ENGLISH 344 : Writing Creative Prose

Arts

2022 Semester One (1223) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

An art and craft class focused on refining technical skills in writing short fiction and creative non-fiction, studying local and international models, and based around weekly workshops.

Course Overview

This is an art and craft class for students committed to refining skills in writing fiction and creative non-fiction. We study a range of local and international models, write and revise weekly exercises, workshop and revise longer pieces, and develop the close-reading ability as a writer rather than as a critic.

Our three-hour weekly class includes seminar and workshop components. In the seminar we focus on key aspects of technique, including narrative structure, point of view, character, setting and use of dialogue. We’ll discuss work by a range of contemporary practitioners (available in set texts and a course reader) to explore the demands and possibilities of creative prose. Each week’s class will include in-depth close reading of published work, and students are expected to come prepared, having read all published work several times—and carefully—in advance.

In the workshops, students will submit drafts of a 3000-word short story and a 2500-word personal essay for discussion and written comments by the rest of the group. In both seminar and workshops, students must be active participants and committed readers.

Application Process
Enrolment for this class is highly competitive. The class is limited to 18 participants. Students will be selected on a qualitative assessment of their creative ability and accomplishment, based on either on an original short story or work of creative nonfiction of up to 3000 words.

Applications are open between Monday 15 November and Monday 13 December only.

Please email p.morris@auckland.ac.nz with APPLICATION FOR ENGLISH 344 in the subject line. In the body of the email:
• List your name, student number and the reason you wish to take this class. Please note the grade you received for ENGLISH 252.
• Please confirm that you are committed to attending and completing ten hours of work every week, including all the required reading.
• Please confirm that you understand your responsibility to the class: meeting your workshop deadlines, and giving informed feedback during other students’ workshops.
• Attach a WORD document with a short story or work of creative nonfiction of 2000-3000 words as a sample of your work. Manuscripts should be double-spaced and in Times New Roman 12-point type. Poetry, drama or academic essays are not accepted as writing samples
• Waitlist yourself for the course and wait to hear from me if you’ve been cleared for enrolment.


Course Requirements

Prerequisite: 60 points passed and Programme Coordinator approval Restriction: ENGLISH 328

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice
Capability 2: Critical Thinking
Capability 3: Solution Seeking
Capability 4: Communication and Engagement
Capability 5: Independence and Integrity
Graduate Profile: Bachelor of Arts

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Develop imaginative and technical skills as writers. (Capability 1.2, 3.2 and 4.2)
  2. Understand a range of forms, styles and issues relating to contemporary creative nonfiction and short fiction. (Capability 1.3 and 2.1)
  3. Develop skills in close textual analysis of published work. (Capability 1.2, 2.3 and 4.2)
  4. Develop and demonstrate skills in the verbal and written evaluations of peer manuscripts. (Capability 1.2, 2.3 and 4.2)
  5. Apply enhanced technical skills to a piece of creative work. (Capability 1.2, 3.2 and 5.2)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Workshops 15% Individual Coursework
Quizzes 15% Individual Coursework
Portfolio 30% Individual Coursework
Portfolio 10% Individual Coursework
Portfolio 30% Individual Coursework

Next offered

Semester I, 2022

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15-point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week on work and classes.

For this course, you can expect three hours of class (combining seminar and workshop),  three hours of reading and thinking about the content and four hours of work on writing assignments.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

This course  is not available for delivery to students studying remotely outside NZ in 2022.



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.

Reading Like a Writer by Francine Prose
Draft No. 4 by John McKee
Course book

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.

Other Information

Digital Resources
Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).
Laptops and phones are not permitted in class. Recordings are not permitted.

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 29/10/2021 03:11 p.m.