Overview
This unit introduces you to the basic elements of writing creatively. You will engage in weekly discussions of contemporary theory and complete practical exercises in the techniques explored via the unit Moodle website. At the end of the unit you will have acquired a working knowledge of the following creative writing techniques - Point of View, Characterisation, Dialogue, Setting, and Plot/Suspense/Pace - and will be able to plan and undertake a writing project successfully demonstrating the capacity to incorporate these techniques into the production of a 'creative artefact' (3500–4000 words in total) consisting of a creative work and a critical reflection (exegesis).
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
There are no requisites for this unit.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 2 - 2017
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Postgraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University’s Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback – Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Student unit evaluation
As a student doing my fourth degree by distance education, I found this course to be the best structured and presented that I've done. I felt engaged throughout the term with timely and comprehensive communication. The study guides, lectures and reference material were first class. The contact with lecturer and other students through the Zoom sessions was particularly helpful. Overall, I found the course most stimulating; I learnt more than I expected and enjoyed the whole experience. I'm looking forward to more of the same next term.
Unit coordinator will continue to ensure a high quality learning experience for all students.
Feedback from Student unit evaluation
I can't see that any aspect of the unit could be better. The Zoom meetings are a fantastic way to ensure that even distance education students get to experience the University culture. My Supervisor is always on hand when I need assistance and she is happy and friendly making my Masters experience a happy time for me also. I'm a writer, this could go on for some time :) I just want to say that overall, I am extremely impressed with Queensland Universities ability to embrace the on-line culture and run with it. I couldn't be happier, so no, there are no aspects of this unit that I feel needs any improvement. Thank you for allowing me to study with you.
Unit coordinator will continue to ensure flex students have opportunities to connect directly and meaningfully with their lecturer and fellow students via online platforms such as Zoom.
Feedback from Student unit evaluation
I can't think of any particular feature that would add to the quality of the course. It's comprehensive, professional and in my opinion, of the highest academic standard. It is presented by a highly qualified, experienced, dedicated and enthusiastic academic. Couldn't ask for more than that.
Unit coordinator will continue to ensure a high quality learning experience for all students.
- Develop and realise a planned writing project and manage any problems in its implementation
- Critically evaluate published academic research in contemporary creative writing theory
- Identify secondary data sources and review extant literature to develop a theoretical framework for the planned writing project
- Prepare a critical reflection based on the planned writing project
- Complete practical exercises and apply learned techniques in the planned writing project.
N/A
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment - 20% | |||||
| 2 - Written Assessment - 35% | |||||
| 3 - Written Assessment - 45% | |||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Knowledge | |||||
| 2 - Communication | |||||
| 3 - Cognitive, technical and creative skills | |||||
| 4 - Research | |||||
| 5 - Self-management | |||||
| 6 - Ethical and Professional Responsibility | |||||
| 7 - Leadership | |||||
| 8 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | |||||
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment - 20% | ||||||||
| 2 - Written Assessment - 35% | ||||||||
| 3 - Written Assessment - 45% | ||||||||
Textbooks
Imaginative Writing: elements of craft
(2007)
Authors: Burroway, J
Pearson
New York New York , United States
Binding: Paperback
Additional Textbook Information
Recommended Texts
The following texts will form essential and recommended textbooks in subsequent units in the Master of Letters (Creative Writing) course:
Casterton, Julia 2005, Creative writing: A practical guide, 3rd Ed, Macmillan, Hampshire.
Grenville, Kate 2010, The writing book, Allen & Unwin, Sydney.
King, Stephen 2000, On writing: A memoir of the craft, Scribner, New York.
Kinross-Smith, Graeme 1992, Writer: A working guide for new writers, Oxford, Melbourne.
Schaefer, Candice & Diamond, Rick 1998, The creative writing guide: poetry, literary nonfiction, fiction, drama, Addison Wesley Longman, New York.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: Harvard (author-date)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
n.anae@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Introduction: Imaginative Writing
Chapter
The set text for this unit is:
Burroway, J Imaginative Writing: elements of craft, Pearson, New York.
The references to page numbers and readings will depend on which edition of this text you have.
