A proposal should be prepared and submitted for approval, and there are a number of factors that should be included. Taken together, your Dissertation - comprising your creative artefact (completed in this unit) and exegesis (completed in WRIT28001) - will need to combine a technical engagement with critical creative-arts research practice, with an emphasis on an extended and dedicated critical and theoretical reflection of the critical aspect of the creative writing artefact under question (the exegesis). This requires you to demonstrate advanced level cognitive, technical and creative skills in making an original contribution to a field or genre.

The Proposal
The proposal is a statement of intention, typically 1000-1570 words of what you intend to work on in producing a 'creative artefact'. The word count is considered from the first word of the introduction to the last word of the conclusion. It excludes the cover page, abstract, contents page, reference page and appendices. It includes in-text references and direct quotations. A -/+ 10% allowance (below/over) the specified word limit is acceptable.

The envisioned work should be a stand alone, 'volume length' piece of sustained creative writing ('volume length' means the natural length of a short story, novelette, series of poems, children's story, dramatic script, etc., depending on genre), rather than, for instance, the first chapter of a novel or some other linked work. The type of detail included in the proposal depends on the type of artefact intended. The proposal must specify what you intend to achieve (based on evident research) within the duration of this unit - WRIT13014 Creative Writing Artefact.

You must research and understand the elements of literary style characterising your intended genre if you intend to produce creative work within that genre.

There are a number of possible foci for the proposal (these may become key points):

1. A clear conceptualisation of the project including a rationale (i.e. the exegesis, while it does include a number of components, should focus on the artefact in question - it is not a separate essay that focuses on other things)
2. A description of the 'standard' to which the work aspires based on research (e.g., if you intend on writing a 'children's story' then state the indicators for this genre and the literary qualities that make your creative artefact a children's story and not some other genre);
3. Characteristics of the chosen genre and how the artefact contributes, reworks, experiments with and/or affirms these and why;
4. 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, etc.) and a provisional step-by-step timeline accounting for your intended progress over the duration of the unit (Weeks 1 to 12). It is strongly recommended that students adopt the 'practice-based' method in producing the artefact.
5. Where appropriate, a brief review of relevant subject matter (e.g. many artefacts focus on historical figures, and so some research on this figure and the context in which they lived might be appropriate)
6. Flawless presentation including grammatical correctness and Harvard style formatting and referencing.

The project proposal will be assessed according to the extent to which the proposal:

A. Knowledge and Creativity

• aims to explore, affirm and/or experiment with characteristics of the chosen genre

B. Innovation

        •  the intentions for the artefact:

1. as a unique and realised adventure into the creative process
2. to potentially contribute to original and new applications within the genre discipline/s)
3. to offer a proficient treatment of the chosen medium and/or genre, and the extent to which it affords evidence of originality in conception, innovation, and/or execution
4. for potential publication

C. Research

• A realistic step-by-step timeline accounting for what is to be done, and when
• Evidence of sound scholarly and authoritative sources in presenting an overview of the intended creative project
• Knowledge of generic conventions based on scholarly and authoritative sources
• Evidence of 'critical' creative writing research in the development of conceptual ideas
• Evidence of 'creative' writing research in the application of conceptual ideas

D. Presentation

• Quality of the creative project's presentation
• Quality of imaginative perspectives, and/or insights intended for the creative enterprise as regards genre/s and literary style
• Quality of the expression in describing the project within the field of the creative writing discipline
• Clarity, cohesion and integration into the writing and argumentation (your intentions defended and justified)
• Quality of documentation including formatting and adherence to Harvard (author-date) style conventions

NOTE: Late assignments submitted after the due date without an approved extension will receive a grade (with late penalty applied) but no feedback.

There are a number of possible foci for the proposal (these may become key points):

1. A clear conceptualisation of the project including a rationale (i.e. the exegesis, while it does include a number of components, should focus on the artefact in question - it is not a separate essay that focuses on other things)
2. A description of the 'standard' to which the work aspires based on research (e.g., if you intend on writing a 'children's story' then state the indicators for this genre and the literary qualities that make your creative artefact a children's story and not some other genre);
3. Characteristics of the chosen genre and how the artefact contributes, reworks, experiments with and/or affirms these and why;
4. 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, etc.) and a provisional step-by-step timeline accounting for the duration of the unit (Weeks 1 to 12). It is strongly recommended that students adopt the 'practice-based' method in producing the artefact.
5. Where appropriate, a brief review of relevant subject matter (e.g. many artefacts focus on historical figures, and so some research on this figure and the context in which they lived might be appropriate)
6. Flawless presentation including grammatical correctness and Harvard style formatting and referencing.

The project proposal will be assessed according to the extent to which the proposal:

A. Knowledge and Creativity

• aims to explore, affirm and/or experiment with characteristics of the chosen genre

B. Innovation

• the intentions for the artefact:

1. as a unique and realised adventure into the creative process
2. to potentially contribute to original and new applications within the genre discipline/s)
3. to offer a proficient treatment of the chosen medium and/or genre, and the extent to which it affords evidence of originality in conception, innovation, and/or execution
4. for potential publication

C. Research

• A step-by-step timeline accounting for what is to be done, and when
• Evidence of sound scholarly and authoritative sources in presenting an overview of the intended creative project
• Knowledge of generic conventions based on scholarly and authoritative sources
• Evidence of 'critical' creative writing research in the development of conceptual ideas
• Evidence of 'creative' writing research in the application of conceptual ideas

D. Presentation

• Quality of the creative project's presentation
• Quality of imaginative perspectives, and/or insights intended for the creative enterprise as regards genre/s and literary style
• Quality of the expression in describing the project within the field of the creative writing discipline
• Clarity, cohesion and integration into the writing and argumentation (your intentions defended and justified)
• Quality of documentation including formatting and adherence to Harvard (author-date) style conventions

Students will create a Critical Review in the form of a reflection journal for the purposes of this unit. This is a piece of 'critical' writing (to distinguish this from the 'creative' writing of the artefact). It is expected that this piece will help to inform your exegesis (completed in WRIT28001 Creative Writing: Exegesis).

Typically, an exegesis ('explanation or interpretation') is no more than 25-33% of the dissertation proper. At this stage of the process, this item is a work-in-progress only.

As it is not intended as a final exegesis by any means, the word count for the submission can be up to 3500 words. The word count is considered from the first word of the introduction to the last word of the conclusion. It excludes the cover page, abstract, contents page, reference page and appendices. It includes in-text references and direct quotations. A -/+ 10% allowance (below/over) the specified word limit is acceptable.

The aim is to develop a number of simple recording methods to help you track your creative process and progress.

It is only when the creative process is actually tentatively finished (typically by the end of this unit), that you should start analysing the process you used, the decisions you made and the context in which you made them (this phase commences in WRIT28001).

Simple recording methods might include:

• Keeping a visual diary of your work, showing its progress and transformations
• Keeping written notes alongside the visuals
• Keeping a list of relevant scholarly and authoritative sources and readings
• Keeping a blog or informal journal to reflect on such things as your intentions, ideas, methods, problems, reading.

As part of this work-in-progress process, you may also start to develop a brief literature review of relevant subject matter.

While the Critical Review is a work-in-progress only, it is worth 40% of your final grade for this unit. Therefore, supervisor feedback will be given on this piece as well as a grade.

The Critical Review will be assessed on the extent to which it:

1. Presents an informed approach to critically recording and analysing the creative writing processes in progress, including some possible topic areas of research (to be developed in WRIT28001)
2. Presents an informed approach to critically recording and considering the context that has engendered or informed the creative writing work in progress
3. Presents an informed approach to recognising and ensuring a critically balance between creative writing theory and practice (utilising the 'practice-based' research approach)
4. Presents an informed approach to critical research using (no less than 10) scholarly and authoritative sources
5. Presents superior quality referencing and formatting using the Harvard (author-date) style conventions.

