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ENGX8026 – Developing the Manuscript Project: Novel, Story Cycle, Memoir

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
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit introduces students to planning and researching a long-form creative writing work such as a novel, story cycle, or memoir. It provides students with an opportunity to produce a detailed roadmap of their project, 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 outline and the opening to their novel, story cycle, or memoir. 

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 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

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 developing long-form fiction or memoir 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?
Creative work 30% No 26/04/2026 Individual No Open AI
Project plan 30% No 07/06/2026 Individual No Observed
Portfolio 40% No 31/05/2026 Individual No Open AI

Creative work

Assessment Type 1: Creative 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

Workshopped, revised and edited opening to a novel or novella
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Produce the opening 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.

Project plan

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

Plan of the story project including synopsis, chapter breakdown, and research plan.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Produce the opening 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.

Portfolio

Assessment Type 1: Portfolio
Indicative Time on Task 2: 67 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:
  • 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.

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

Delivery and Resources

RESOURCES

You will need the following texts for this unit:

  • Hsu-Ming Teo, Love and Vertigo. Allen and Unwin, 2000. The full text is available online in the Waranara Library. Available from Allen and Unwin and Booktopia.

  • Prasanthi Ram, Nine Yard Sarees: A Short-Story Cycle. Ethos Books, 2024. Available from Booktopia and Ethos Books. One chapter from this book will be through the Library's Leganto readings. 

  • Susan Francis, The Love That Remains. Allen and Unwin, 2020. Available from Allen and Unwin, Booktopia, and Kinokuniya. 

  • Kim Kelly, The Rat Catcher: A Love Story. Brio Books, 2022. Available from Booktopia. 

 

 

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, 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 2026.03 of the Handbook