760-104 Writing Fiction

Students who have completed 760-202 Short Fiction cannot enrol in this subject.

In this subject students will explore principles of the craft and theory of writing short narrative fiction. Students will read a variety of fiction texts from the beginning of the modernist era to contemporary fiction, ranging from Gogol to Chekhov, Mansfield, Hemingway, Faulkner, Morrison and others.

• Students who complete this subject should: apply analytic, independent, and critical skills to written texts;

• apply problem-solving skills to creative and critical tasks;

• complete written tasks to a high level of literacy and communication;

• tackle unfamiliar problems with confidence and develop cognitive skills;

• plan and develop their own work;

• work effectively with others while respecting individual differences.

Written work totalling 4000 words comprising 3000 words of fiction including brief written notes (up to 300 words) on how the fiction responds to the subject content 75% (due at end of semester), an analysis of at least two fiction pieces from the set texts addressing issues of the poetics and history short fiction totalling 1000 words 15% (due at end of semester), and regular participation including leading a discussion and presenting a draft of work in progress for workshopping during semester 10%.

A subject reader will be available for sale from the University Bookroom before the beginning of semester.

• M Hoffman et al, Essentials of the Theory of Fiction. Leicester University Press 1996.
• R S Gwynn (ed), Fiction: A Pocket Anthology. Pearson Longman 2005.
• L Goodman (ed), Literature and Gender: Approaching Literature. Routledge 1996.