The Secret River
Melbourne
:
Text Publishing
,
2005
Z1194031
2005
single work
novel
historical fiction
(taught in 69 units)
'In 1806 William Thornhill, a man of quick temper and deep feelings, is transported from the slums of London to New South Wales for the term of his natural life. With his wife Sal and their children he arrives in a harsh land he cannot understand.
'But the colony can turn a convict into a free man. Eight years later Thornhill sails up the Hawkesbury to claim a hundred acres for himself.
'Aboriginal people already live on that river. And other recent arrivals - Thomas Blackwood, Smasher Sullivan and Mrs Herring - are finding their own ways to respond to them.
'Thornhill, a man neither better nor worse than most, soon has to make the most difficult choice of his life.
'Inspired by research into her own family history, Kate Grenville vividly creates the reality of settler life, its longings, dangers and dilemmas. The Secret River is a brilliantly written book, a groundbreaking story about identity, belonging and ownership.' (From the publisher's website.)
Aims
This unit aims to:
- familiarise you with the scope, challenges, philosophy and practices of writing a sustained creative work.
- enable you to develop an original and engaging novel
- develop your editorial skills
- provide you with a constructive and critical workshop experience in a blended learning environment
support you in developing a critical understanding of a professional writer's praxis, and use your critical engagement to further develop your own skills.
Objectives
On completion of this unit you should be able to:
1. understand and engage with the novel as a literary form
2. critically understand a professional writer's writing praxis
3. critically understand your own novel writing praxis
4. produce a significant portion of an original novel
Content
This unit includes face-to-face and electronic learning environments designed to develop professional reading, editing and writing skills. The unit will enhance skills needed to develop, research, write and submit a novel to a professional agent or publisher.
Description: (Summative with Formative) A chapter of a novel. Length: 5000-7,000 word novel extract + synopsis (about 500 words)
Relates to objectives: 1, 3 & 4
Weight: 60%
Due date: End of Semester
Assessment name: Folio
Description: (Summative with Formative) An exegetical detailing your creative and critical influences. Length: 1500 words
Relates to objectives: 2, 3 & 4
Weight: 40%
Due date: End of Semester
Assessment name: Editorial Critique
Description: (Formative) A multi-phase assessment based on 3 requirements:
i.submission of your own work for peer assessment, at least 3 times during the semester
ii.active and engaged participation in small-group editorial discussions, including preparation and submission of critiques, and
iii.active and engaged participation in group discussions and in-class writing exercises.
Relates to objectives: 2, 3 & 4
Due date: Throughout Semester
