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BA (Hons) English with Creative Writing
Author
“I have always loved literature, and getting to study such a varied book list at Manchester Met helped me to expand my horizons as both a reader and a writer.”
I have always loved literature, and getting to study such a varied book list at Manchester Met helped me to expand my horizons as both a reader and a writer. I chose to do a creative writing dissertation in my final year, which was a great way to flex my writing muscles; and showed me that I could become a writer if I put my mind to it. I also enjoyed the American Science Fiction unit. It wasn’t a genre I had read before studying at Manchester Met and it really opened my eyes. The course experience at Manchester Met boosted my confidence and made me eager to keep learning more, and equipped me with core skills in creative writing, editing, and research.
After graduating from Manchester Met I started doing part-time administrative work to give myself more time to think about what I wanted to do as a long-term career. I then started working in local government, moving to a communications/ PR role, and then on to IT communications work. I hadn’t given much serious thought about writing as a career, it somehow felt too big. It took a few years for me to catch the writing bug but eventually I decided to write my first novel. On the 14th May 2014 my debut young adult novel, Blackfin Sky, was published by Firefly Press in the UK.
Breaker, a YA suspense, will be published by Running Press Teen (Perseus Group, USA) in Spring 2016. Purge, a YA sci-fi thriller will be published by Firefly Press (UK) in Autumn 2016.
If you are interested in writing or working in publishing, a lot of publishers offer internships and graduate placements. To get a foot in the door, you can undertake remote internships with literary agencies or publishers before you graduate. Make sure to be disciplined with your time, too, and learn to be able to give and receive constructive critique.
Ms Jackie Roy was my dissertation tutor, and was a great help and inspiration to me. Her feedback on my creative writing assignments boosted my confidence when I really needed it, and helped me to become a better writer.
I would say, more than anything, that my time with Manchester Met was a unique opportunity to learn, grow, and have fun.