Students

ENGX3007 – Writing the Short Story

2021 – Session 2, Fully online/virtual

Session 2 Learning and Teaching Update

The decision has been made to conduct study online for the remainder of Session 2 for all units WITHOUT mandatory on-campus learning activities. Exams for Session 2 will also be online where possible to do so.

This is due to the extension of the lockdown orders and to provide certainty around arrangements for the remainder of Session 2. We hope to return to campus beyond Session 2 as soon as it is safe and appropriate to do so.

Some classes/teaching activities cannot be moved online and must be taught on campus. You should already know if you are in one of these classes/teaching activities and your unit convenor will provide you with more information via iLearn. If you want to confirm, see the list of units with mandatory on-campus classes/teaching activities.

Visit the MQ COVID-19 information page for more detail.

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Michelle Hamadache
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
20cp at 2000 level including ENGX2033 or ENGX233
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit focus on developing skill in the production of short-form fiction, including short story and micro/flash fiction. Students investigate short story structures through close reading of exemplary texts, critical analysis, and writing exercises. A range of narrative techniques key to narrative fiction are explored and applied to students’ own work. Students engage in close reading and analysis of published stories. At the outcome of the unit, students will have read and analysed a range of short-form fictions and have written a short story or series of linked micro fictions for their major work.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Apply skills in relation to craft and technique to the writing of short-form fiction.
  • ULO2: Critique and evaluate their own creative writing process
  • ULO3: Utilise technical creative writing terms, vocabulary and narrative studies in discussion.
  • ULO4: Undertake close reading and analysis of literary and theoretical texts.
  • ULO5: Appraise and critique students’ creative writing in a workshop environment.

General Assessment Information

Late Assessment Submission Penalty

New Late Penalty Statement: Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved (a) a penalty for lateness will apply—10 marks out of 100 credit will be deducted per day for assignments submitted after the due date—and (b) no assignment will be accepted seven days (incl. weekends) after the original submission deadline.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Creative Work (major) 50% No 23:59 25/10/2021
Participatory task 30% No Ongoing
Quizzes 20% No 23:59 12/09/2021

Creative Work (major)

Assessment Type 1: Creative work
Indicative Time on Task 2: 50 hours
Due: 23:59 25/10/2021
Weighting: 50%

 

A complete short story; or a series of three or more thematically or stylistically linked micro fictions/flash fictions. The work will develop upon one or both of the workshop drafts submitted for workshop; and may also have developed upon one or more of the Writing Exercises. The Creative Work (Major) must have been workshopped, and students are expected to have developed their work substantially following the workshop.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Apply skills in relation to craft and technique to the writing of short-form fiction.
  • Utilise technical creative writing terms, vocabulary and narrative studies in discussion.
  • Appraise and critique students’ creative writing in a workshop environment.

Participatory task

Assessment Type 1: Participatory task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 40 hours
Due: Ongoing
Weighting: 30%

 

Students undertake to prepare for each class or weekly module by reading the set readings and listening to scheduled lectures; complete in-class worksheets that build on the discussions and topics; participate in writing workshops providing verbal and/or written feedback to peers in their workshop groups; contribute to in-class or online discussion of lectures and readings.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Apply skills in relation to craft and technique to the writing of short-form fiction.
  • Critique and evaluate their own creative writing process
  • Utilise technical creative writing terms, vocabulary and narrative studies in discussion.
  • Undertake close reading and analysis of literary and theoretical texts.
  • Appraise and critique students’ creative writing in a workshop environment.

Quizzes

Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 4 hours
Due: 23:59 12/09/2021
Weighting: 20%

 

Two online quizzes enable students to review and consolidate the concepts, topics, and content of the readings and lectures.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Utilise technical creative writing terms, vocabulary and narrative studies in discussion.
  • Undertake close reading and analysis of literary and theoretical texts.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

Lectures

Lectures begin in Week 1. Live Zoom lectures will take place on Mondays 11am. Please consult the ENGL/ENGX3007 iLearn site to access the Zoom lecture link. These lectures will be recorded and made available to students through Echo360 on the ENGL/ENGX3007 iLearn site.

Listening to the lectures is expected before participating in the weekly tutorial. Missing lectures will reduce your opportunities for learning and probably result in poor marks across the unit.

Tutorials

Depending on your mode of enrolment, internal students in ENGL3007 must participate in the weekly on-campus tutorials or via Zoom. For internal students enrolled in the Special Circumstance mode, please access the weekly Zoom tutorial links via the ENGL3007 iLearn site.

External/OUA students enrolled in ENGX3007 will participate in the weekly tutorials via the iLearn Discussion Forums beginning in week 1.

Readings

Readings will be made available via the Leganto Link on the iLearn site. 

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to help you improve your marks and take control of your study.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

If you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Changes from Previous Offering

In response to student feedback and unit learning outcomes, quizzes will be replaced by a minor creative work. To align with unit learning outcomes, the weighting of the major assessment is now 40% and the minor creative work is worth 30%. Full details onENGL/ENGX3007 iLearn site.


Unit information based on version 2021.01 of the Handbook