Students

ENGX307 – Creative Writing 3: Narrative Fiction

2018 – S1 OUA

General Information

Download as PDF
Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Michelle Hamadache
Prerequisites Prerequisites
ENGX201 or ENGX121
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
This unit will expand on the writing theory and practice introduced in ENG210 Creative Writing: A Practical Introduction. Students will develop their creative writing with a focus on essential elements of narrative and structure. Students are encouraged to develop one or more short stories and/or a sequence of conceptually linked poems during the unit. Learning will include workshopping of student writing and doing readings and exercises throughout the Study Period. The writing done for this unit must be self-contained and written specifically for this unit (no chapters of novels). Assessment will take into account students' creative work as well as their engagement with weekly workshops and group discussions. All enrolment queries should be directed to Open Universities Australia (OUA): see www.open.edu.au

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.open.edu.au/student-admin-and-support/key-dates/

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • 1) Development of imaginative and fluent creative writing practices
  • 2) Development of capacity to realise and produce a complete piece of creative writing
  • 3) Understanding of the limits and possibilities of a variety of contemporary forms of creative writing
  • 4) Development of self-reflective, critical and analytical skills in writing and editing
  • 5) Ability to analyse, critique and discuss the work of others in a workshop context

General Assessment Information

Unit requirements and expectations

This unit encourages students to work with structure in creative writing, developing narrative short stories or, for those students wishing to work on poetry, one or more sequences of poems. The poetic sequence requires that there is an underlying thematic or other connection between the poems, providing coherency to the sequence. Exercises are provided throughout the unit to enable students to practice different writing strategies. The emphasis of the unit on narrative short story writing and poetic sequence means that students can choose their preferred genre, or work in both genres, perhaps experimenting with a genre in which they are less familiar.

To complete and pass this unit students are required to:

• complete and submit all assessment tasks on time

• participate in all required online workshop* and forum** activities including online workshops each week

• complete and submit all writing exercises to website Writing Exercise Uploads on time

• show they are prepared for discussion by doing the readings

• read and provide feedback on writing by other group members by the day and

  time of the week required by their tutor

 *students must upload their writing as an attachment to their workshop group forum by the Monday 8 am of their workshop week

**Students are required to contribute feedback on their fellow group members’ writing in the workshop forums on a weekly basis. Failure to do so results in a zero participation mark and ineligibility to pass the unit.

It is a requirement of this unit that all creative work handed in for workshop, as exercises or as assignments is new work written during this unit and engaging with unit topics. Work from a concurrent unit or from prior studies is not to be presented. Creative writing written prior to the unit commencing cannot be presented. Please see the University Academic Honesty policy below.

Presentation of assignments

  • Ensure that you proof-read your assignment before submitting it
  • Correct punctuation and grammar to the best of your ability; layout, paragraphing
  • Use double or 1.5 spacing and 12 point font and leave sufficient side margins for comments – at least 2.5 cm. No fancy fonts – Times or Arial or other plain font
  • Insert page numbering and the word count at the end of the document
  • Marks will be deducted for failure to comply with these presentation requirements.

OUA Weekly Calendar - http://www.open.edu.au/student-admin-and-support/key-dates/weekly-calendar

Assessment Submission Guidelines

Marking rubrics will be provided for written assessment tasks. A portion of marks for each written assessment piece will be assigned to presentation

All written assessments are to be submitted through Turnitin (unless otherwise specified) in word document format. 

As near as possible, word counts should be adhered to. Students who exceed the total word count for formal assessment pieces by up to 10% will not be penalised. Students who fall short of the total word count for formal assessment pieces by under 10% will not be penalised. Outside of these marginsgrades will be impacted by at least 10% of the total mark, in accordance with English Department policy. 

It is each student’s responsibility to ensure work is submitted by the due date. Extensions need to be negotiated with your instructor prior to an assessment’s due date, and will only be granted in exceptional, unforeseeable circumstances. Extensions will not be granted for final assessments without a preemptive application lodged through Ask.Mq with supporting documentation (a Professional Authority Form).

Special Consideration Policy

The University recognises that students may experience events or conditions that adversely affect their academic performance. If you experience serious and unavoidable difficulties at exam time or when assessment tasks are due, you can consider applying for Special Consideration. Link Below: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/my-study-program/special-consideration

Late Submission Penalty

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved:

  1.  penalty for lateness will apply – two (2) marks out of 100 will be deducted per day for assignments submitted after the due date – and
  2. no assignment will be accepted more than seven (7) days (incl. weekends) after the original submission deadline.

