ES1501C

ES1501C - Fact and Truth in Crime and Disaster Writing

Can facts be assembled to reveal the truth of an event? Is it possible the truth of an event can be subjective? Looking at classic and current examples of non-fiction crime and disaster writing, we will explore the craft of writing on sensitive subjects with objectivity and clarity. Crime and disaster stories require detailed anecdotes and descriptions to hold the reader. However, they often draw upon official documents that are sometimes bland statements of fact, eyewitness accounts that vary greatly, or the seemingly hidden world of text and social media. We will cast a critical eye over this process of building essays, reports or memos with facts and interviews and discuss how some of the best writers in the business get it right, or not.

Objectives

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

  • develop an understanding of how to build up a solid thesis that can withstand critical scrutiny.
  • structure an essay assignment to retain reader interest by using simple prose and vivid anecdotes to get a point across.
  • argue persuasively in writing and in presentations to build up a case that is grounded in fair and ethical research and explanations.
  • assess and compare official and anecdotal sources of information and look for ways to test received wisdom.
  • understand the staying power of putting down information in a digital format.

Assessment

ES1501C is a 100% Continuous Assessment module.

Prerequisites

  • If students are required to take ES1000, Basic English, and/or ES1102, English for Academic Purposes, they must complete those modules before taking this course.
  • FOE students should have obtained an A grade in the Singapore-Cambridge GCE ‘A’ level General Paper in order to be eligible for this module.

Preclusions

U-Town Writing Programme modules IEM1201A-L, WP2201, ES1201L and all other ES1501 modules.

  • FOE students will be exempted from ES1531 and ES2331 if they have successfully completed an ES1501 module.
  • However, ES1531 and ES2331 are optional for FOE students who have successfully completed an ES1501 module.

Modular Credits

Four

Workload

0-4-0-0-6