Outline

Overview

In this unit students will develop professional skills in writing, editing and reading fiction by working on their own fiction, responding to the work of their peers, and reading widely.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	ENGL6987
Academic unit
Credit points	12
Prohibitions ?	None
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Beth Yahp, beth.yahp@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Assignment	C. Final Portfolio Critical reflection/ essay and fiction portfolio	60%	Formal exam period Due date: 16 Jun 2021 at 23:59	6000 words
Outcomes assessed:
Participation	A. Participation and Writing Tasks Participation exercises (fiction portfolio and critical reflection)	15%	Multiple weeks	2500 words
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	B. Presentation and Workshop Draft Fiction portfolio (draft), critical reflection (presentation and outline)	25%	Multiple weeks	3500 words
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

A. Participation and Writing Tasks (15%):

2 x 500 word writing exercises; 1 x close reading response/lead discussion of a scheduled week’s set texts for this unit (500 words), and weekly workshop feedback notes to classmates, as well as ongoing participation.

Exercise 1 (Week 2): Beginning of story (500 words) – for small workshop
Exercise 2 (Week 3): Character introduction (500 words) – for small workshop
Close reading: write your close reading response as scheduled to the set reading(s) on Discussions (500 words), analysing its use of one or two craft elements. Include one question to be discussed in class. Use this to lead discussion in class.
Provide oral/written feedback to all workshopping students: in the form of annotations and/or a brief summary of responses (equivalent to 1000 words).

B. Presentation and Workshop Draft (25%):

A 5-minute oral presentation to introduce your project to the class (equivalent to 500 words). One workshop draft to be workshopped in class immediately after your presentation (2500 words). Submit your project outline (500 words) and workshop draft (2500 words) in the same document to Discussions on Canvas as scheduled.

C. Final Portfolio (60%)

Critical reflection/ close reading essay of a piece of fiction that is useful to examine in light of your own themes, genre, structure, form, technique or other concerns (1500 words).
New or redrafted fiction piece(s) (4500 words).

Submission details as per Canvas site

Assessment lengths and weights add up to the details in the handbook as outlined below. The fiction portfolio comprises assessments A (writing exercises), B (draft) and C (Part 2, new or redrafted fiction); the critical reflection component comprises assessments A (participation) and B (presentation) and the critical essay is assessment A (close reading response) and C (Part 1, critical reflection/ close reading essay).

Assessment
1x8000wd Fiction portfolio (60%), 1x2000wd Critical reflection (20%), 1x2000wd Critical essay (20%)

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 sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades

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.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

Late submissions will be penalised at 5% per day.

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.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Learning support

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.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction, developing a set of standards, writing practice. READER: Joan Didion, George Orwell, Raymond Carver on ‘Why I Write’; John Gardiner and Amos Oz on beginnings; Francine Prose on close reading. Writing exercise for next week's small group workshops.	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 02	People (weeks 2-4): what is a character, desire, voice, point of view, gesture, history of relationships. Extract: The Instinctive Screenplay, Sam North: 'The Map of Desire' 1-5; Extract: ‘The Body Artist’, Don DeLillo. Writing exercise for next week’s small group workshop. Small group workshops.	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 03	People 2: Story: ‘Picasso’ John A Scott; Story: ‘The Movie People’, Fiona McFarlane. Small group workshops.	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 04	People 3: Story: 'River Story’, Mykaela Saunders. Extract: This is How, MJ Hyland. Presentations and workshop	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 05	Place (weeks 5–7): what makes the world of a story, texture, social reality, idiom, nature, the urban/suburban. Extract: Robbie Arnott, Prologue and part of Chapter 1. Presentations and workshop.	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 06	Place 2: Story: 'Black Ice' Cate Kennedy; Extract: Questions of Travel, Michelle de Kretser. Presentations and workshop	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 07	Place 3: Story: ‘Three Sisters’ and Essay (critical reflection/exegesis): ‘Doubling Up: finding inspiration in life and literature’, Maria Takolander. Presentations and workshop	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 08	Reading/ writing week and consultations. No class.	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 09	Time (weeks 9-10): structure, slow fiction, fast fiction, pacing, rhythm, sentences, memory. Extracts: Meander Spiral Explode, Jane Alison. Story: ‘Good People’, David Foster Wallace. Presentations and workshop	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 10	Time 2: 'Under the Wave', Lauren Groff. Extract: Gilead, Marilynne Robinson. Presentations and workshop.	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 11	Hybrid Forms: Extract: Pink Mountain on Locust Island, Jaime Marina Lau; Extract: Summer Exercises, Ross Gibson. Presentations and workshop	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 12	Reading Like A Writer: Extract: Breath, Tim Winton, ‘Chapter 1’. Essay (close reading): Cate Kennedy, ‘Caught in the Rip: the first seven pages of Tim Winton’s Breath’. Presentations and workshop.	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 13	Shaping the work, presenting the work 2 x presentations and workshop	Workshop (2 hr)

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: There are no formal lectures or recordings for this workshop unit. 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 12 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 240-300 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

For full Reading List, see Canvas link on Home Page.

Please note: extracts will be made available through e-reserve or are available online.

Learning outcomes

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. generate and develop original pieces of fiction towards a longer project
LO2. recognise and deploy advanced fiction writing skills and techniques
LO3. respectfully and usefully critique your own and others’ fiction, and reflect feedback to refine your creative work
LO4. contribute to a productive and engaged workshop environment as a form of teamwork
LO5. critically analyse and reflect on published fiction in relation to your own creative work
LO6. understand the principles of editing and re-drafting
LO7. engage in an ongoing writing practice, supported by your writer’s journal and portfolio.

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
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

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

This unit has been redesigned, taking into consideration feedback from students including student surveys.

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.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

ENGL6987: Fiction Workshop

Semester 1, 2021 [Normal day] - Remote

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect