Snake
Port Melbourne
:
Minerva
,
1996
Z250017
1996
single work
novel
(taught in 3 units)
'My life is about to begin. This is the only thought in Irene’s head on the day she marries a handsome Second World War veteran and becomes a farmer’s wife. But Irene quickly grows restless. Bored to her back teeth, she is scornful of her dutiful husband, heedless of her children. She wants adventure, to experience whatever is on offer: men, travel, culture. As Irene and Rex raise children and crops, the tension between them builds and builds …
'Kate Jennings’s black humour and pared-back prose, at once understated and rich in startling imagery, resonate long after the final unnerving chapter. Set in an irrigation area – barren soil blessed by water – Snake is a modern classic.' (Publication summary)
The Lost Thoughts of Soldiers
Sydney
:
Picador
,
2005
Z1186445
2005
single work
novel
historical fiction
(taught in 1 units)
From the vantage point of 1898, Captain Frederick Benteen recalls his years of service, some two decades past, with General George A. Custer.
This is an advanced workshop for students who have some background in fiction writing and who are either commencing work on a novel or have already commenced. The aim of this subject is to produce the opening section of a potential novella or novel, or a substantial portion of a work in progress, minimum 5000 words and maximum 10,000 words. Contemporary and experimental forms of the novel are studied and encouraged as well as more traditional narratives. Students study a range of short novels that enhance their understanding of the form and help develop their critical skills. Workshop participation and peer assessment are a vital part of this subject.
Subject objectives/outcomes
In this subject, students will:
1. produce the draft of a novel
2. acquire skills to reflect critically on their writing
3. acquire skills to revise and re-draft work in progress
4. acquire skills to reflect critically on fictional texts in English
5. study and practise formal and technical elements of novel writing.
Garry Disher, Writing Fiction (revd edn 2001)
Milan Kundera, The Art of the Novel (revd edn 1999)
Jerome Stern, Making Shapely Fiction (revd edn 2000)
William Strunk & E.B White, The Elements of Style (4th edn 2000)
Brenda Walker (ed), The Writer's Reader (2002)
