in which i go on and on and on about my modules

[silvia_elisa]

Yesterday, before collapsing on my bed, I wrote a whole long rant about my module choices for next year. In the morning though, I went to the library and checked out exactly what the contents of the courses would be so... I obviously had to amend my monologue

Comments

[leopion]

First thing first, at least you’ve had a good idea about level 6 courses, so yay!

Moving on to Drama, to me you seem to be pretty keen on Heard Not Seen: Writing for Radio, yes? Imho, it appears to be the coolest module (apart from the Shakespeare core one) too, though it might just be your impressive persuasion skills. But when you say ‘creating a sense of place and time using sound’, does it mean the additional sound effects like (in its most rudimentary form) knocking sound when somebody knocked on the door? Because I can see how to write dialogues in such a way that helps visualise the characters, settings, etc. in Radio Drama (as opposed to dialogues in Stage Drama) would be an interesting premise as well. I mean, it’d be helpful for fiction writing: to make the most of dialogues, avoid long boring descriptions, etc. You know, all that ‘showing rather than telling’ stuffs.

Now lit: more telepathic waves! Because when I read the list of courses you were considering, my first thought was Renaissance Drama and Victorian Literature. Though, as you wrote these in huge letters comes the next line, my brain could have picked them up at some point earlier without me noticing :D Tbh, Chaucer to Shakespeare did catch my eyes, but a millisecond later I realised that for the period, I’d be contented with Shakespeare (who had already been separated from the rest) and that was that. Why the other two? Renaissance Drama because I love everything about this period be it drama, art or architecture. Victorian Lit because I figured there’d be something about Gothic fiction, which is not something I can say I enjoy immensely but certainly piques my curiosity. Obviously, my choice is totally intuitive with no research at all.

Anyway, after seeing what these courses are about (but still no researching involved), I love Renaissance Drama a hundred-fold. Victorian Lit, though, nah. I mean, I wouldn’t mind the gender focus, but it certainly would not be my top choice any more.

Romantic Vision sounds fantastic, but the reason that I passed it earlier still holds. It’s simply too broad. Now if it were Romantic Poetry, then I’d do it before you can blink. Do they explicitly say that the course will cover those poets or were you just listing your favourites? And yes, the exam is also a factor to consider. Can you find someone who’s taken the course or is familiar with the exam format for something similar to ask for advice? Oh, also, I’d totally take something called Jane Austen and her Influence (a course that I’m considering sneaking in ;P).

That being said, your mum does have a point about 19th Century American Literature, and I believe you can handle it nicely if you want.

That was long. I hope my perspective would be of some help. Just ignore anything you don’t find relevant, though :D

[silvia_elisa]

I think you may have written just as much as I did. :)

I'll let you guess which book is on the booklist for Children's Lit... *flails*

I've spoken to a couple of people today about Drama (because I had a Drama class, obvs). Apparently, nobody wants to do Writing for Radio, but the tutor said that radio dramas is how many playwrights begin these days; you end up in BBC Radio 4 and from there escalate to the BBC.

I already know that I'll want to adapt HP for a Radio Drama, I just know.

does it mean the additional sound effects like (in its most rudimentary form) knocking sound when somebody knocked on the door?

^^ I think the key word in here is writing for radio. I've seen scripts for radio dramas before and they look like this:
(As she crosses from left to right so the domestic sounds of fire and clock ticking spread to the right with her and the wind and howling pan right. At the end of the speech she slams shutter shut, right, and this cuts the wind and wolves. Fire rises; clock rises.)
It would teach me so much about background description and the dialogue itself has to be more than a film, but less than a book so not to bore the audience, so... yes... it sounds pretty cool.

Though, as you wrote these in huge letters comes the next line, my brain could have picked them up at some point earlier without me noticing

*cough* No, it's the waves.

My instinctive choice pretty much coincides with yours - I just saw those two courses and the Hermione in me raised her hand to call them before anyone else. :D Anyway, the full list of authors for Romantic Vision is: Charlotte Smith, Wordsworth, Keats, Felicia Hemans, Byron. 'Sense and Sensibility', 'Frankenstein', Mary Wollstonecraft’s 'A Short Residence in Sweden', William Godwin’s 'Life of Mary Wollstonecraft'. So poetry AND prose. The description says: "[The course] seeks to scrutinise the formation of literary categories such as ‘Romanticism’ and encourage a critical scepticism about the usefulness or otherwise of such terms." Hm? I'll send an e-mail to my course leader about the exam, that's the best I can do atm.

Oh, also, I’d totally take something called Jane Austen and her Influence (a course that I’m considering sneaking in ;P).

Argh! I want that!

I'm ignoring the bit about American Lit right now because, well, because I have enough problems as it is with the rest.

[silvia_elisa]

Oh, and I forgot to say, but your input was much much appreciated. At least when they explained the modules this morning I had a clue about Drama... ♥