Description What is an imaginative life, and how do we bring it into the practice of creative writing? This is the first of two Level 1 foundation units in the Creative Writing Major, in which students can find the right place to begin their own writing journey. They will learn how storytelling in all its forms shapes our imaginative life, and begin to acquire practical skills to develop their writing. The unit involves two-hour workshops taught by experienced and widely published writers from the Writing and Society Research Centre and the school of HCA. No previous creative writing experience is necessary.
School Humanities & Comm Arts
Discipline Written Communication
Student Contribution Band HECS Band 4 10cp
Check your HECS Band contribution amount via the Fees page.
Level Undergraduate Level 1 subject
On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:
Demonstrate and use key techniques of creative writing;
Write short creative works (or series of works) using a range of techniques, styles and/or forms;
Use drafting and editing processes to write more effective creative works;
Write and read critically about key creative writing concepts;
Recognise ways in which different cultural contexts can shape and influence creative writing.
Students will be introduced to a range of creative writing materials, concepts and techniques. These will be studied via examples of writing drawn from diverse cultural and historical contexts. They will be put into practice by students via a series of guided writing exercises overseen by experienced creative writing practitioners and critics.
1.Writing as a mode of imaginative thinking and creative response;
2.How to get started as a writer and how to keep going;
3.Applying storytelling as a mode of ‘knowing’ the world;
4.Key tools of effective creative writing - including sentences, description, plot and form, scene construction, point of view, drama and dialogue (where appropriate);
5.Developing a more effective approach to creative writing - including using drafting and editing processes to write more effectively and sharing work with others;
6.Exploring links between reading and writing, critical thinking and writing practice;
7.Key debates in contemporary creative writing and literary practice, including in the critical literature.
Assessment
The following table summarises the standard assessment tasks for this subject. Please note this is a guide only. Assessment tasks are regularly updated, where there is a difference your Learning Guide takes precedence.
Item
Length
Percent
Threshold
Individual/Group Task
Applied Project
500 words
15
N
Individual
Professional Task
500 words
25
N
Individual
Portfolio
2000 words
50
N
Individual
Participation
300 words
10
N
Individual
Prescribed Texts
Creative Writing: The Imaginative Life Subject Reader
