Students

ENGX8017 – Writing the Past, Building New Worlds: Fiction and Non-Fiction

2023 – Session 2, Online-flexible

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Convenor
Jimmy Van
jimmy.van@mq.edu.au
Contact via Email
25WW B214
By appointment
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Admission to MCrWrit (OUA)
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

Research is fundamental to creating innovative writing and constructing a believable storyworld: the shared universe within which settings, characters, and events unfold in a narrative. This unit focuses on developing the different types of research skills needed to create believable characters and vivid settings, and to use historical and contemporary events to ignite the imagination. Students learn how to engage in research that provides: relevant factual information for their topic; background material to assist with world-building; up-to-date scholarship on their genre of writing to gain a critical understanding of how their field has developed, and to identify current trends. Skills learned apply to different genres of writing such as historical or contemporary fiction, fantasy or futuristic writing, romance, crime, local or family history, and biography.

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: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of how creative writers incorporate different types of research into different forms and genres of writing.
  • ULO2: Identify and analyse written works that engage with relevant historical, social, cultural, global and ethical issues within particular genres of writing.
  • ULO3: Apply specialised research skills and creative language skills to produce a narrative or other textual forms of creative writing.
  • ULO4: Create a major written work that incorporates specialised knowledge and understanding of a specific period of history, or that explores current issues within contemporary, futuristic or fantasy writing.
  • ULO5: Analyse and appraise the work of others in writing communities.

General Assessment Information

Late Assessment Submission Penalty  

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a mark of ‘0’ (zero) will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11.55pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical issue.    

This late penalty will apply to non-timed sensitive assessment (incl essays, reports, posters, portfolios, journals, recordings etc). Late submission of time sensitive tasks (such as tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, scheduled practical assessments/labs etc) will only be addressed by the unit convenor in a Special consideration application. Special Consideration outcome may result in a new question or topic. 

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Participatory task 30% No Ongoing, weeks 1-12, online forums
Project plan 30% No 23:55 on 03/09/2023
Creative work 40% No 23:55 on 29/10/2023

Participatory task

Assessment Type 1: Participatory task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 36 hours
Due: Ongoing, weeks 1-12, online forums
Weighting: 30%

 

Preparatory reading of set texts and other students’ creative works. Answering questions in weekly online tutorials and contributing meaningfully to online discussions. Providing critical feedback on other students’ creative works.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of how creative writers incorporate different types of research into different forms and genres of writing.
  • Identify and analyse written works that engage with relevant historical, social, cultural, global and ethical issues within particular genres of writing.
  • Analyse and appraise the work of others in writing communities.

Project plan

Assessment Type 1: Plan
Indicative Time on Task 2: 16 hours
Due: 23:55 on 03/09/2023
Weighting: 30%

 

1000 word plan of creative writing project including: story pitch, discussion of research needed to build the storyworld, and bibliography.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Apply specialised research skills and creative language skills to produce a narrative or other textual forms of creative writing.
  • Create a major written work that incorporates specialised knowledge and understanding of a specific period of history, or that explores current issues within contemporary, futuristic or fantasy writing.
  • Analyse and appraise the work of others in writing communities.

Creative work

Assessment Type 1: Creative work
Indicative Time on Task 2: 48 hours
Due: 23:55 on 29/10/2023
Weighting: 40%

 

2000 word creative writing piece based on a particular genre or genres, accompanied by a 500 word reflective statement explaining techniques used and the research underpinning the creative work.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of how creative writers incorporate different types of research into different forms and genres of writing.
  • Identify and analyse written works that engage with relevant historical, social, cultural, global and ethical issues within particular genres of writing.
  • Apply specialised research skills and creative language skills to produce a narrative or other textual forms of creative writing.
  • Create a major written work that incorporates specialised knowledge and understanding of a specific period of history, or that explores current issues within contemporary, futuristic or fantasy writing.
  • Analyse and appraise the work of others in writing communities.

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

Delivery

For this unit, classes will begin in week 1.

Required Textbooks

Kate Grenville, The Secret River. Text, 2013. (Earlier versions also acceptable.)

Kate Grenville, Searching for The Secret River. Text, 2008.

George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones. HarperCollins, 1997.

You may use e-book versions as long as they are properly cited according to MLA style in your work.

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

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

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

The Writing Centre

The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

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

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via AskMQ, or contact Service Connect.

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.

Unit information based on version 2023.01R of the Handbook