Readings:
'Invitation to the Writer', in Imaginative Writing: elements of craft, Pearson, New York, pp. xxi-xxviii
Chapter One 'Image', in Imaginative Writing: elements of craft, Pearson, New York, pp. 3 - 41
Events and Submissions/Topic
a) Contribute an entry to the 'Introduction: Imaginative Writing' discussion board (unit moodle site). Your entry could be a critical reflection or a draft piece of creative writing
b) Start your 'Creative writing journal' (your writing journal will prove a valuable source of reflection over this term and form your submission for Assessment Item 2: Critical Reflection Journal
c) Commence drafting Assessment Item 1: Proposal (due next week). Please refer to the exemplar to help you in creating your Proposal
Module/Topic
Getting Started
Chapter
See Unit Study Guide
Events and Submissions/Topic
a) Contribute an entry to the 'Getting Started' discussion board in the form of a creative writing piece (e.g., perhaps a response to one of the writing exercises)
b) Finalise your draft for Assessment Item 1: Proposal (due this week) and match your work against the assessment criteria and the exemplar to ensure your submission meets the assessment requirements
Written Assessment - Proposal Due: Week 2 Friday (21 July 2017) 5:00 pm AEST
Module/Topic
The Fundamentals of Writing: Fiction
Chapter
Chapter Eight: 'Fiction', in Imaginative Writing: elements of craft, Pearson, New York, pp. 272 - 305
Events and Submissions/Topic
a) Contribute an entry to the 'The Fundamentals of Writing: Fiction' discussion board in the form of a creative writing piece (e.g., perhaps a response to one of the writing exercises)
b) Comment on a fellow student's post on 'The Fundamentals of Writing: Fiction' discussion board
c) Commence work on your writing project. The major writing project will comprise 3500–4000 words in total). This work needs to successfully demonstrate the capacity to incorporate techniques (point of view, characterisation, plot, suspense and pace) into the production of a 'creative artefact' (2500–3000 words in total) consisting of a creative work and a critical reflection (exegesis: 1250–1700 words)
Module/Topic
Point of View
Chapter
'Point of View', in Imaginative Writing: elements of craft, Pearson, New York, pp. 49 - 54
Events and Submissions/Topic
a) Contribute an entry to the 'Point of View' discussion board in the form of a creative writing piece (e.g., perhaps a response to one of the writing exercises)
b) Remember to keep your 'Creative writing journal' up-to-date with weekly entries
Module/Topic
Creating believable protagonists: Characterisation
Chapter
'Character', in Imaginative Writing: elements of craft, Pearson, New York, pp. 86 - 127
Also see Unit Study Guide.
Considerations (see unit moodle site):
a) What is a 'creative artefact'?
b) What is a 'critical reflection'?
Events and Submissions/Topic
a) Contribute an entry to the 'Creating believable protagonists: Characterisation' discussion board in the form of a short creative piece focusing on 'Characterisation'
b) Comment on a fellow student's short creative piece
c) Continue to work on your writing project. The major writing project will comprise 3500–4000 words in total). This work needs to successfully demonstrate the capacity to incorporate techniques (point of view, characterisation, plot, suspense and pace) into the production of a 'creative artefact' (2500–3000 words in total) consisting of a creative work and a critical reflection (exegesis: 1250–1700 words)
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Remember to keep your 'Creative writing journal' up-to-date with weekly entries.
Module/Topic
Speaking subjects: Dialogue
Chapter
'Voice', in Imaginative Writing: elements of craft, Pearson, New York, pp. 42-85
Also See Unit Study Guide
See Unit Moodle Site
a) What is a 'creative artefact'?
b) What is an 'exegesis'?
Events and Submissions/Topic
a) Contribute an entry to the 'Speaking subjects: Dialogue' discussion board.
b) Continue progress on your writing project.
c) write a critical reflection for this week
Module/Topic
Setting: as world, as camera, as mood and symbol, as action
Chapter
Chapter Four, in Imaginative Writing: elements of craft, Pearson, New York, pp. 129 - 177
Also See Unit Study Guide
Events and Submissions/Topic
a) Contribute an entry to the 'Setting' discussion board
b) Continue progress on your writing project
c) write a critical reflection for this week
Module/Topic
Rising Action: Plot
Chapter
Chapter Five, Imaginative Writing: elements of craft, Pearson, New York, pp. 179 - 215
Events and Submissions/Topic
a) Contribute an entry to the unit Moodle 'Rising Action' discussion board
b) Continue progress on your writing project
c) write a critical reflection for this week
Module/Topic
The Fundamentals of Genre: Writing for the stage & Writing Poetry
Chapter
Chapter Nine, Imaginative Writing: elements of craft, Pearson, New York, pp. 306 - 335
Chapter Ten, Imaginative Writing: elements of craft, Pearson, New York, pp. 337 - 369
Events and Submissions/Topic
a) Contribute an entry to the 'Fundamentals of Genre' discussion board
b) Remember to keep your 'Creative writing journal' up-to-date with weekly entries
Module/Topic
Imaginative Writing
Chapter
Imagery in fiction: Imaginative Writing: elements of craft, Pearson, New York, pp. 19 - 31
Imagery in poetry: Imaginative Writing: elements of craft, Pearson, New York, pp. 31 - 37, 310
Imagery in drama: Imaginative Writing: elements of craft, Pearson, New York, pp. 37-41
Character as imagery: Imaginative Writing: elements of craft, Pearson, New York, pp. 89 - 91
Metaphor and simile: Imaginative Writing: elements of craft, Pearson, New York, pp. 11 - 13
Symbol as setting: Imaginative Writing: elements of craft, Pearson, New York, pp. 136 - 137
Events and Submissions/Topic
a) Continue revising and fine-tuning your writing project
b) Begin polishing and finalising your critical reflection (exegesis)
c) Contribute an entry to the 'Imaginative Writing' discussion board
Module/Topic
Development and Revision
Chapter
Chapter Six, Imaginative Writing: elements of craft, Pearson, New York, pp. 216 - 241
Critical Reflection Journal (considerations):
- Do my entries critically reflect on my creative decision-making regarding point of view, characterisation, plot, etc.?
