Creative Writing

The core aim of the course is to develop in students the creative, practical, critical and collaborative skills necessary to pursue a writing career in the arts and communications industries. These core skills will be complemented by the skills and knowledge acquired by students taking the closely related "theory" subjects. In addition, the course provides elective topics which, together with the core practical and theory topics, will develop flexible, independent thinkers capable of analysing problems from different perspectives, capable of critical evaluation of problems and capable of selecting working solutions. Through their participation in projects drawing on the resources of all three streams, students will learn how to collaborate with practitioners in related creative disciplines.

The course will aim to produce graduates ready for employment. The Creative Writing stream aims to make students flexible writers, sensitive and competent editors and lateral thinkers, by offering training in a range of writing practices and genres, including those developed in tandem with new technologies, as well as in reading all of the major traditional genres of literature. Graduating creative writing students will be able to demonstrate a range of skills and will have a portfolio of their creative achievements that will make them attractive to a wide range of employers in the arts and communication industries.

The aim of the course is to prepare students for a professional life by:

• equipping students with practical skills in writing, research and editing, so that graduates will be experienced in a variety of forms that are required in both literary and professional contexts;
• producing students who are critical readers with competent editing skills;
• developing in students an understanding of literary genres, styles and forms, which includes an understanding of their historical, social and cultural contexts;
• developing in students an understanding of the culture of writing and publishing in Australia;
• producing graduates who will be able to think flexibly, collaborate with others on group projects and solve problems creatively; and
• developing in students communication skills that will enhance performance of their own work as well as be useful in any profession where oral presentation of material is essential.

The course is made up of 108 units with a normal full-time load being 36 units per year. The practical creative writing core will comprise 13.5 units at first-year level, 30 units at second-year level and 30 units at third-year level. The first year topics provide introductions to creative writing to the major genres and to literary studies in general. Upper-level topics allow students to practise a range of genres, such as poetry, writing for children, creative nonfiction, scriptwriting, etc. and to learn about designing work for particular audiences in appropriate formats. Editing is emphasised in each topic. Students also have the opportunity to learn about the new media.

Students who want to complete a major in English follow the standard requirements: 9 units at first-year level (ENGL 1003 and 1004), 12 units at second-year level (drawn from the variety of upper level English literature topics), and 12 units at third-year level (drawn from the variety of upper level English literature topics).

Electives can be any suitable topic (ie, not precluded by prerequisites or similar requirements) from within the existing BA course. Students must take 13.5 units of first-year non-English elective topics. Six units of an elective will be required at both second and third year (total of 12 units). Topics offered either within the BCA creative writing stream or within the English literature major will not be precluded as upper-level electives, providing existing prerequisites are met.

For information about the topics offered, please see the Creative Writing Handbook. (PDF 223kb)

Information is available for the style and presentation of essays .