No late submissions will be accepted for timed and/or short assessments – e.g. quizzes, online tests, writing exercises.

Written feedback from your instructor will be provided through the Turnitin interface, usually in the form of in-text comments. It will be beneficial for students to read all marking rubrics prior to submitting assessment, and to reflect on feedback from their instructor. If a student does NOT read their feedback from Assignment One, they will receive a GRADE only on their second assignment, i.e., a mark only and no feedback.

University Grading Policy

The grade a student receives will signify their overall performance in meeting the learning outcomes of a unit of study. Grades will not be awarded by reference to the achievement of other students nor allocated to fit a predetermined distribution. In determining a grade, due weight will be given to the learning outcomes and level of a unit (i.e. 100, 200, 300, 800 etc.). Graded units will use the following grades:

HD

High Distinction

85—100

D

Distinction

75—84

Cr

Credit

65—74

P

Pass

50—64

F

Fail

0—49

 

Plagiarism and Academic Honesty

Academic honesty is an integral part of the core values and principles contained in the Macquarie University Ethics Statement: http://www.mq.edu.au/ethics/ethic-statement-final.html. Its fundamental principle is that all staff and students act with integrity in the creation, development, application and use of ideas and information. This means that:

  • All academic work claimed as original is the work of the author making the claim;
  • All academic collaborations are acknowledged;
  • Academic work is not falsified in any way;
  • Academic work has not been previously or concurrently submitted for assessment elsewhere; and
  • When the ideas of others are used, these ideas are acknowledged appropriately.

The link below has more details about the policy, procedure and schedule of penalties that will apply to breaches of the Academic Honesty Policy which can be viewed at: http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html

Breaches of academic honesty are taken seriously and can attract penalties, failure of the assessment task or the unit, or further disciplinary action depending on the severity of the dishonest conduct. 

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Creative Writing Assignment 1 20% No Sunday Week 8
Creative Writing Assignment 2 35% No Sunday, Week 13
Reflective Statement 15% No Sunday, Week 13
Writing Exercises 10% No Ongoing
Participation 20% No Ongoing

Creative Writing Assignment 1

Due: Sunday Week 8
Weighting: 20%

Assignment 1 is to be developed from one or more of the writing exercises done so far, or, alternatively, the assignment may be based on a piece of writing you have workshopped in your group forum, which may have been inspired by either the weekly readings, or may be an off-shoot of course-concepts explored so far. Either way, any work submitted for an assignment must have originated from this course and may not be based upon work pre-dating this Study Period, or from work outside this course. No novel chapters.

For further details about this item of assessment, please see the Unit's iLearn site. 

Word count: 2000 words (10% wiggle-room)

NB: Only short stories or poetry are acceptable. No novel chapters for either workshopping or assignments.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • 1) Development of imaginative and fluent creative writing practices
  • 2) Development of capacity to realise and produce a complete piece of creative writing
  • 3) Understanding of the limits and possibilities of a variety of contemporary forms of creative writing
  • 4) Development of self-reflective, critical and analytical skills in writing and editing

Creative Writing Assignment 2

Due: Sunday, Week 13
Weighting: 35%

Creative Writing – prose or poetry.

As per Assignment One, all writing must have originated from this course.

Word count: 2500 words or if submitting poetry, minimum 80 – 100 lines (MAX 130).

No novel chapters. Do NOT re-submit writing submitted for Assignment One. 

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • 1) Development of imaginative and fluent creative writing practices
  • 2) Development of capacity to realise and produce a complete piece of creative writing
  • 3) Understanding of the limits and possibilities of a variety of contemporary forms of creative writing
  • 4) Development of self-reflective, critical and analytical skills in writing and editing

Reflective Statement

Due: Sunday, Week 13
Weighting: 15%

The reflective essay should demonstrate your engagement with course strategies, topics and readings. It will include both observations about your own writing process in relation to craft and technique, and those course topics and readings most relevant to your writing experience. This essay has two main aims: to significantly extend the student's understanding of the readings and lectures, through a close and attentive discussion by you of the subject; and to reflect on the student's own writing as it has evolved during the semester. Students are encouraged in their reflective essay to include some discussion of the progress of their work, problems and solutions found, texts or discussions that have influenced or encouraged them.

