Author Archives: Kat Dawes

About Kat Dawes

My name is Kat Dawes and I began my PhD in Creative Writing at Aberystwyth University in September 2010. My course involves writing a novel and an accompanying critical commentary. I have a BA and MA in English Literature from Cardiff University. Following on from that I worked in the IT department of Aberystwyth Uni for a couple of years before travelling, then worked as a writer and editor for a surfing magazine company in Cornwall for five years. When I saw the Creative Writing PhD opportunities on offer so near my home village in Wales, I knew it was meant to be! The course and practice-based research itself is quite new, so it’s an exciting place to be.

Voices in Fiction

Contributer: Kat Dawes    Posted: July 13, 2011
Categories: Creative Writing, Fiction Writing, Literature, Writing Tips

Voices I’ve been pondering what to write for this post, as I haven’t been that successful with my work recently. At my last meeting my supervisor again expressed doubts about my main character’s voice — it’s not very believable. Although … Read More »

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Hero Worship

Contributer: Kat Dawes    Posted: June 12, 2011
Categories: Classics, Creative Writing, Fiction Writing, Writing Tips

My supervisor asked me recently if I’ve started thinking about the critical account to accompany my novel yet. I have, but it’s at the back of my mind at the moment, as I’m concentrating on writing the book itself. I … Read More »

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World building with Mind Mapping

Contributer: Kat Dawes    Posted: May 30, 2011
Categories: Creative Writing, Literature, Writing Tips

Generally, I use a text editor called, er, TextEdit to write on my Mac. There’s nothing but a simple white window, so I have fewer distractions. I found I needed a way to keep track of characters and locations, and … Read More »

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The PhD Application Handbook

Contributer: Kat Dawes    Posted: May 10, 2011
Categories: Careers Advice & Job Information

When I found my perfect course at my perfect institution, I set about applying for a PhD with loads of enthusiasm. But I found the process far from clear, even though I have been both a student and employee in … Read More »

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Disposable PhD?

Contributer: Kat Dawes    Posted: April 22, 2011
Categories: Careers Advice & Job Information

The Economist’s 2010 Christmas Special carries an article entitled, The disposable academic, subtitled ‘Why doing a PhD is often a waste of time’. I imagine the headline and tag-line intended to raise hackles, as plenty of readers of The Economist … Read More »

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