Joseph Saxon

Post Graduate Diploma/MA Creative Writing 2 years part time

I came to West Dean College after completing my Bachelors degree in Creative Writing at DeMontfort University. I emerged from my BA with the 2010 Portfolio Prize and the knowledge that I wanted to write and publish a novel. Upon discovering the Creative Writing MA at West Dean, I immediately connected with the structure of the course. It offers the freedom to explore a variety of writing forms while building the fundamental skills required to write a novel. Greg Mosse’s passion for the course and the intimate size of the student group sold it to me. Having lived primarily in Switzerland and the United States, I liked the international feel of the College. It’s such a thrill to be studying alongside such a diverse group of artists and writers. On the Creative Writing course, we all come from a variety of backgrounds, which makes workshop discussions all the more interesting and stimulating. Within this cultural medley of creativity, we all share the same goal: to write a great novel. My studies at West Dean have been incredibly challenging, but also very rewarding. In workshops, we discuss and deconstruct every aspect of writing, from the overarching structure of a novel to the minute nuances of a sentence or word. There are also technical workshops in which we learn how new media can be used to promote our work. We have frequent and intensely focused tutorials with lecturers Greg Mosse and Lesley Thomson. In addition, we are regularly visited by accomplished authors from all over the world. This MA is invaluable in preparing me for the literary world. It is the only course of its kind, one that requires each student to write his or her own novel. On completion of this course, I aim to promote my work and publish my first book.