This is not an academic paper, but a work of creative non-fiction, a personal essay, and you will be writing in the first person. The reflection should not be used to ‘prove’ that the writer’s (your) intentions have all been achieved. Do NOT submit a summary of the unit, nor an evaluation of the unit.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • 1) Development of imaginative and fluent creative writing practices
  • 2) Development of capacity to realise and produce a complete piece of creative writing
  • 3) Understanding of the limits and possibilities of a variety of contemporary forms of creative writing
  • 4) Development of self-reflective, critical and analytical skills in writing and editing
  • 5) Ability to analyse, critique and discuss the work of others in a workshop context

Writing Exercises

Due: Ongoing
Weighting: 10%

Five writing exercises, set approximately fortnightly, respond to the topics and readings to act as stimulus prompts and encourage students to extend their skills and thinking in relation to the topic. Short answers worth 2 marks each. The mark is your feedback. Late submissions are not marked.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • 1) Development of imaginative and fluent creative writing practices
  • 3) Understanding of the limits and possibilities of a variety of contemporary forms of creative writing

Participation

Due: Ongoing
Weighting: 20%

Participation in this online unit requires you to provide weekly constructive feedback on the creative writing of other members of your group. All contributions must engage with the writing or topic being discussed and you should try to respond to the other students’ postings. There are guides to workshopping and unit requirements re forum contribution located on the iLearn site. Uploading your own writing as attachment to your group forum is required, but does not earn you participation marks.

This unit requires you to contribute to Workshop Forums on a weekly basis. Failure to do so will result in a zero for participation and ineligibility to pass the unit.

5% of your participation mark is earned by playing The Creative Thinking Game. The Creative Thinking Game has a link in each week—just click on the image of books to play. Like gaming, you learn as you go along—all the information you'll need is built into the game, which is designed to develop your critical thinking and enhance your ability to engage with critical and creative material.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • 3) Understanding of the limits and possibilities of a variety of contemporary forms of creative writing
  • 4) Development of self-reflective, critical and analytical skills in writing and editing
  • 5) Ability to analyse, critique and discuss the work of others in a workshop context

Delivery and Resources

This unit is taught exclusively online through iLearn. Students must complete weekly set reading and provide succinct weekly feedback on workshop drafts to their peers. The Unit Convenor/Lecturer will contribute to weekly workshop forums. Readings will be made available through the Library’s Multisearch interface, or by way of embedded links in the case of digital texts.  Five writing exercises are set in ENGX307. These are to be submitted via the Assignment link on iLearn. This unit also uses a Creative Thinking game to encourage critical thinking and engagement with the unit readings. Contributing to the game is worth 5% of the participation mark.

All students will be given two opportunities to receive feedback on works-in-progress over the course of the session.  

Unit Schedule

Week 1

 

Introduction

Reading: Kate Grenville, ‘Getting Started’.

Writing – Ekphrasis (using a visual image/ art work) stimulus for poetry (Do this writing on your own, not submitted)

Week 2

 

Story and structure.

Reading: Jerome Stern, ‘Beginnings’, Henry Lawson, ‘The Drover’s Wife’; Marcelle Freiman 'African Heads'.

Writing Exercise 1

 

Week 3

 

Story and structure

Reading: Bill Manhire, Mutes and Earthquakes; Wallace Stevens, ‘Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird’; David Lodge, The Art of Fiction, 'Narrative Structure'.

 

Week 4

 

Narrative space – micro-plotting. Jerome Stern, ‘Zigzag’.

Writing exercise 2

 

Week 5

Narrative space – Focalization. Reading: James Joyce, ‘Araby’, Les Murray, ‘An Absolutely Ordinary Rainbow’

Writing exercise 3

 

Week 6

 

Narrative time – time frames. Reading: Lorrie Moore, ‘Paper Losses’.

Poem: A. R. Ammons, ‘Corson’s Inlet’, Charles Simic, ‘Shelley’.

 

Week 7

 

Narrative time – analepsis, prolepsis. Reading: Lorrie Moore, 'Paper Losses'.

Writing exercise 4

 

Week 8

 

Assessment due end of this week.

Workshopping, discussion of readings

 

Week 9

 

Character and dialogue – character. Reading: Hodgins ‘Character’ pp 101-110, Jerome Sterne, ‘Bear at the Door’,

Writing exercise 5

 

Week 10

 

Character and dialogue – dialogue. Reading Hodgins ‘Character’ pp 110-118; extract from Andrea Levy, Small Island; poem - Fay Zwicky, ‘Mrs Noah Speaks’; Jerome Sterne, Making Shapely Fiction, 'Dialogue'.

