Students

ENGX3035 – Novel and Novella Writing

2024 – Session 1, Online-flexible, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Convener
Michelle Hamadache
michelle.hamadache@mq.edu.au
Contact via Email
By appointment
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 introduces students to long-form narrative writing in the genre of the novel and novella. Students apply their previous learning of narrative writing technique and craft to the creation and planning of a new work, focusing on creativity and inspiration, research and planning, drafting the plot outline, developing characters, and building the story-world. Students read and discuss novels and novellas from different genres, and engage in intensive writing practice each week, completing exercises that help them to develop the bones of their novel or novella. Students are also introduced to current industry practices and conditions. At the conclusion of this unit students will have produced the opening to a novel or novella, and a book proposal including a synopsis an outline of the 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: Produce the opening of a long-form narrative, either a novel or novella, and an outline of the work.
  • ULO2: Practice a range of methods of improvisation and drafting that support the creative development of the novel or novella.
  • ULO3: Employ close reading skills and technical creative writing terms, vocabulary and narrative studies concepts to discuss and analyse craft and technique.
  • ULO4: Collaborate in the analysis and discussion of the work of others in writing workshops.
  • ULO5: Research and select potential publication or funding opportunities.

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
Weekly preparation, participation, and workshopping 20% No Ongoing, Weeks 1-12
Creative Work 40% No Week 12, Sunday 26/05/2024
Story collage 30% No Week 8, 23:55pm Sunday, 14/04/2024
Writing exercises 10% No Week 12, Sunday 26/05/2024

Weekly preparation, participation, and workshopping

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

 

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

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Practice a range of methods of improvisation and drafting that support the creative development of the novel or novella.
  • Employ close reading skills and technical creative writing terms, vocabulary and narrative studies concepts to discuss and analyse craft and technique.
  • Collaborate in the analysis and discussion of the work of others in writing workshops.

Creative Work

Assessment Type 1: Creative work
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: Week 12, Sunday 26/05/2024
Weighting: 40%

 

Creative Work: opening 2,500 words to a novel or novella.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Produce the opening of a long-form narrative, either a novel or novella, and an outline of the work.
  • Collaborate in the analysis and discussion of the work of others in writing workshops.

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 of a long-form narrative, either a novel or novella, and an outline of the work.
  • Practice a range of methods of improvisation and drafting that support the creative development of the novel or novella.
  • Research and select potential publication or funding opportunities.

Writing exercises

Assessment Type 1: Non-academic writing
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: Week 12, Sunday 26/05/2024
Weighting: 10%

 

Guided writing exercises to develop plot, character, story-world, and themes.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Practice a range of methods of improvisation and drafting that support the creative development of the 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 begin in Week 1 in the form of Live Zoom lectures. Please consult the ENGL3035 iLearn site to access the Zoom lecture link. These lectures will be recorded and made available to students through Echo360 on the ENGL/ENGX3035 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 ENGL3035 must participate in the weekly on-campus tutorials or via Zoom. For internal students enrolled in the Special Circumstance mode, please access the the weekly Zoom tutorial links via the ENGL3035 iLearn site.

External/OUA students enrolled in ENGX3035 will participate in the weekly tutorials via the iLearn Discussion Forums beginning in week 1.

 

Required text

Alan Watt, The 90-Day Novel: Unlock the Story Within. 90-Day Novel Press, 2014.

An e-book version is available from Booktopia.com.au, while Amazon.com.au has a paperback version.

A copy will also be available in the MQ library.

 

Any other unit reading will be accessible through the ENGL/ENGX3035 iLearn site.

 

Recommended texts:

Walter Mosely, This Is The Year You Write Your Novel. Little, Brown, 2009.

Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft. Hodder & Stoughton, 2010.

Hsu-Ming Teo, Behind the Moon. Allen and Unwin, 2005. This is optional as background context to the lecture in Weeks 1-7.

Hsu-Ming Teo, Love and Vertigo. Allen and Unwin, 2000. This is optional as background context to the lecture in Week 4.

 

 

 

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.

Unit information based on version 2024.01 of the Handbook