Creative Writing courses portfolio guide

You'll need to read this guide if you're applying for any of the following courses:

What to include in your portfolio

We don’t prescribe an ideal portfolio – as applicants are from many different backgrounds – but some examples of completed work could be poetry, short stories, short articles, screenplays or a mixture of mediums.

Aim for no more than 3 pieces of writing (e.g. 3 poems, 2–3 short stories, or a mixture of mediums) demonstrating your best work. This should total 2,000 words max. Poetry submissions have a lower word count, and we recommend about 5 poems.

Include a short description with each piece of work. If produced in response to a brief, include this.

You’ll also need to complete a personal statement. Indicate in your statement what you’ve been writing, and your ambitions in studying with us.

What we're looking for

We want your portfolio to demonstrate your:

understanding of creative writing as a subject area and its application in a wider social and global context
ability to express your creative process, decision making and realisation of a complete piece of work
ability to reflect on what is, and is not, successful about your work
creativity and communication skills

Your portfolio should show:

enquiry, research and observations of the discipline of creative writing
original idea generation
conceptual development
a good level of technical ability
an ability to select, present and communicate a range of work to a professional standard