Edinburgh Napier University

  David Bishop presents an alternative to the workshop model, reprogramming the simulator of creative writing to avoid no-win scenarios. He examines how the Edinburgh Napier University program, a genre fiction-focused creative writing program in Scotland, developed a new pedagogical philosophy inspired by the masterclass methodology at conservatoires and other practice-based institutions. The program uses editorial feedback, one-to-one mentoring, and in-class coaching to help students become more critically self-reflective and more self-sufficient as writers. He discusses how this prepares students for building collaborative professional relationships with editors and agents, and for life after the program.