Where this programme might take you

Career opportunities for Creative Writing graduates.

Over the course of this programme, you’ll complete a body of creative work that has been rigorously peer reviewed.

A number of our graduates have seen their student work professionally produced, such as Sarah Kamlet (now Fulton), a writer and photographer living in Los Angeles, whose ‘Ode to Jeff Goldblum’ was written for the Creative Writing MSc and subsequently made into an animated short on Funny or Die.

Our students go on to careers in a wide variety of fields, including publishing, marketing, arts administration, web and audio book editing, script and ghost writing, and gaming narrative design.

You may also follow your own creative path, becoming a published writer, or decide to extend your studies and move into a career in academia.

One of the primary skills I developed during my degree was the ability to work under tight deadlines. The games I work on are typically nearly half a million words, so I need to write quality work fast, and then edit just as quickly. If I hadn't learned to deal with being creative under pressure at Edinburgh, I would probably flounder in the games industry.

Dealing with branching narratives requires a very good eye for plot structure, which was emphasised in my classes. Through discussions [in these classes], I developed the ability to talk about my own writing with a critical eye. Communicating my goals and methods to others is crucial in the games industry, where the writer is often alone in a company.

After graduating, I worked for the BBC as a Story Writer on EastEnders and as the lead writer on a Radio 4 Afternoon Play. My play, ‘Character’, was staged at the Leicester Square Theatre in London. The MSc in Creative Writing taught me how to be disciplined about my writing. Knowing that I had to write to a deadline, and that others would be reading and critiquing my work, really brought out the best in my writing.

My favourite aspect of the MSc was the workshop. Though I was initially nervous about presenting my work to others, I soon realised what a gift it was to bounce a piece of writing around the room, opening up new ideas and avenues of exploration. I also learned a great deal about what makes a good story and compelling characters, which proved hugely beneficial to me when I went on to work in the Story Office at EastEnders.

Studying at Edinburgh exposed me to many important questions I needed to face as a new writer, and through the numerous workshops, seminars, and readings, I’ve become more critical of my own work, and am now more confident in recognising what stories I want to tell, and how I want to go about telling them.

Stories that I wrote during my time in Edinburgh have now been published by Gutter Magazine, The Harpoon Review, and by Edinburgh City of Literature, who selected me as one of 17 emerging writers to read at the 2016 International Book Festival. While I work as an animator, I have been continuing to write short stories and a novella, and am working on my first novel.