Course Title: Develop writing and editing skills
Part B: Course Detail
Teaching Period: Term1 2008
Course Code: COMM5397
Course Title: Develop writing and editing skills
School: 345T Creative Media
Campus: City Campus
Program: C4171 - Certificate IV in Professional Writing and Editing
Course Contact : Program Administration
Course Contact Phone: +61 3 9925 4815
Course Contact Email:mctafe@rmit.edu.au
Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff
Penny Johnson
Building 94, level 2, room 6
23–27 Cardigan Street, South Carlton
9925 4383 (phone); 9925 4362 (fax)
penny.johnson@rmit.edu.au
Stephanie Holt
Building 94, level 2, room 6
23–27 Cardigan Street, South Carlton
9925 8089 (phone); 9925 4362 (fax)
stephanie.holt@rmit.edu.au
Kirsty Elliott
Building 94, level 2, room 6
23–27 Cardigan Street, South Carlton
9925 4587 (phone); 9925 4362 (fax)
kirsty.elliott@rmit.edu.au
Nominal Hours: 120
Regardless of the mode of delivery, represent a guide to the relative teaching time and student effort required to successfully achieve a particular competency/module. This may include not only scheduled classes or workplace visits but also the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including any non-classroom activities.
Pre-requisites and Co-requisites
None
Course Description
This course develops your writing and editing skills in a professional context. It introduces you to the publishing process and emphasises the roles, responsibilities and relationships of authors and editors. The course contains a detailed study of English spelling, vocabulary, grammar and syntax, and of paragraphs. You also analyse and assess writing from a range of styles and for different audiences.
The course also focuses on punctuation and style issues, as well as copyediting and proofreading. You learn editing and proofreading mark-up and technique, and handle proofs with numerous design features.
National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria
National Element Code & Title: |
VBP551 Develop writing and editing skills |
Element: |
Apply the accepted conventions of grammar and usage to a range of written contexts |
Performance Criteria: |
3.1 The conventions of grammar and syntax in written English are analysed |
Element: |
Apply the appropriate voice and tone |
Performance Criteria: |
2.1 The type of authorial voice/s appropriate to the publication are determined and applied to writings |
Element: |
Ensure the clarity of language |
Performance Criteria: |
1.1 The principles of clear language are applied to writings |
Element: |
Use correct spelling and punctuation |
Performance Criteria: |
4.1 Australian spelling and punctuation conventions are demonstrated in writings |
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this course, you will be able to:
• understand the book publishing process and the role of the editor
• apply the fundamentals of English grammar, spelling and vocabulary to a range of written contexts
• use reference tools with confidence, including style manuals and dictionaries
• critique short pieces of fiction and non-fiction according to principles of genre, audience, style and clarity
• communicate effectively in editorial report writing and in author–editor relationships
• apply punctuation correctly and for effect
• use the publishing industry’s technical language and its copyediting and proofreading marks
• edit short pieces of fiction and non-fiction according to principles of genre, audience, style and clarity
• edit and communicate research through delivery of a class talk.
Details of Learning Activities
Students learn through a variety of methods. Classes are, in general, a mixture of lectures, discussion, practical exercises and group work. Students also teach one another by presenting class papers and conducting discussion on the presentation topic. Some class time in Semester 2 is given over to completing a collaborative editing project, and industry guests will speak about professional practice. The Editing 1 website on Blackboard will also provide information, resources, activities and web links to support students in their learning. Students are responsible for managing their learning and undertaking an appropriate amount of out-of-class independent study and research.
Teaching Schedule
Semester 1
| Week | Topic |
| 1 | Orientation Week |
| 2 | Course introduction Class talk: Introduction Role of the editor |
| 3 | Class talk: Organise time slots Language: Spelling and tautologies The production process |
| 4 | Class talk: Research and presentation tips Language: Word confusions Readership/market |
| 5 | Grammar: Introduction and nouns Text analysis: Non-fiction |
| 6 | Grammar: Possession Text analysis: Fiction |
| 7 | Grammar: Test revision Effective communication |
| 8 | Test Editorial report writing |
| 9 | Grammar: Subjects, objects and complements Editorial report writing |
| 10 | Grammar: Finite verbs Paragraph |
| 11 | Grammar: Non-finite verbs Paragraph |
| 12 | Grammar: Pronouns and Agreement [Homework: Adjectives, adverbs, determiners, prepositions] |
| 13 | Grammar: Conjunctions, clauses and phrases |
| 14 | Grammar: Misplaced, dangling and squinting modifiers Grammar revision and practice test |
| 15 | Test |
| 16 | [Copyright class] |
| 17 | Introduction to Major Editing Project Guest speaker/s |
| 18 | Semester review |
Semester 2
| Week | Topic |
| 1 | Style: Introduction to house style Style: Capitals |
| 2 | Style: Capitals, italics and titles |
| 3 | Punctuation: Commas, semi-colons and colons |
| 4 | Punctuation: Hyphens, ens and ems |
| 5 | Punctuation: Quotation marks – fiction and non-fiction conventions |
| 6 | Punctuation: Lists, shortened forms and remaining punctuation issues Test Revision: Punctuation |
| 7 | Test Editing symbols and mark-up technique for text and structure |
| 8 | Editing fiction Major Project: Project requirement |
| 9 | Editing non-fiction Major Project: Style sheet |
| 10 | Style: Numbers Major Project: Author queries |
| 11 | Major Project: Revision and in-class editing |
| 12 | Major Project: First author–editor meetings Proofreading: Proofreading symbols and mark-up technique |
| 13 | Proofreading: Proofreading technique Major Project: Second author–editor meetings |
| 14 | Proofreading: Design and typography Major Project: Author–editor sign-off |
| 15 | Proofreading: Page proofing terminology Role of the designer: guest speaker |
| 16 | Proofreading: Illustrations and figures Test Revision: Proofreading |
| 17 | Test |
| 18 | Semester review |
Learning Resources
Prescribed Texts
Editing 1 Grammar Unit Handbook |
|
Style Manual for Authors, Editors and Printers, 6th edn, John Wiley & Sons, 2002 |
|
The Concise Macquarie Dictionary, 4th edn, Macquarie Library, Sydney, 2006 OR The Australian Concise Oxford Dictionary, 4th edn, Oxford University Press, Melbourne, 2004 |
References
Other Resources
Students will receive additional handouts in class.
