Course Title: Novel Writing Studio

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Novel Writing Studio

Credit Points: 12.00

Terms

Course Code

Campus

Career

School

Learning Mode

Teaching Period(s)

COMM2395

City Campus

Undergraduate

345H Media and Communication

Face-to-Face

 Sem 2 2010,
Sem 2 2011,
Sem 2 2012,
Sem 2 2013,
Sem 2 2014

Course Coordinator: Caroline van de Pol

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 3552

Course Coordinator Email: caroline.vandepol@rmit.edu.au


Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

You should have satisifactorily completed the prerequisite course COMM2393 Writing a Novel. Note it is a condition of enrolment at RMIT that you accept responsibility for ensuring that you have completed the prerequisites before enrolling in a course.


Course Description

This course builds on what you have learned already in the writing of your novel. In this course you will be examining additional key aspects of novel writing such as dialogue, structure and voice as it applies to your work and the work of your fellow students. You will be writing your novel while taking into consideration how published writers have written theirs.


Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

In this course you will develop the following program capabilities:

  • creative writing skills
  • critical and thoughtful responses to texts
  • independent research and critical writing skills
  • reflective practice, and
  • workshopping skills.


Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

  • Create a sustained piece of fiction writing for a novel through drafting and redrafting
  • Create the proposed structure for your novel
  • Research and analyse aspects of a novel such as place, setting, dialogue, structure, endings
  • Identify and analyse strengths and weaknesses within your novel, and in the novel writing of others
  • Identify the major technical problems in your novel, and research technical aspects of novel writing as a means of solving the major problems you are encountering with the process.


Overview of Learning Activities

This course is a studio-based course. The semester consists of a series of seminars, tutorials and workshops where you will develop your novel writing skills in relation to the development of your own work, published writers and that of your fellow classmates. You will work independently in self-directed exercises as well as work in a group on creative activities and explorations to read, research, critique and develop your writing. 


Overview of Learning Resources

RMIT will provide you with resources and tools for learning in this course through our online systems. You will be expected to read novel extracts and writing about the art of the novel as a way to further your understanding of the form. You will be expected to refer to different practitioners and approaches.


Overview of Assessment

You will be assessed on how well you meet the course’s learning outcomes and on your development against the program capabilities. Assessment in this course aims to test your abilities in developing your novel through drafting and redrafting. It tests your creative thinking and writing, your ability to develop ideas and engage critically with them, your capacity to successfully execute an idea in this particular form. You will also be tested on your understanding of the form and your skills in researching as a way to critically engage with the art of the novel. Feedback will be given on all assessments.

If you have a long term medical condition and/or disability it may be possible to negotiate to vary aspects of the learning or assessment methods. You can contact the program director or the Disability Liaison Unit if you would like to find out more.

Your course assessment conforms to RMIT assessment principles, regulations, policies and procedures.