Youth : Scenes from Provincial Life
London
:
Secker and Warburg
,
2002
Z1212327
2002
single work
novel
(taught in 1 units)
"The narrator of Youth, a student in the South Africa of the 1950s, has long been plotting an escape from his native country: from the stifling love of his mother, from a father whose failures haunt him, and from what he is sure is impending revolution. Studying mathematics, reading poetry, saving money, he tries to ensure that when he arrives in the real world, wherever that may be, he will be prepared to experience life to its full intensity, and transform it into art." "Arriving at last in London, however, he finds neither poetry nor romance. Instead he succumbs to the monotony of life as a computer programmer, from which random, loveless affairs offer no relief. Devoid of inspiration, he stops writing. An awkward colonial, a constitutional outsider, he begins a dark pilgrimage in which he is continually tested and continually found wanting" (Source: Viking publisher's blurb)
Novel and memoir are pervasive, complex and culturally important literary forms. This unit is designed to help you examine the theory and practice of novel and memoir writing across various genres; the relationship between imagination and inspiration and the process of planning and research leading to the development of a novel or memoir proposal, including an initial chapter and synopsis. The subject also promotes the acquisition of analytical skills in professional and personal creative fiction and non-fiction writing.
Aims
This unit aims to:
- Familiarise you with the scope, challenges and practices of developing a novel or memoir,
- Familiarise you with the standards, conventions and possibilities of the novel and memoir forms,
- Enable you to produce a synopsis and chapter of an original piece of sustained prose,
- Develop your editorial skills,
- Provide you with peer workshop and mentor feedback over a period of several months in a blended learning environment.
Objectives
On completion of this unit you should be able to:
1. Choose a mode of narration for your novel or memoir based on an understanding of a range of approaches to the practice of writing a novel or memoir,
2. Understand, analyse, and historically and socially contextualise a range of novel and memoir forms,
3. Examine and apply a range of writing and reading strategies,
4. Structure and write a piece of sustained prose in accordance with the expectations of the chosen form,
5. Write a novel or memoir proposal suitable for submission to a publisher or agent, including a chapter and synopsis of the proposed novel,
6. Reflect meaningfully on your own process as a writer.
Content
This unit addresses content such as:
1. Various approaches to writing a novel or memoir, including writing in various forms or genres,
2. Writing a chapter and synopsis for submission to a publisher or agent,
3. Understanding the critical frameworks of novel and memoir,
4. The research and ethical issues involved in novel and memoir writing,
5. Publication options and avenues across a range of genres,
6. Participating effectively in writers' groups.
Description: (Summative) A novel or memoir proposal suitable for submission to a professional agent or publisher, including an opening section (2500-3000 words) of a novel or memoir, a succinct synopsis, and a brief cover letter. Due date: Formative submissions throughout semester, plus a summative submission at the end of semester
Relates to objectives: 1, 3, 4 & 5
Weight: 60%
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Throughout semester
Assessment name: Critical Folio
Description: (Summative) A folio of critical and editing tasks completed throughout the semester:
i) A book review
ii) An oral presentation based on the book review
iii) Peer-critiques
Relates to objectives: 2 & 6
Weight: 40%
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Throughout semester
