CREWRIT 797A/B : Creative Writing

Arts

2022 Semester Two (1225) / 2023 Semester One (1233) (120 POINTS)

Course Prescription

Students will work on a large-scale creative writing project: a novel, short story collection, full-length work of creative nonfiction, or poetry collection. The course includes weekly workshops and seminars, as well as supervision and masterclasses.

Course Overview

Please note that CREWRIT 797A and B are components of the MCW, and only available to students admitted to that programme. For information on the two-part application components, please see: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/study/study-options/find-a-study-option/master-of-creative-writing-mcw.html

The MCW is designed to support, inform, and develop your creative practice. Our programme is informed by the principles of manaakitanga and whanaungatanga, sharing experiences and obligations, and valuing respect and reciprocity.

This is a research Masters rather than a taught Masters, which means examination is by dissertation. However, for ten weeks each semester we have two group meetings: a workshop at 11 AM on Wednesdays and a seminar at 11 AM on Thursdays. Workshops and seminars are two hours each.

Both workshops and seminars are forums for thinking and talking about writing. The goal is to help you learn about, refine and improve technique, and to challenge yourselves as writers. In workshops you’ll submit your own creative work for discussion. In seminars we’ll focus on aspects of technique, close-read and discuss published work. Attendance is mandatory.

Reading is an essential part of your process this year—reading each other’s work as well as work by published authors. Each student will agree on an individual reading list with the course director, as well as reading set texts for our seminar classes. You will have a lot of peer reading to do each week, especially in the second semester of the programme.

Over the course of our two semesters together, you will complete in-class and take-home exercises; submit substantial amounts of your portfolio project for workshop; and explore many of the technical and artistic concerns of your art form.

Because of the practice-based nature of this programme students are not required to write essays, study literary theory, or read literary criticism. Instead you’re asked to read and respond as writers, and to absorb yourselves in the art and craft of writing.

Course Requirements

Restriction: ENGLISH 763 To complete this course students must enrol in CREWRIT 797 A and B

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Create original work towards a full-length book. (Capability 1)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Portfolio 100% Individual Coursework

Workload Expectations

This is a full-time course. As well as four–five hours of workshop and seminar each week, students will spend five–ten hours a week reading and annotating peer work. Students need additional time for reading published books and working on their creative dissertations. 

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance is required at workshops and seminars. 

This course is not available for delivery to students studying remotely outside NZ.

Learning Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against online source material using computerised detection mechanisms.

Class Representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Well-being always comes first
We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - for more information, look at this Canvas page https://canvas.auckland.ac.nz/courses/33894, which has links to various support services in the University and the wider community.

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course students may be asked to submit coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.

Published on 18/10/2021 07:10 p.m.