NOTE: Late assignments submitted after the due date without an approved extension will receive a grade (with late penalty applied) but no feedback.

The Critical Review will be assessed on the extent to which it:

1. Presents an informed approach to critically recording and analysing the creative writing processes in progress, including some possible topic areas of research (to be developed in WRIT28001)
2. Presents an informed approach to critically recording and considering the context that has engendered or informed the creative writing work in progress
3. Presents an informed approach to recognising and ensuring a critically balance between creative writing theory and practice (utilising the 'practice-based' research approach)
4. Presents an informed approach to critical (practice-based) research using (no less than 10) scholarly and authoritative sources
5. Presents superior quality referencing and formatting using the Harvard (author-date) style conventions.

NOTE: Late assignments submitted after the due date without an approved extension will receive a grade (with late penalty applied) but no feedback.

This unit requires you to write a substantial creative piece (creative artefact) to as close to a polished final draft as possible.

In this unit, this piece will be provisionally accompanied by a 'critical reflection journal' (Assessment Item 2) but when the time comes, you may choose to make some small revisions to the draft version of your creative artefact, as this piece will be formally accompanied by an exegesis (which will be completed in WRIT28001 Creative Writing Exegesis).

Therefore, the complete dissertation proper is one sustained project, over two units, not two separate unit projects. The final creative artefact together with the exegesis (completed in WRIT28001) as a combined Dissertation document will be assessed by external examination involving two separate examiners. This process mimics the 'blind review' method adopted for Creative Writing examination.

The word length of the complete dissertation proper will be no fewer than 10 000 words, and no more than 15 000 words. With the exegesis portion of the document (completed in WRIT28001) accounting for around 25% - 33% of the total word count, the word length of the creative artefact will typically range between 9 000 - 10 000 words.

The word count is considered from the first word of the introduction to the last word of the conclusion. It excludes the cover page, abstract, contents page, reference page and appendices. It includes in-text references and direct quotations.

The creative piece you complete in this Unit will also be expected to reflect the writing skills acquired through WRIT11023, WRIT12012, WRIT11025, WRIT13013 where appropriate.

Supervisor feedback will be given on this piece, and the weighting of the item is 50% of your total grade.

The final creative writing project will be assessed according to the extent to which the creative work

• Demonstrates a systematic and coherent knowledge of creative writing stylistic principles in one or more genres/li>
• Incorporates advanced stylistic and technical concepts in one or more areas of creative writing practice
• Applies critical reflective practice in objectively tracking the development of the creative artefact over time.

The assessment criteria for Assessment Item 3 is as follows: 

1. The extend to which the final creative work realises a sustained piece in written form (connecting to the original research proposal submitted - Assessment Item 1)
2. The extent to which the creative writing project evidences a polished and professional standard (including all aspects of presentation)
3. The extent to which the creative work applies the accepted practice-based approaches and literary standards of the genre in which the artefact claims to be written
4. The extent to which the creative work is informed by critical practice-based research in the discipline and conventions of genre in which the artefact claims to be written
5. The extent to which the creative artefact represents originality and individuality.

NOTE: Late assignments submitted after the due date without an approved extension will receive a grade (with late penalty applied) but no feedback.

The assessment criteria for Assessment Item 3 is as follows:

1. The extend to which the final creative work realises a sustained piece in written form (connecting to the original research proposal submitted - Assessment Item 1)
2. The extent to which the creative writing project evidences a polished and professional standard (including all aspects of presentation)
3. The extent to which the creative work applies the accepted practice-based approaches and literary standards of the genre in which the artefact claims to be written
4. The extent to which the creative work is informed by critical practice-based research in the discipline and conventions of genre in which the artefact claims to be written
5. The extent to which the creative artefact represents originality and individuality.

NOTE: Late assignments submitted after the due date without an approved extension will receive a grade (with late penalty applied) but no feedback.