Overview of Assessment
Assessment includes a written report, an editing project, in-class tests and an oral presentation.
Assessment Tasks
Students will receive a numerical grade for their overall achievement in this competency.
For written and oral assessments students will receive a letter grade and written feedback. Tests will be given numerical grades.
Grades
High Distinction HD 80–100%
Distinction DI 70–79%
Credit CR 60–69%
Pass PA 50–59%
Fail NN Less than 50%
Class Presentation
A 10-minute presentation on an aspect of editing, publishing, writing or the English language. The presentation should be relevant to a publishing context, and to you and your classmates as people who will be working as editors or writers being edited.
Due date
In either Semester 1 or 2, on a date negotiated with your teacher.
Percentage weight
15%
Assessment criteria
You will be assessed on your:
• ability to frame and explain your topic and to maintain relevance to a publishing context throughout the talk
• ability to present your talk to the class in a clear, audible and interesting way and to conduct a class discussion
• ability to structure your talk so that it is logical, coherent and balanced within the time limit
• knowledge of your topic and the depth of your research
• organisational skills shown by submitting a plan, arranging and attending a tutorial, presenting the talk on the arranged day, and submitting all notes (including a list of sources) on time.
Editing and Grammar Test
A 45-minute closed-book test on spelling, tautologies, word confusions, plurals and the apostrophe.
Due date
Semester 1, Week 8 (week beginning 7 April)
Percentage weight
7.5%
Editorial Report
A 1000-word editorial report on an unpublished manuscript.
Due date
Semester 1, Week 12 (week beginning 5 May)
Percentage weight
15%
Assessment criteria
You will be assessed on your ability to:
• provide a concise yet comprehensive synopsis and an appropriate recommendation
• find a reasonable number of strengths and weaknesses in the manuscript
• back up your comments with explanations, including examples from the text if appropriate
• write logically, coherently and clearly, without spelling or grammatical errors
• understand and respect the author’s intentions
• communicate sensitively, honestly and directly.
Grammar and Paragraphing Test
A 1.5-hour test on all grammar and paragraphing work covered in Semester 1.
Due date
Semester 1, Week 15 (week beginning 4 June)
Percentage weight
20%
Punctuation Test
A 1 hour open-book test where you add punctuation to an unpunctuated paragraph and correct punctuation problems in a series of sentences, checking parallel structure and compound words as appropriate. You need to work with the style provided.
Due date
Semester 2, Week 8 (week beginning 27 August)
Percentage weight
12.5%
Major Editing Project
You are required to edit another student’s piece of writing submitted for a simulated anthology. To participate in the project, you will need to submit a 1000–1200 word piece of writing according to a brief. As the editor, you will be required to do an electronic clean up of your author’s piece and then do a hard-copy edit. You should edit the piece according to the brief, the demands of the piece and market needs. A one-page reflection on your experience of the project as both editor and author should also be submitted.
You should attend both classes for author–editor meetings in the weeks beginning 29 September and 6 October. If, for strong reasons, you are unable to attend one of those classes, you are required to notify your author/editor in advance and make alternative arrangements to complete the work.
Due date
Writing – Semester 2, Week 4 (week beginning 28 July)
Editing Project – Semester 2, Week 14 (week beginning 13 Oct)
Percentage weight
20%
Assessment criteria
You will be assessed on your ability to:
• edit the piece according to conventions of grammar, spelling, punctuation, house style etc.
• make appropriate use of email and Word programs to communicate with your author, manage files and do an electronic clean-up of the document
• mark up correctly, including using both copyediting and structure mark-up, using a style sheet, and marking in corrections after the author has responded
• understand the author’s intentions and edit according to the demands of the piece and to market needs
• communicate with and query the author appropriately, and deal appropriately with the author’s responses
• reflect thoughtfully on the editing process as experienced through the project as author and editor, and articulate any insights gained.
Proofreading Test
A 1 hour open-book test, where you proofread page proofs of a book according to the brief and style provided. You will be marked on your proofreading mark-up as well as your ability to find and correct errors.
Due date
Week 17/18 (Friday 7, Monday 10 or Tuesday 11 November)
Percentage weight
10%
Assessment Matrix
Not applicable
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