 

 

Week 11

 

Total Effect. Narrative structure, transitions in poetry and prose. Reading: Stern, ‘Transitions’

 

Week 12

 

Total Effect. Practical tips on finessing your writing. Reading: Jenny Newman, ‘Redrafting and Editing’

 

Week 13

 

Wrap up. Final discussions and workshops.

Assessment due end of this week.

 

Policies and Procedures

Late Submission - applies unless otherwise stated elsewhere in the unit guide

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, (a) a penalty for lateness will apply – two (2) marks out of 100 will be deducted per day for assignments submitted after the due date – and (b) no assignment will be accepted more than seven (7) days (incl. weekends) after the original submission deadline. No late submissions will be accepted for timed assessments – e.g. quizzes, online tests.

Extension Request

Special Consideration Policy and Procedure (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policies/special-consideration)

The University recognises that students may experience events or conditions that adversely affect their academic performance. If you experience serious and unavoidable difficulties at exam time or when assessment tasks are due, you can consider applying for Special Consideration.

You need to show that the circumstances:

  1. were serious, unexpected and unavoidable
  2. were beyond your control
  3. caused substantial disruption to your academic work
  4. substantially interfered with your otherwise satisfactory fulfilment of the unit requirements
  5. lasted at least three consecutive days or a total of 5 days within the teaching period and prevented completion of an assessment task scheduled for a specific date.

If you feel that your studies have been impacted submit an application as follows:

  1. Visit Ask MQ and use your OneID to log in
  2. Fill in your relevant details
  3. Attach supporting documents by clicking 'Add a reply', click 'Browse' and navigating to the files you want to attach, then click 'Submit Form' to send your notification and supporting documents
  4. Please keep copies of your original documents, as they may be requested in the future as part of the assessment process

Outcome

Once your submission is assessed, an appropriate outcome will be organised.

OUA Specific Policies and Procedures

Withdrawal from a unit after the census date

You can withdraw from your subjects prior to the census date (last day to withdraw). If you successfully withdraw before the census date, you won’t need to apply for Special Circumstances. If you find yourself unable to withdraw from your subjects before the census date - you might be able to apply for Special Circumstances. If you’re eligible, we can refund your fees and overturn your fail grade.

If you’re studying Single Subjects using FEE-HELP or paying up front, you can apply online.

If you’re studying a degree using HECS-HELP, you’ll need to apply directly to Macquarie University.

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Undergraduate students seeking more policy resources can visit the Student Policy Gateway (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/student-policy-gateway). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central).

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/getting-started/student-conduct​

Results

Results shown in iLearn, 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.

Student Support

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

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

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.

Graduate Capabilities

Creative and Innovative

Our graduates will also be capable of creative thinking and of creating knowledge. They will be imaginative and open to experience and capable of innovation at work and in the community. We want them to be engaged in applying their critical, creative thinking.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • 1) Development of imaginative and fluent creative writing practices
  • 2) Development of capacity to realise and produce a complete piece of creative writing
  • 3) Understanding of the limits and possibilities of a variety of contemporary forms of creative writing
  • 4) Development of self-reflective, critical and analytical skills in writing and editing
  • 5) Ability to analyse, critique and discuss the work of others in a workshop context

Assessment tasks

  • Creative Writing Assignment 1
  • Creative Writing Assignment 2
  • Reflective Statement
  • Writing Exercises
  • Participation

Capable of Professional and Personal Judgement and Initiative

We want our graduates to have emotional intelligence and sound interpersonal skills and to demonstrate discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgement. They will exercise initiative as needed. They will be capable of risk assessment, and be able to handle ambiguity and complexity, enabling them to be adaptable in diverse and changing environments.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • 1) Development of imaginative and fluent creative writing practices
  • 2) Development of capacity to realise and produce a complete piece of creative writing
  • 3) Understanding of the limits and possibilities of a variety of contemporary forms of creative writing
  • 4) Development of self-reflective, critical and analytical skills in writing and editing
  • 5) Ability to analyse, critique and discuss the work of others in a workshop context

Assessment tasks

  • Creative Writing Assignment 1
  • Creative Writing Assignment 2
  • Reflective Statement
  • Participation

Commitment to Continuous Learning

Our graduates will have enquiring minds and a literate curiosity which will lead them to pursue knowledge for its own sake. They will continue to pursue learning in their careers and as they participate in the world. They will be capable of reflecting on their experiences and relationships with others and the environment, learning from them, and growing - personally, professionally and socially.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • 2) Development of capacity to realise and produce a complete piece of creative writing
  • 3) Understanding of the limits and possibilities of a variety of contemporary forms of creative writing
  • 4) Development of self-reflective, critical and analytical skills in writing and editing
  • 5) Ability to analyse, critique and discuss the work of others in a workshop context

