Units

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Sample subject outline - Semester 2 2013

Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.

Rationale

This unit is only available to postgraduate students. Undergraduate students wishing to study the short story should enrol in KWB104. Parts of this unit are taught concurrently with KWB104.
This unit is a key unit in the Creative Writing programs, including the Graduate Certificate and Graduate Diploma in Creative Writing, as well as an elective for those of you interested in improving their creative writing and/or pursuing a creative writing minor. This unit explores the acquisition of skills in professional creative writing. It provides techniques in creative writing and editing, including some guidance in publishing. The emphasis is on literary writing, in particular the short story, and on writing to industry standards as well as for creative pleasure. Re-reading, editing and rewriting are viewed as integral to the writing process.

This unit is concurrently taught with KWB104, with appropriate learning outcomes tailored for postgraduate students.

Aims

The aims of this unit are to:
- provide you with an understanding of short story writing, offering a framework and strategies for the development of a short story and the perspective of the creative writing practitioner;
- improve writing, oral and analytical skills that are transferable and appropriate to lifelong learning.

Objectives

On completion of this unit you should be able to:
1. demonstrate your creative and analytical abilities, your knowledge of writing as a professional practice, and your understanding of the process of writing short narrative in particular;
2. interpret how professional creative writing is a matter of skill, imagination and disciplined practice, aided by an understanding of language, literary forms and techniques;
3. apply techniques of crafting a short narrative, experience constructive feedback from tutor, and provide such feedback to peers.

Content

The unit addresses content such as the various elements of the short story - such a s point of view structure and characterisastion - in terms of creative writing practice.

Approaches to Teaching and Learning

There is a combination of lectures/tutorials with online and face-to-face writing workshops and individual consultations. There is an emphasis in this unit on formative as well as summative assessment/evaluation; this is achieved through workshops and by in-class writing for which you receive feedback but are not assessed towards their final grade, as well as by participation in small peer editorial groups. Formative learning is also achieved by individual consultations with each of you to give feedback on the first submission of your major assignment.

Assessment

LATE ASSIGNMENTS
An assignment submitted after the due date without an approved extension will not be marked. If you are unable to complete your assignment on time, you should submit on time whatever work you have done.

Faculty Assessment Information
To access the Creative Industries Faculty Assessment Information see the Blackboard site for this unit.FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT
You will receive formative feedback from your tutor and peers in tutorials, and you will also receive a one-on-one consultation with your tutor after the first story submission in order to discuss it. Weight 0%

Assessment name: Creative Work
Description: (Formative and Summative) Short Story Introduction. Length: 200 words Story Length 1500 - 1700 words.
Relates to objectives: 1, 2 & 3
Weight: 30%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Group
Due date: Mid semester

Assessment name: Project: Creative Work
Description: (Summative) Rewritten Short Story. Length: 1500 - 1700 words.
Relates to objectives: 1 & 2
Weight: 40%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: End of semester

Assessment name: Peer Review
Description: (Formative and Summative) A multi-phase assessment based on 3 requirements:
1. submission of own work for peer assessment (three times during semester)
2. submission of editorial feedback to peers in workshops and the online forum
3. submission of an editorial response to one other students work in progress, 300 words.
Relates to objectives: 1, 2 & 3
Weight: 30%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: End semester

Academic Honesty

QUT is committed to maintaining high academic standards to protect the value of its qualifications. To assist you in assuring the academic integrity of your assessment you are encouraged to make use of the support materials and services available to help you consider and check your assessment items. Important information about the university's approach to academic integrity of assessment is on your unit Blackboard site.

A breach of academic integrity is regarded as Student Misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties.

Resource materials

There is no set text for this unit.

Recommended References
Grenville, K. (any edition) The Writing Book, Allen & Unwin, Sydney.

Halpern, D. (Ed.) (2002) The Art of the Story: An International Anthology of Short Stories, Penguin, Sydney. (The American edition is called The Art of the Tale).

Martin, W. (2006) The Art of the Short Story, Houghton Mifflin, New York.
(This is more than an anthology - it includes essays on how to write short stories).

Risk assessment statement

There are no out of the ordinary risks associated with this unit.

Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.

Last modified: 04-Oct-2012