UCC creative writing student pens soap series

20 Aug 2024

• MA in Creative Writing student Abigail Johnson writes summer soap series.
• The series will be featured in print and online on The Echo.
• UCC’s MA in Creative Writing aims to unlock the potential of emerging or aspiring future writers.
  

The adventures of an American student adjusting to life in Cork is the focus a new soap opera which is serialised in The Echo in print and online which started on Monday, 19 August.

The soap ‘Hop, Skip and Stumble’ is written by Abigail Johnson who moved from Georgia, USA to Cork to pursue postgraduate studies in creative writing at University College Cork (UCC).

Now in its ninth year, The Echo’s annual feature ‘Summer Soap’ is a daily fictional series run over 12 parts in conjunction with the MA in Creative Writing programme at UCC.

Abigail’s soap follows Natalie’s exploration of a new city, making friends, including a possible romantic relationship. Abigail admits that although there are some semi-autobiographic elements, the story is very much character driven, tracing the fictional adventures of Natalie as she adjusts to life in Cork.

“It’s her first time outside of her home in the U.S, and it’s also her first time in a university environment. Students, myself included, get used to a higher degree of independence in a new place. You have to make a lot of choices for yourself for the first time in your life. I have tried to make Natalie become a lot more comfortable and she expands her horizons a little bit. This is reflective of my experience,” Abigail said.

Joining a community of writers

Reflecting on the MA in Creative Writing at UCC, Abigail said: "UCC’s Masters in Creative Writing has been a wonderful experience that I can’t praise highly enough. The program gives you the space to explore your own creative vision while providing guidance to refine your craft as a writer. Students benefit immensely from a community of fellow writers as well as gaining industry knowledge from professionals across different fields and mediums."

On her hopes for the future, Abigail said: "My oldest ambition is to get a novel published but after my experiences in this MA and seeing my own work published in a newspaper I’m looking to expand my horizons into other formats. After my thesis I’d love to look into writing scripts and articles."

Ireland's thriving literary scene

UCC’s MA Creative Writing programme supports students to develop their craft towards inventive and authentic forms of expression across a range of forms and styles, including fiction and non-fiction, journalism, teaching and publishing. The programme encourages and supports a full exploration of the creative self while also connecting students to the publishing industry and the variety of career options, including publishing and the creative arts.

It introduces students to a diverse range of creative writing techniques across fiction, drama, screenwriting and poetry. Each week, students engage with published authors and publishing professionals, encouraging immersion in the thriving literary scene in Cork, across Ireland and the wider world.

Read Episode 1 'Life at a crossroads' in Abigail’s Summer Soap series on EchoLive.ie and in print.