Task Description:

Students are required to develop a 500 word 'proposal/pitch' for a publication of their choice (e.g. Magazine, journal, literary review, etc.).

The 'proposal/pitch' will include an outline describing the basic themes, plot/story line or concept of the writing project for the Term and must be topic specific to the submission requirements of the chosen publication.

The publication will dictate topic, tone, required images, word length, etc. The aim of the pitch is twofold: a) to show how the student's chosen topic fits the publication criteria; and b) to ensure the writing piece will be developed and written in a suitable and appropriate way.

The proposal/pitch is the student's negotiation the topic with their lecturer.

The Pitch/Proposal is non-graded but it is a condition of the unit that the item must be submitted and approved.

• Your proposal/pitch must identify a publication of choice (e.g. Magazine, journal, literary review, etc.)
• Your creative writing project will be determined by the submission requirements of the chosen publication, but may take the form of a short story, play, suite of poems, a children's story, or any approved mixture of these, and must indicate a specific experimental writing technique to be used.
• Your proposal/pitch should show evidence of the chosen genre and form of your writing project, but should also show evidence of how your story, suite of poems, dramatic script, etc., will use experimental writing techniques, e.g., 'stream of consciousness, multiple viewpoint, realism, impressionism, etc., anti-realism, memoire,' among other types such as metafiction, Avant-pop, experimental life writing, or digital fiction, etc., (where relevant).
• Your proposal needs to explain the standard to which your final piece/s aspires as well as showing that it is actually achievable and the sources you have consulted (these details will be mediated, to some degree, by the requirements of the chosen publication).
• As the creative component of the final assessment for this unit is 2000 words in length, your project may be in the form of two-three pieces totalling 2000 words (depending on the publication), or, one complete piece totalling 2000 words (again, depending on the submission requirements of your chosen publication).
• You will be encouraged to actually submit your piece/pieces to the publication of choice, although this is not compulsory nor a condition of the unit.

Hot Tips: (include in your submission):

• A clear conceptualisation of the project taking into account the requirements of the unit and those of the publication of choice;
• A description of the 'standard' to which the work aspires based on research and the requirements of the publication of choice (e.g., if you intend on writing a 'magic realism children's story' then state the indicators for this genre and the literary qualities that make your creative artefact a magic realist children's story and not some other genre);
• Explanation of the characteristics of the chosen genre and how the artefact contributes, reworks, experiments with and/or affirms these;
• Some idea of the method to be used in producing the artefact (i.e. beyond just sitting and writing - what research is needed, how will this influence what is written, timelines, publication requirements, etc.,);
• Where appropriate, a brief review of relevant subject matter (for example, if you intent to write a surrealist memoir based on a real historical figure, then some research on this figure and the context in which they lived would be appropriate as well as an indication if primary source material is actually available, etc.)
• Any other relevant detail relating to the intended writing project and the publication of choice.

NOTE: Creative writing pieces submitted WITHOUT a prior proposal/pitch being received and marked will be penalised (as Assessment Item 2 and 3 are conditional on the submission of an approved pitch/proposal as indicated in the assessment criteria for each item).

The Proposal will be evaluated according to the extent to which:

1. 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.)
2. the proposal identifies the specific publication of choice and the style in which the content of the creative artefact will be written (e.g., stream of consciousness, multiple viewpoint, realism, impressionism, etc., anti-realism, memoire, paranormal, metafiction, Avant-pop, experimental life writing, or digital fiction, etc.)
3. the proposal of the creative artefact represents an original piece of writing according to the chosen genre and requirements of the nominated publication, 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 Assessment 2 - Online Learning Log, benchmarks achieved leading up to Assessment 3 - Final Creative Artefact)
4. the proposal defines key literary concepts (e.g., 'point of view', 'short story', 'multiple viewpoint', 'magic realism', etc.), using credible/scholarly sources
5. the proposal includes; a) at least 5 scholarly/credible references identified as important in ensuring that your creative artefact is informed by the literary and stylistic conventions of your chosen genre, the specified style, and experimental writing technique/s in which the content will be written and b), is presented in a flawless literary presentation, formatting and referencing (Harvard Author-Date system).

Online Learning Log: Students are required to complete an online learning log reflecting critically on their weekly progress through the writing process with specific reference to their experiences using/applying the experimental creative writing techniques under consideration.

The learning log must discuss in a clearly critical and objective way how the final written piece (Assessment Item 3: the creative artefact) is being/has been shaped by the experimental writing techniques used/applied in the process of literary creation (poetry/play/story writing, etc.).

Your learning log must account for the Discussion Questions from Week 3 until Week 11 (inclusive) and 9 (nine) critical responses are required in total.

Each weekly Discussion Question response is worth 5 marks (5 x 9 learning log entries).

This item is worth 45% of your final grade.

Word limit: Each Discussion Question response should be between 200-250 words in total (references are not included in the word count).

NOTE: Students complete their online learning journal using the Discussion Forums located in each weekly Topic Section on the unit moodle site. Students respond to each weekly Discussion Forum Question and simply upload a completed Online Learning Log - Blog Submissions form (available on the assessment item description) as their submission for this assessment item.

Remember, it is crucial that your learning log represents a deliberate process of 'stepping outside yourself' and viewing your work objectively: 'It asks us to think about our practice and ideas and then it challenges us to step-back and examine our thinking by asking probing questions. It asks us to not only delve into the past and look at the present but importantly it asks us to speculate about the future and act' (State Government of Victoria 2007).

This assessment item will be evaluated on the extent to which:

1. the learning log critically discusses the carrying-out the articulated set of outcomes of the Proposal 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.)
2. the learning log provides critical commentary on the specific style in which the content of the creative artefact will be/has been written (e.g., stream of consciousness, multiple viewpoint, realism, impressionism, etc., anti-realism, memoire, paranormal, etc.)
3. the learning log objectively examines the implications of the chosen experimental writing technic as regards plot, setting, rising action, characterisation, dialogue, sequencing, etc., or any other literary element represents an original piece of writing
4. the learning log comments on two learning log posts, per week, posted by another student (either different students each week, or, the same two students over the course of the term)
5. the learning log is presented in a flawless literary presentation, formatting and in-text referencing using the Harvard (author-date) referencing style, and, includes at least 4 references per learning log entry identified as important in ensuring that the creative artefact is informed by the literary and stylistic conventions of the chosen genre and the specified style in which the content will be written.

Please see the unit moodle site for specific details about this assessment item.

Students are required to complete at least one piece of writing of a publishable standard.

The publishable piece must be completed according to the topic proposed in Assessment One ('The Pitch'/Proposal), as negotiated with the unit lecturer.

The word count is negotiable depending on the genre of the writing and the publication requirements of the chosen publication.

You will be encouraged to actually submit your piece/pieces to the publication of choice, although this is not compulsory nor a condition of the unit.

The assessment item is worth 55% of the overall grade.

This item will be marked and returned as soon as possible after Term 2 classes conclude.

This assessment will be evaluated to the extent to which the work:

1. Evidences a carrying-out of the points referred to in the project pitch/proposal with experimentation and innovation;

2. Demonstrates an original piece of writing in the nominated experimental writing technique and of the chosen genre, and is of a standard clearly showing indicators for the chosen genre and publication;

3. Showcases a work of a flawless, polished, and finished piece of writing at a publishable standard;

4. Evidences the sustained use of recommended theoretical concepts in supporting work, whether a creative or critical component;

5. 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.