Progression

Personal Statement 

 This is the Personal Statement I used for UCAS, 2019. With this I received one unconditional offer and conditional offers from the other Universities I applied to. After a few months, one of the conditional offers turned to unconditional. That was from Anglia Ruskin University.

In my opinion English Literature and Creative writing are the best courses in existence. I anticipate a perfect balance of reading beautifully crafted stories like The Woman in White, The Great Gatsby and A Christmas Carol and writing my own well-developed stories with intricate plots. The Woman in White, an 1860 sensational novel, has been an inspiration for me to write a story with more than one twist. I find the revealing of the main mystery early on and the introduction of new twists a compelling feature in a story. I am passionate about producing my plot ideas onto paper and like to share my small imaginary worlds with my friends through written style role-plays. I expect the course to give me the motivation and guidance to develop my story ideas, structure and style of writing to produce an actual novel or a series of novels that enjoy success in a similar nature to Harry Potter.

The A Level English Literature course has introduced me into classical literature. This type of literature shows an intriguing story alongside historical values during the time of writing. I find the historical context within which the novels are based the most fascinating for it shows a world of alien norms and values of society that used to be reality for those at the time. Marian Halcombe from The Woman in White is captivating because she is a proto feminist character from a time where patriarchal values were dominant. I have also read modern children's literature such as Darren Shan's Crique Du Freak series, Simon Mayo's Itch trilogy (which I discovered at the Norwich Book Festival), Pseudonymous Bosch's The Secret series and J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter. Before the course my interests for reading were based on entertainment and my writing aims were to entertain. This has changed to a desire to inspire or open the reader's minds about certain annoyances in modern society. I have now found out how a book can reveal ideas to the reader they may not have thought about before. A level History has the same effect. It opens my mind to what happened before my birth. The sources used are similar to classical literature. They present the writer's ideas at the time and their opinions during the event they describe. The novels which are based on historical events and thoughts inspire me to write something similar for modern events that have happened so that future generations can learn about our society norms. The university course of English Literature and Creative Writing will motivate me to write about these events or modern ideas.

In February of 2018, I participated in a University of East Anglia Literature Live event. The day demonstrated why literature is an important course to take, with literature opening the reader's minds to certain topics, and contained many interesting activities to explore the world of literature. The most enjoyable group activity for me was the examination of Shakespeare's cue scripts. I discovered, for the first time, how his actors had to listen in for the last line of the other characters before they can act out their role because they were only given their characters lines and these cue phrases. This allowed for realistic reactions and conversations between them. This new knowledge could benefit my script making because when producing a film, I could attempt this idea and see what happens.

In my free time, I have written some creative stories using the techniques I learnt in GCSE English, for instance, repetition and rhetorical questions and would like to find motivation to continue this activity. I have a passion for creating new plot ideas and translating them to paper but find this skill difficult to develop in a more sustainable manner. My favourite types of genres to write about are fantasy and realism and using a balance of both. I am passionate about reading all types of genres, having received the Honours Reading Award in school.

Summary of Intentions. 

My current intentions are to go to University, specifically Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridgeshire. I have already deferred entry into this University to do the Creative Enterprise Course, so university is my next step. I plan to study English Literature and Creative Writing, and may join an extracurricular activity to do with filmography. It’s unlikely this will change over the course of the year.