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57188 Writing Project 1

Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a particular semester, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.

UTS: Communication: Creative Practice
Credit points: 8 cp
Result type: Grade, no marks

Requisite(s): 57031 Non-fiction Writing AND 57041 Narrative Writing AND 57134 Theory and Creative Writing
There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
Anti-requisite(s): 57034 Professional Writing Project

Handbook description

This subject is designed for students who have substantial experience in writing and are ready to work independently. Working under the supervision of an appropriate member of staff, students devise, research, and draft a substantial (7,500 words or equivalent) work of creative writing, which will be completed to 15,000 words and polished to a high standard in Writing Project 2. The writing may be in any genre, depending on the viability of the project and the availability of academic advice. Students are encouraged in this subject to explore and extend, through reading and redrafting, the possibilities of their chosen form and genre. They are also encouraged to independently form their own writing groups in which to discuss their work.

Subject objectives/outcomes

This subject requires students to synthesise the knowledge and skills that they have brought to and developed in the course of the MA in Creative Writing. The completion (across Writing Project 1 and Writing Project 2) of a substantial work is a capstone of the course, and demonstrates students’ ability to work creatively and independently.

At the completion of this subject, students are expected to be able to:

  1. Research and read/view other key texts within their chosen form and genre
  2. Understand these works critically in relation to their own work, with an eye to deepening and extending their own chosen form and genre
  3. Identify and undertake any factual, conceptual or historical research necessary for the creation of the creative project
  4. Make substantial progress towards finding the appropriate voice, style and form of their creative work (experimentation this semester is encouraged).

Contribution to course aims and graduate attributes

This subject makes a major contribution to students’ capacity to apply their knowledge and skills in creative writing in initiating, researching and bringing to completion their individual writing project. It makes a minor contribution to their ability to manage projects and to inquire critically.

Teaching and learning strategies

Individual, collaborative (independent group workshopping) and one-to-one supervised learning are all part of the strategies employed in this subject.

Content

Students are required to submit a project proposal (which will include the planned genre, length, form, and style of the project, along with details of planned reading and research and timetable) for approval before they embark on their Writing Project. The details of the proposal will be finalized in consultation with the appropriate academic supervisor, and the proposal will be reworked to include a small bibliography or filmography. Depending on the nature of the project, students will also be encouraged to form writing groups to meet regularly and discuss and assist the development of each other’s work. Each student meets with the supervisor for one-on-one discussions of the work in progress.

Assessment

Assessment Item 1: Outline of Proposed Writing Project

Objective(s):

a, b, c
Weighting: 20
Criteria:
  • Achievability of project (to be discussed and refined with supervisor)
  • Clarity of expression
  • Criticality

Assessment Item 2: Major Writing Protect Part 1

Objective(s):

c, d
Weighting: 80
Criteria:
  • Clarity and depth of expression
  • Appropriateness of techniques to chosen form and genre (as discussed with supervisor)
  • Originality
  • Professional presentation
  • Appropriate and relevant referencing

Required texts

References should be formatted in the referencing style used by the Program area. For example, for the BA Comm course, referencing should be in Harvard (UTS) style. Details of which can be found at http://www.bell.uts.edu.au/referencing/harvard_system

References

Bird, Carmel 1988 Dear Writer (Melbourne: McPhee Gribble/Penguin)
Browne, Renni & D King 2004 Self-Editing for Fiction Writers (New York: HarperCollins)
Grenville, Kate, and Woolfe, Sue 2001 Making Stories: How Ten Australian Novels Were Made (St Leonards: Allen and Unwin)
Prose, Francine 2006 Reading Like a Writer (New York: Harper)
Wood, James 2008 How Fiction Works (London: Jonathan Cape)
Strunk, William Jr & EB White 1979 The Elements of Style (New York: Longman)

In addition, an individual program of texts will be tailored, through consultation with the supervisor, for each student.