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ENGL8015 – Writing Creative Nonfiction

2026 – Session 1, Online-flexible

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Hsu-Ming Teo
hsuming.teo@mq.edu.au
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Admission to MCrWrit or MCrInd
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

In this practical introduction to creative nonfiction, students learn to research and write narrative nonfiction pieces such as the personal essay, memoir, family history, and writing about places and objects. We examine some of the great nonfiction essayists and analyse the local and international contexts in which these works are produced. You devise your topics in consultation with the lecturer, and are guided in the development of skills in primary research and narrative writing techniques.

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: Develop creative nonfiction writing and reading skills in relation to concepts, topics, craft, technique and voice
  • ULO2: Plan, write, edit and rewrite text-based creative nonfiction works
  • ULO3: Analyse and discuss the work of others in varied writing communities
  • ULO4: Undertake advanced research utilising libraries, journal and archival databases, visual records, site visits and/or interviews
  • ULO5: Demonstrate knowledge of Australian and international writing and publishing.

General Assessment Information

Details about all assessments and templates with instructions and pre-formatted layouts can be found on the unit iLearn site.

 

Assignment submission

Assignments are to be submitted through Turnitin on iLearn. The assignments relate to building creative nonfiction writing skills. They will be assessed according to the appropriate rubrics which will be provided on the unit's iLearn site.

Students must  be able to upload, download, and print Word documents. Word documents and PDFs are the only formats accepted for Turnitin assignments.

 

Late Assignment 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 Groupwork/Individual Short Extension AI assisted?
Project Plan 30% No 26/04/2026 Individual No Open AI
Creative work 30% No 07/06/2026 Individual No Open AI
Portfolio 40% No 31/05/2026 Individual No Open AI

Project Plan

Assessment Type 1: Professional task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 25 hours
Due: 26/04/2026
Weighting: 30%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI assisted?: Open AI

Proposal or plan for major creative work
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Develop creative nonfiction writing and reading skills in relation to concepts, topics, craft, technique and voice
  • Plan, write, edit and rewrite text-based creative nonfiction works
  • Undertake advanced research utilising libraries, journal and archival databases, visual records, site visits and/or interviews
  • Demonstrate knowledge of Australian and international writing and publishing.

Creative work

Assessment Type 1: Creative task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 25 hours
Due: 07/06/2026
Weighting: 30%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI assisted?: Open AI

Creative non-fiction work incorporating concepts from unit
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Develop creative nonfiction writing and reading skills in relation to concepts, topics, craft, technique and voice
  • Plan, write, edit and rewrite text-based creative nonfiction works
  • Undertake advanced research utilising libraries, journal and archival databases, visual records, site visits and/or interviews
  • Demonstrate knowledge of Australian and international writing and publishing.

Portfolio

Assessment Type 1: Portfolio
Indicative Time on Task 2: 65 hours
Due: 31/05/2026
Weighting: 40%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI assisted?: Open AI

Portfolio of formative learning activities completed throughout the unit.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Develop creative nonfiction writing and reading skills in relation to concepts, topics, craft, technique and voice
  • Plan, write, edit and rewrite text-based creative nonfiction works
  • Analyse and discuss the work of others in varied writing communities
  • Undertake advanced research utilising libraries, journal and archival databases, visual records, site visits and/or interviews
  • Demonstrate knowledge of Australian and international writing and publishing.

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.

3 An automatic short extension is available for some assessments. Apply through the Service Connect Portal.

Delivery and Resources

RESOURCES

Students will need the following books for this unit:

  • Brenda Miller and Suzanne Paola, Tell It Slant. 3rd ed. McGraw Hill, 2019. Available from Booktopia. Also available online in the Waranara Library.
  • Living With Illness and Disability: Poised on the Pointe of Pain - 'Nureyev's Foot' and Other Essays. WestWords, 2025. Available from WestWords. One chapter from this volume will also be available through the Library's Leganto readings.

All other required readings in this unit can be accessed via the Leganto link in the unit's iLearn website.

 

DELIVERY

 

This unit is delivered using the 'flipped classroom' model, which means that students learn content before class and apply it during class. The unit is designed for students to learn at their own pace. Resources, including recorded lectures and readings, are available at the start of the semester. 

 

LECTURES

Lectures are pre-recorded and accessible via the unit's iLearn site. 

 

TUTORIALS

Classes start in Week 1.

  • On-campus (in-person scheduled weekday) students: There will be a one-hour weekly tutorial to discuss unit concepts and content, and writing techniques. 
  • All other students: Discussion of unit concepts, content, and writing techniques will take place online.

See the unit iLearn site for further details.

Participation in tutorial classes or online discussion forums is optional in this unit. 

 

Unit Webpage and Technology required

Online units can are accessed at: http://ilearn.mq.edu.au/. 

PC and Internet access are required, Broadband or WiFi connection is essential. Basic computer skills and skills in word processing are also a requirement. Webcam or internal camera for Zoom classes if needed. 

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/

Academic Success

Academic Success 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 2026.04 of the Handbook