- Do my entries critically reflect on my creative decision-making regarding the genre and form in which the creative work is written?
- Do my entries critically reflect on how my creative work meets/matches/diverts from what I set out to do (as stated in my Proposal)?
- Have I supported my reflections with scholarly work?
- Have I incorporated the formatting and citation standards consistent with the Harvard (author-date) system?
Events and Submissions/Topic
Due: Critical Reflection Journal
a) Contribute an entry to the unit Moodle 'Development and Revision' discussion board
b) Finalise your 'Creative writing journal' and match your entries against the assessment criteria to ensure your work meets the requirements for the item
Written Assessment - Critical Reflection Journal Due: Week 11 Friday (29 Sept 2017) 5:00 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Conclusion
Chapter
See Unit Moodle Site
Creative Artefact (considerations):
- Does my work reflect my capacity to successfully incorporate literary elements such as point of view, characterisation, plot, etc.?
- Do my work reflect the literary elements of the genre and form in which the creative work claims to be written?
- Does my creative work meet/matches/diverts from what I set out to do (as stated in my Proposal)?
- Have I supported my application of literary techniques with the scholarly work and writing activities prescribed throughout this unit?
- Have I incorporated the formatting and citation standards consistent with the Harvard (author-date) system (where necessary)?
- Is my final work thoroughly edited and flawlessly presented?
- Have I included a copy of the Proposal (Assessment Item 1) with my submission for Assessment Item 3 (placed either at the very beginning, or on the final page/s of the Creative Artefact)?
Events and Submissions/Topic
Due: Final Creative Artefact (that is, the creative work).
Finalise your 'Creative artefact' and match your submission against the assessment criteria to ensure your work meets the requirements for the item.
Written Assessment - Final Creative Piece (Creative Artefact) Due: Week 12 Friday (6 Oct 2017) 5:00 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 Written Assessment
Task Description:
Students are required to develop a 500 - 700 word 'Proposal'. The 'Proposal' will include an outline describing the basic themes, plot/story line or concept of the writing project to be undertaken over the Term.
The type of detail included in the proposal depends on the type of artefact intended. For instance, perhaps you would like to write a short story, or perhaps some poems for a book of poetry, or the first few scenes of a dramatic script for a theatre production, etc. In each case, given your work for this unit will be geared toward writing your first chapter/poems/script, your proposal will need to position the chapter/scenes/poems as sitting within the conceptual idea a larger body of work - a book of poems, a script or a novel, etc - while focusing the most attention on what you actually plan to achieve within this unit proper.
The aim of the Proposal is twofold: a) to show how the student has investigated and thought carefully about a chosen topic; and b) to ensure the writing piece will be developed and written in a suitable, achievable, and appropriate way.
The Proposal is therefore in-part a negotiation of the creative writing topic with your supervisor (Dr Nicole Anae).
The Proposal is worth 20% of your overall graded and it is a condition of the unit that the item must be submitted, approved and passed.
Week 2 Friday (21 July 2017) 5:00 pm AEST
Week 4 Friday (4 Aug 2017)
Assessment will be returned to students as soon as practicable after the end of the examination period.
The project proposal will be assessed according to the extent to which:
- the proposal evidences that it will carry-out a clearly articulated set of outcomes in reference to the genre and form of the writing project (e.g., writing the first chapter of a novel, writing a series of ten poems, writing a dramatic script, writing a short story, writing a children's book, etc.);
- the proposal identifies the specific style in which the content of the creative artefact will be written (e.g., fantasy, magic realism, horror, Gothic, paranormal, realism, historical, etc.);
- the proposal of the creative artefact represents an original piece of writing according to the chosen genre, and is of an achievable standard shown via a week-by-week timeline indicating what is to be undertaken and when in the writing process (including milestones, e.g., benchmarks achieved leading up to your Final Draft);
- the proposal is presented in a flawless literary presentation, formatting and referencing (Harvard Author-Date system);
- includes at least 5 references identified as important in ensuring that your creative artefact is informed by the literary and stylistic conventions of your chosen genre and specified style in which the content will be written.
- Develop and realise a planned writing project and manage any problems in its implementation
- Critically evaluate published academic research in contemporary creative writing theory
- Identify secondary data sources and review extant literature to develop a theoretical framework for the planned writing project
- Prepare a critical reflection based on the planned writing project
- Complete practical exercises and apply learned techniques in the planned writing project.
- Knowledge
- Communication
- Cognitive, technical and creative skills
- Research
- Self-management
- Ethical and Professional Responsibility
- Leadership
2 Written Assessment
Please refer to the unit moodle site for detailed information.
Critical Reflection Journal: Students are required to reflect weekly on their writing progress with specific reference to their experiences throughout the creative writing process. The reflective journal must discuss in a critical way how the final written piece (the creative artefact) is being/has been shaped by the various factors effecting the process of literary creation.
Students can complete their reflective journal as a blog if desired (using the weekly topic forums on the unit moodle site) or submit as a word document.
Students weekly reflections must account for the period Week 2 until Week 11 (10 weeks in total).
Each weekly reflection response is worth 3.5 marks.
Word limit: Each response should be between 200-275 words in total (references are not included in the word count).
Week 11 Friday (29 Sept 2017) 5:00 pm AEST
Review/Exam Week Friday (13 Oct 2017)
This assessment will be evaluated on the extent to which it demonstrates:
- Critical reflection regarding the ways in which the work in progress aligns with the creative intentions set out in the proposal;
- Critical reflection regarding the ways in which the work in progress is a demonstration of the critical engagement with the writing techniques identified in the proposal;
- A deliberate and concerted enterprise in seriously considering the factors which have shaped and determined the process of literary creation including; a justification of literary techniques used, a justification of chosen genre and form, a justification of how each step of the writing process as gone beyond simply sitting and writing, but offers insight into how you have critically examined your creative product in the light of contemporary theory and practice (insights each supported by critical/scholarly readings and material);
- Each critical reflection reflects flawless presentation, clarity of expression - including spelling and grammatical correctness
- Appropriate acknowledgment of sources and in-text citation using the Harvard (author-date) referencing style.
- Develop and realise a planned writing project and manage any problems in its implementation
- Critically evaluate published academic research in contemporary creative writing theory
- Identify secondary data sources and review extant literature to develop a theoretical framework for the planned writing project
- Prepare a critical reflection based on the planned writing project
- Complete practical exercises and apply learned techniques in the planned writing project.
- Knowledge
- Communication
- Cognitive, technical and creative skills
- Research
- Self-management
- Ethical and Professional Responsibility
- Leadership
3 Written Assessment
The final piece must be completed according to the topic proposed in Assessment One (The Proposal), as negotiated with their supervisor. The word count is between 2500–3000 words in total.
While it is acceptable in this unit to allow of a 10% variation (either above or below) the word count, students are strongly advised to accord with word count (taking into account variation limits, e.g., +/-10%).
Weighting: This assessment item is worth 45% of the overall grade.
Note: A copy of the Proposal (Assessment Item 1) must be included with this assessment item (placed either at the very beginning, or on the final page/s of the Creative Artefact). The Proposal will not be included in the final word count.
Week 12 Friday (6 Oct 2017) 5:00 pm AEST
Exam Week Friday (20 Oct 2017)
This assessment will be evaluated to the extent to which the work:
- Evidences a carrying-out of the points referred to in the project pitch/proposal with experimentation and innovation;
- Demonstrates an original piece of writing of the chosen genre and is of a standard clearly showing indicators for the chosen genre and publication;
- Showcases a work of a flawless, polished, and finished piece of writing at a publishable standard;
- Utilises overall clarity of expression including spelling and grammatical correctness as well as appropriate acknowledgment of sources using the Harvard( author-date) referencing style where this may be relevant.
- Develop and realise a planned writing project and manage any problems in its implementation
- Critically evaluate published academic research in contemporary creative writing theory
- Identify secondary data sources and review extant literature to develop a theoretical framework for the planned writing project
- Prepare a critical reflection based on the planned writing project
- Complete practical exercises and apply learned techniques in the planned writing project.
- Knowledge
- Communication
- Cognitive, technical and creative skills
- Research
- Self-management
- Ethical and Professional Responsibility
- Leadership
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