Assessment tasks

  • Creative Writing Assignment 1
  • Creative Writing Assignment 2
  • Reflective Statement
  • Writing Exercises
  • Participation

Discipline Specific Knowledge and Skills

Our graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content in their chosen fields to make them competent and confident in their subject or profession. They will be able to demonstrate, where relevant, professional technical competence and meet professional standards. They will be able to articulate the structure of knowledge of their discipline, be able to adapt discipline-specific knowledge to novel situations, and be able to contribute from their discipline to inter-disciplinary solutions to problems.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • 1) Development of imaginative and fluent creative writing practices
  • 2) Development of capacity to realise and produce a complete piece of creative writing
  • 3) Understanding of the limits and possibilities of a variety of contemporary forms of creative writing
  • 4) Development of self-reflective, critical and analytical skills in writing and editing
  • 5) Ability to analyse, critique and discuss the work of others in a workshop context

Assessment tasks

  • Creative Writing Assignment 1
  • Creative Writing Assignment 2
  • Reflective Statement
  • Writing Exercises
  • Participation

Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking

We want our graduates to be capable of reasoning, questioning and analysing, and to integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments; to be able to critique constraints, assumptions and limitations; to be able to think independently and systemically in relation to scholarly activity, in the workplace, and in the world. We want them to have a level of scientific and information technology literacy.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • 1) Development of imaginative and fluent creative writing practices
  • 2) Development of capacity to realise and produce a complete piece of creative writing
  • 3) Understanding of the limits and possibilities of a variety of contemporary forms of creative writing
  • 4) Development of self-reflective, critical and analytical skills in writing and editing
  • 5) Ability to analyse, critique and discuss the work of others in a workshop context

Assessment tasks

  • Creative Writing Assignment 1
  • Creative Writing Assignment 2
  • Reflective Statement
  • Writing Exercises
  • Participation

Problem Solving and Research Capability

Our graduates should be capable of researching; of analysing, and interpreting and assessing data and information in various forms; of drawing connections across fields of knowledge; and they should be able to relate their knowledge to complex situations at work or in the world, in order to diagnose and solve problems. We want them to have the confidence to take the initiative in doing so, within an awareness of their own limitations.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • 1) Development of imaginative and fluent creative writing practices
  • 2) Development of capacity to realise and produce a complete piece of creative writing
  • 3) Understanding of the limits and possibilities of a variety of contemporary forms of creative writing
  • 4) Development of self-reflective, critical and analytical skills in writing and editing
  • 5) Ability to analyse, critique and discuss the work of others in a workshop context

Assessment tasks

  • Creative Writing Assignment 1
  • Creative Writing Assignment 2
  • Reflective Statement
  • Participation

Effective Communication

We want to develop in our students the ability to communicate and convey their views in forms effective with different audiences. We want our graduates to take with them the capability to read, listen, question, gather and evaluate information resources in a variety of formats, assess, write clearly, speak effectively, and to use visual communication and communication technologies as appropriate.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • 1) Development of imaginative and fluent creative writing practices
  • 2) Development of capacity to realise and produce a complete piece of creative writing
  • 4) Development of self-reflective, critical and analytical skills in writing and editing
  • 5) Ability to analyse, critique and discuss the work of others in a workshop context

Assessment tasks

  • Creative Writing Assignment 1
  • Creative Writing Assignment 2
  • Reflective Statement
  • Participation

Engaged and Ethical Local and Global citizens

As local citizens our graduates will be aware of indigenous perspectives and of the nation's historical context. They will be engaged with the challenges of contemporary society and with knowledge and ideas. We want our graduates to have respect for diversity, to be open-minded, sensitive to others and inclusive, and to be open to other cultures and perspectives: they should have a level of cultural literacy. Our graduates should be aware of disadvantage and social justice, and be willing to participate to help create a wiser and better society.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

  • 5) Ability to analyse, critique and discuss the work of others in a workshop context

Assessment task

  • Participation

Socially and Environmentally Active and Responsible

We want our graduates to be aware of and have respect for self and others; to be able to work with others as a leader and a team player; to have a sense of connectedness with others and country; and to have a sense of mutual obligation. Our graduates should be informed and active participants in moving society towards sustainability.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

  • 5) Ability to analyse, critique and discuss the work of others in a workshop context

Assessment task

  • Participation

Changes since First Published

Date Description
14/02/2018 Readings adjusted