Cambridge Pet Writing

[Tabita Knezevic]

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Many people worry that they will be unable to write reflectively but chances are that you do it more than you think! It's a common task during both work and study from appraisal and planning documents to recording observations at the end of a module. The following pages will guide you through some simple techniques for reflective writing as well as how to avoid some of the most common pitfalls.

Writing reflectively involves critically analysing an experience, recording how it has impacted you and what you plan to do with your new knowledge. It can help you to reflect on a deeper level as the act of getting something down on paper often helps people to think an experience through.

A common mistake people make when writing reflectively is to focus too much on describing their experience. Think about some of the phrases below and try to use them when writing reflectively to help you avoid this problem:

Even if it is not immediately obvious from the description, many of the academic assignments you will need to complete contain some form of reflection. You might be asked to write an essay where you respond to a piece of text or an image, relate a topic to your own experiences or discuss whether a certain model fits with your own views. Reflection can also be useful when constructing an academic argument as you will have to think about how all the evidence fits with your own understanding of a topic. Being able to reflect on something is also an important part of critical thinking and writing as it allows you to question arguments made in the literature, be open minded about different approaches and move towards being constructive in your criticism. With any of these assignments it's important to remember not to include too much description and focus on what you are being asked to do. The assessor will understand what the object you are looking at is and they don't need it described to them. They want to know what you think about it, how it relates to your experiences and how this advances your knowledge of a topic.

Many courses will also expect you to reflect on your own learning as you progress through a particular programme. You may be asked to keep some type of reflective journal or diary. Depending on the needs of your course this may or may not be assessed but if you are using one it's important to write reflectively. This can help you to look back and see how your thinking has evolved over time - something useful for job applications in the future. Students at all levels may also be asked to reflect on the work of others, either as part of a group project or through peer review of their work. This requires a slightly different approach to reflection as you are not focused on your own work but again this is a useful skill to develop for the workplace.

You can see some useful examples of reflective writing in academia from Monash University, UNSW (the University of New South Wales) and Sage. Several of these examples also include feedback from tutors which you can use to inform your own work.

This page has given you an understanding of what reflective writing is and where it can be used in both work and study. Now that you have a better idea of how reflective writing works the next two pages will guide you through some activities you can use to get started.

The Master of Studies (MSt) in Writing for Performance is designed for postgraduate students who wish to develop high-level theoretical skills and a vibrant and innovative creative practice within writing for a wide range of performance mediums. Writing for Performance is defined as making scripts for theatre, film/TV, radio drama, or text for performance art podcasts, digital platforms, or stand-up comedy. Students will develop skills initially in all mediums and then be guided to choose a specific genre of script-making for their final project. They will develop the capacity to critically reflect on their own work, the work of their peer-group, and that of other professional writers.

The MSt. aims to facilitate a high standard of creative practice, in order that students may develop their professional practice in several areas. For example, they may wish to develop as dramatists in order to have a professional career in the entertainment industry as writers or directors, or to enhance their skills as dramaturgs/script editors to allow them to follow a career in literary management, publishing, or agenting. The programme would also be of interest to applicants wishing to enrich their creative writing/drama teaching practice at GCSE or on A-level English Language and Literature courses. The MSt is taught over two years in short, intensive study blocks. It has been designed to be accessible to those in full- or part-time employment and to international students.

Progression for students who complete this course is provided in a number of ways: some students may progress onto a PhD in a relevant subject, or they could go on to study the Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching Creative Writing at ICE.

Applicants who are applying for the MSt in Writing for Performance having successfully completed the edX MicroMasters in Writing for Performance and the Entertainment Industries must complete a different application form. Please contact us directly via the "Ask a Question" button at the top of this page so we can provide you with further course details and a link to the application form.

Students on the MSt in Writing for Performance could include those currently working, or wishing to work, in the creative industries. This might include teachers, publishers, dramaturgs, literary managers, journalists and broadcasters.

The MSt in Writing for Performance is structured around four modules taught during year 1 of the course and a presentation module during year 2, each of which students must attend. Each of the four modules is preceded by guided preparatory reading and other activities, and followed by two writing assignments: one formative and one summative.

A Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) offers learning support to students while they are on the programme, including learning resources, peer-to-peer and student-to-tutor discussion between modules to build a virtual community of practice.

This module introduces students to the fundamental conceptual, creative, and practical elements of writing for performance. They will be encouraged to begin developing a sense of which medium they may wish to work in later, while workshops and encounters with visiting speakers will allow them to experience a wide range of writing tasks. They will begin to engage with processes of critical reflection about their own work, and about the creative practices of their peer-group, as well as being encouraged to respond analytically to a wide variety of philosophical positions within performance theory and history.

This module will look in-depth at the function of narrative structures and story-telling forms. Writing character will be explored, as well as different techniques of writing dialogue - applicable to a range of writing for performance platforms. In Module Two scripts are read and analysed in workshop by peers, this time under the supervision of professional directors drawn from theatre, TV or film.

The second year is characterised by focus on a specialist genre. Students will work independently to explore further and develop their own literary and critical skills, resulting in a full-length (90 minute) script in a chosen performance medium and a reflective and critical commentary on their work. They will work under the supervision of an expert in their chosen field with whom they will have regular contact.

Students will have five supervisions in the second year. Supervision dates will be arranged between students and supervisors (these can be face-to-face or via remote software). The fifth and final supervision will usually take place at the time of the only module in the second year, when students will present an extract from their creative work to the cohort, to be held on 27 and 28 April 2026.

If you have any questions about this course, would like an informal discussion on academic matters before making your application, or would like to know more about the admissions process, please complete this enquiry form with your questions.

Students are given formal written feedback on their assignments and informal feedback throughout the course, including during tutorials and supervisions. Tutors produce a report for each student at the end of Year 1 and supervisors produce termly reports for each student during Year 2.

There is provision to accept non-standard applicants who do not satisfy the standard academic criterion. Such applicants must produce evidence of relevant and equivalent experience and their suitability for the course.

The fees for 2024 will be 11,025.00 per annum for Home students (total Home course fee across the 2 years being 22,050.00) and 19,293.00 per annum for EU/Overseas students (total EU/Overseas course fee across the 2 years being 38,586.00). The combined graduate fee includes college membership. The fee can be paid in eight equal instalments. Students on this course can apply to Wolfson, St Edmund's, Selwyn or Lucy Cavendish. Please note there are only a limited number of college places available for this course for Selwyn College so please indicate a second choice of college on your application form if you are selecting Selwyn College as your first choice.

Students will be expected to cover the application fee (50 online), accommodation whilst in Cambridge and any costs of travel to Cambridge. Please note that, although you will be a member of a college, you will not be entitled to college accommodation.

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