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Unit outline_

ENGL3696: Advanced Creative Writing

Semester 2, 2020 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

This unit builds on ENGL2666 Creative Writing: Theory and Practice, offering students the opportunity to complete a creative project. Student may complete projects in fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction, writing for performance, or by combining any of the above.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit
Credit points 6
Prerequisites
? 
ENGL2666 or 12 credit points at 2000 level in English or 12 credit points at 2000 level in Australian Literature
Corequisites
? 
None
Prohibitions
? 
None
Assumed knowledge
? 

None

Available to study abroad and exchange students

Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator Belinda Castles, belinda.castles@sydney.edu.au
Tutor(s) Meera Atkinson, meera.atkinson@sydney.edu.au
Type Description Weight Due Length
Assignment Final creative project
Final creative project
40% Formal exam period
Due date: 29 Nov 2020 at 23:59
3000 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3
Presentation Project presentation
Reflective presentation on creative work, process and contexts
20% Multiple weeks Equivalent 1000 words (8-10 mins)
Outcomes assessed: LO3
Online task Creative draft
Submit 2000-word draft (or equivalent) in schedule week for class workshop
30% Multiple weeks 2000 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO3 LO2
Participation Participation
- Short piece: mini-workshop - Contribute to discussions - Peer feedback
10% Ongoing Weekly short class participation tasks
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO3 LO2

Assessment summary

Detailed information for each assessment can be found in the Canvas site for this unit.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a High distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a Distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name

Mark range

Description

High distinction

85 - 100

 

Distinction

75 - 84

 

Credit

65 - 74

 

Pass

50 - 64

 

Fail

0 - 49

When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

 

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

  • Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
  • After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes
Week 01 Student introductions; unit theme 'writing the real'; unit structure; assessments; reading like a writer; writing exercise Seminar (2 hr) LO2
Week 02 Small workshops; Realism; text discussions; writing exercise Seminar (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Week 03 Small workshops; Craft 1: 'The materials of reality': detail/ 'thisness' Seminar (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Week 04 Zoom class – 2-3 x presentation and workshop; Canvas discussion: 'The world made strange'; writing exercise Seminar (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Week 05 Zoom class – 2-3 x presentation and workshop; Canvas discussion: 'My reality' -- forms of life-writing; writing exercise Seminar (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Week 06 Zoom class – 2-3 x presentation and workshop; Craft 2: 'Where is the voice coming from' (lecturer content); writing exercise Seminar (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Week 07 Zoom class – 2-3 x presentation and workshop; Canvas discussion: 'Giving voice'; writing exercise Seminar (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Week 08 Zoom class – 2-3 x presentation and workshop; Craft 3: Beneath the surface of reality (lecturer content); writing exercise Seminar (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Week 09 Zoom class – 2-3 x presentation and workshop; Canvas discussion: World-making; writing exercise Seminar (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Week 10 Zoom class – 2-3 x presentation and workshop; Canvas discussion: ‘You must read this’ – student recommendations; Walking workshop (virtual) Seminar (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Week 11 Zoom class – 2-3 x presentation and workshop; catch-ups Seminar (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Week 12 Zoom class - 2-3 x presentation and workshop; Craft 4: Editing (lecturer content); exercises for final project Seminar (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3

Attendance and class requirements

  • Attendance: According to Faculty Board Resolutions, students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences are expected to attend 90% of their classes. If you attend less than 50% of classes, regardless of the reasons, you may be referred to the Examiner’s Board. The Examiner’s Board will decide whether you should pass or fail the unit of study if your attendance falls below this threshold.

  • Lecture recording: Most lectures (in recording-equipped venues) will be recorded and may be made available to students on the LMS. However, you should not rely on lecture recording to substitute your classroom learning experience.

  • Preparation: Students should commit to spend approximately three hours’ preparation time (reading, studying, homework, essays, etc.) for every hour of scheduled instruction.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

Indicative reading list (a complete reading list will be available on Canvas before semester begins):

Bernadine Evaristo. Girl Woman Other. London: Penguin Random House. 2019. pp. 41-50

Rachel B Glaser. ‘Pee on Water’ in New American Stories ed. Ben Marcus. London: Granta. 2016.pp. 516-523.

Vivian Gornick. The Odd Woman and the City. Melbourne: Nero. 2016. pp. 3-21.

Kate Lilley. ‘Tilt’, Cultural Studies Review Vol. 24, No. 1. 2018 (available via library https://search.informit.com.au/fullText;dn=645513414304543;res=IELHSS)

David Lodge. 'The Art of Fiction: Defamiliarization’, Washington Post. May 17, 1992.

Laura Jean McKay. The Animals in that Country (Chapter 6). Melbourne: Scribe. 2020.

Christos Tsolkias The Slap. Sydney: Allen & Unwin. 2008. pp.  36-43

Karen Russell. ‘Orange World’, New Yorker June 4, 2018

Ellen van Neerven. Throat. St Lucia: UQP. 2020.

James Wood. How Fiction Works (Chapter 4: Detail). New York: Picador. 2008.

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. plan, revise and complete a short creative writing project
  • LO2. work in a collaborative context to engage with the practice of others in an ethically engaged and co-operative way
  • LO3. demonstrate familiarity with a broad range of different kinds of creative writing practices.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1 Depth of disciplinary expertise

Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.

GQ2 Critical thinking and problem solving

Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.

GQ3 Oral and written communication

Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.

GQ4 Information and digital literacy

Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.

GQ5 Inventiveness

Generating novel ideas and solutions.

GQ6 Cultural competence

Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.

GQ7 Interdisciplinary effectiveness

Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.

GQ8 Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity

An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.

GQ9 Influence

Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes Graduate qualities
GQ1 GQ2 GQ3 GQ4 GQ5 GQ6 GQ7 GQ8 GQ9

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

In response to feedback for previous versions of the unit, reading tasks have been streamlined and class time and assessments have been adjusted to allow for a greater emphasis on drafting and workshopping of creative work.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.