art of Fiction. Pantianos Classics, 2018.
O Connor, Flannery. The Habit of Being. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1988.
Eco, Umberto. The Name of the Rose. Mariner Books, 2014.

Module-II

Conflict, Perspective and Narrative Structure (Week-3-5)

Description

This module emphasizes the generation, shaping, and revision of creative writing. Students develop their own pieces through structured exercises and workshops, focusing on narrative elements such as plot, voice, and imagery. Editing and revision are central to this module.

Topics Covered:

Developing narrative structure

Plot and thematic development

Editing and revision practices

Word and image in storytelling

Readings:

Khandekar, V. S. Yayati. Translated by Y. P. Kulkarni. New Delhi: Sahitya Akademi, 1974.
Ananthamurthy, U. R. Samskara. Translated by A. K. Ramanujan. New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 1976.
Malgonkar, Manohar. A Bend in the Ganges. New Delhi: Orient Paperbacks, 1964.
Naik, M. K. A History of Indian English Literature. New Delhi: Sahitya Akademi, 1

Module-III

Writing Skills – Research, Critique, and Process (6-7 Weeks)

Description:

This module equips students with essential writing skills that extend beyond creative production. It focuses on research methods, critical reading, and the development of writing discipline. Students learn how to integrate research into their work and engage critically with texts and peer writing.

Topics Covered

Research in creative writing

Reading as a writer

Process journals and logs

Peer critique and feedback

Readings

Nehru, Jawaharlal. The Discovery of India. New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 1981.
Azad, Maulana Abul Kalam. India Wins Freedom. Hyderabad: Orient Blackswan, 2003.
Sen, Amartya. The Argumentative Indian. London: Penguin Books, 2005.
Eagleton, Terry. Marxism and Literary Criticism. University of California Press, 1976.
Sontag, Susan. At the Same Time: Essays and Speeches. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2007.
The Paris Review. Writers at Work Series (selected interviews).

Module-IV

Writing, Ethics, and Cultural Contexts (8-10 Weeks)

Description

This module explores writing as an ethical and cultural practice. Students engage with questions of representation, authorship, and responsibility. They refine their creative work while reflecting on its relationship to broader literary and social contexts.

Topics Covered:

Writing and ethical responsibility

Literature and cultural critique

Positioning one’s work within literary traditions

Final revision and presentation

Readings

Anand, Mulk Raj. Untouchable. London: Wishart Books, 1935.
Rao, Raja. The Serpent and the Rope. London: John Murray, 1960.
Chatterjee, Upamanyu. English, August: An Indian Story. New Delhi: Penguin India, 1988.

Module V

Writing as Critique. (Week 12-13)

Description:

The final module encourages students to think of writing as a mode of social, political, and cultural critique. Students engage with texts that demonstrate the ethical and critical dimensions of writing, and then revise their own semester pieces through peer feedback and faculty consultation. The course culminates in a final reading and presentation of polished creative work/portfolio.

Topics Covered:

Writing as social and political critique

Deep revision workshop

Peer review

Final presentation of portfolio

Readings

Chattopadhyay, Bankim Chandra. Anandamath. Translated by Basanta Koomar Roy. New Delhi: Penguin India.
Narayan, R. K. Waiting for the Mahatma. Chennai: Indian Thought Publications, 1955.
Collins, Larry, and Dominique Lapierre. Freedom at Midnight. New Delhi: Vikas Publishing, various editions.
Das, Sisir Kumar. A History of Indian Literature. New Delhi: Sahitya Akademi.