Students

ENGX8026 – Developing the novel or novella

2024 – Session 1, Online-flexible

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Convener
Clinton Caward
clinton.caward@mq.edu.au
Contact via Email
By Appointment
Convener
Michelle Hamadache
michelle.hamadache@mq.edu.au
Contact via Email
By Appointment
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Admission to MCrWrit
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit introduces students to planning and researching a long-form creative fiction work such as a novella or novel. It provides students with an opportunity to produce a detailed roadmap of their novel or novella, applying their knowledge of literary genres and drawing on techniques of characterisation, plotting, story arc, and themes that will be developed through intensive weekly writing exercises. By the end of this unit, students will have produced a detailed story outline and the opening to their novel or novella.

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: Produce the opening 5000 words of a novel or novella suitable for potential publication
  • ULO2: Exercise higher level editorial abilities through independent reflection, revision and rewriting of the manuscript.
  • ULO3: Locate and appraise appropriate resources to develop the novel or novella.
  • ULO4: Collaborate in the analysis and discussion of the work of others in writing workshops
  • ULO5: Plan for and conduct research relevant to the production and potential publication of a novel or novella.

General Assessment Information

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 written reports and recordings only. Late submission of time sensitive tasks (such as tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, scheduled practical assessments/labs will be addressed by the unit convenor in a Special consideration application.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Story collage 30% No Week 8, 23:55pm Sunday, 14/04/2024
Weekly preparation, participation, and workshopping 10% No Ongoing, Weeks 1-12
Writing exercises 10% No Ongoing, Weeks 1-12
Creative work 50% No Week 12, 23:55pm Sunday 26/05/2024

Story collage

Assessment Type 1: Plan
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: Week 8, 23:55pm Sunday, 14/04/2024
Weighting: 30%

 

Collage presentation of the story, including indications of plot, character, story-world and themes.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Produce the opening 5000 words of a novel or novella suitable for potential publication
  • Exercise higher level editorial abilities through independent reflection, revision and rewriting of the manuscript.
  • Locate and appraise appropriate resources to develop the novel or novella.
  • Plan for and conduct research relevant to the production and potential publication of a novel or novella.

Weekly preparation, participation, and workshopping

Assessment Type 1: Participatory task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 15 hours
Due: Ongoing, Weeks 1-12
Weighting: 10%

 

Preparation and meaningful participation in online discussions, and workshopping of other students' creative drafts.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Collaborate in the analysis and discussion of the work of others in writing workshops

Writing exercises

Assessment Type 1: Practice-based task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: Ongoing, Weeks 1-12
Weighting: 10%

 

Weekly writing exercises to develop elements of the novel or novella

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Produce the opening 5000 words of a novel or novella suitable for potential publication
  • Exercise higher level editorial abilities through independent reflection, revision and rewriting of the manuscript.
  • Locate and appraise appropriate resources to develop the novel or novella.

Creative work

Assessment Type 1: Creative work
Indicative Time on Task 2: 40 hours
Due: Week 12, 23:55pm Sunday 26/05/2024
Weighting: 50%

 

Workshopped, revised and edited opening to a novel or novella

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Produce the opening 5000 words of a novel or novella suitable for potential publication
  • Exercise higher level editorial abilities through independent reflection, revision and rewriting of the manuscript.
  • Locate and appraise appropriate resources to develop the novel or novella.
  • Collaborate in the analysis and discussion of the work of others in writing workshops
  • Plan for and conduct research relevant to the production and potential publication of a novel or novella.

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 will be recorded and made available to students through Echo360 on the ENGL/ENGX8026 iLearn site.

Lectures begin in Week 1.

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

You must participate in the weekly tutorial class via Zoom, or through the iLearn Discussion Forums beginning in week 1.

REQUIRED READINGS: 

NB: In this unit, it doesn't matter which edition you buy or borrow, or whether you purchase the e-book (when available) or hard copy.

  • Alan Watt The 90-Day Novel
  • Hsu-Ming Teo Love and Vertigo.

RECOMMENDED READINGS

These novellas will be referred to in the lecture.

  • Jenny Offill Dept of Speculation
  • William Maxwell So Long, See You Tomorrow.

The authors of the below books will be interviewed in the second half of the semester.

  • Tessa Lunney Autumn Leaves
  • Michelle Cahill Daisy and Woolf
  • Clinton Caward Love Machine

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 connect.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 the Service Connect Portal, 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.

Changes since First Published

Date Description
05/02/2024 Story Collage Due Week 8

Unit information based on version 2024.02 of the Handbook