Cirrus@Austlit

This unit is a key unit in the Creative Writing programs, including the Graduate Certificate and Graduate Diploma in Creative Writing, as well as an elective for those of you interested in improving their creative writing and/or pursuing a creative writing minor. This unit explores the acquisition of skills in professional creative writing. It provides techniques in creative writing and editing, including some guidance in publishing. The emphasis is on literary writing, in particular the short story, and on writing to industry standards as well as for creative pleasure. Re-reading, editing and rewriting are viewed as integral to the writing process.

Aims

This unit aims to provide you with an understanding of short story writing, offering a framework and strategies for the development of a short story and the perspective of the creative writing practitioner, and to improve writing, oral and analytical skills that are transferable and appropriate to lifelong learning.

Objectives

On completion of this unit you should be able to:

1. show your creative and analytical abilities, your knowledge of writing as a professional practice, and your understanding of the process of writing short narrative in particular;

2. understand how professional creative writing is a matter of skill, imagination and disciplined practice, aided by an understanding of language, literary forms and techniques;

3. apply techniques of crafting a short narrative, experience constructive feedback from tutor, and provide such feedback to peers.

Content

The unit content addresses and includes lectures and tutorials designed to equip you with the ability to structure and write a short narrative. In particular, it looks at the various elements of the short story - such as point of view, structure and characterisation - in terms of creative writing practice.