Overview
This unit provides students with an introduction to the practice and craft of creative nonfiction writing, a genre that combines factual accuracy with creative expression. Students will explore how writers transform lived experience, research, and observation into compelling narratives that engage readers while maintaining ethical integrity. Through analysis of diverse voices in the genre—from established Australian writers like Helen Garner, Raimond Gaita and Alice Pung to international innovators and emerging digital storytellers—students will develop critical frameworks for understanding how creative nonfiction responds to and shapes cultural conversations. The unit emphasises practical skill development through guided experimentation across subgenres (including memoir, personal essay, portrait, essays of place and travel writing). Students will engage with contemporary issues in nonfiction writing, including representation ethics, the boundaries between fact and memory, and the possibilities of hybrid forms and digital platforms.
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 - 2026
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).
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 evaluations
Improve assessment aims and learnings
Assessment descriptions will be reviewed to make sure students clearly understand how each task helps them learn.
Feedback from Student evaluations
Enhance opportunities for clarification
The unit will continue to encourage active participation and will introduce more opportunities for students to check their understanding throughout the term. This may involve adding interactive “knowledge checks” within the course materials (e.g., using H5P or similar tools) to help students identify areas of uncertainty. Students will also be encouraged to flag these areas with the Unit Coordinator for additional support, ensuring timely clarification and stronger engagement.