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CWR1002 Writing about People

Semester 2, 2020 On-campus Toowoomba
Short Description: Writing about People
Units : 1
Faculty or Section : Faculty of Business, Education, Law and Arts
School or Department : School of Humanities & Communication
Student contribution band : Band 1
ASCED code : 100705 - Written Communication
Grading basis : Graded

Staffing

Examiner:

Other requisites

Students will require access to e-mail and have internet access to UConnect for this course.

Rationale

This course introduces you to a range of ways of writing about people, both real and imagined, across a range of genres and forms. You will be supported in developing writing that reflects an awareness of current debates and practices within life writing and character-based writing, as well as an awareness of publishing expectations and requirements.

This course equips you with a range of skills required in the workforce, and in professional writing practice, including interpreting and responding to market submission guidelines, meeting deadlines, and writing to purpose.

Synopsis

The writing we produce is most often about people, whether that writing takes the form of creative works (like short stories and novels), or works of non-fiction, such as biographies and profiles. This course provides you with an introduction to a range of techniques for producing engaging and effective works of creative and professional writing that focus on representations of people. The course provides you with an opportunity to nurture your creativity and hone your skills as a writer. You will be guided through the process of producing a range of texts, including autobiography, biography, and short fiction. The focus in the course is on producing works that demonstrate an awareness of the relationship between the writer and the marketplace.

Objectives

On completion of this course you will be able to:

  1. write clear, engaging short works that demonstrate an emerging understanding of the way creative writers use language to create a sense of ‘character’;
  2. demonstrate fundamental writing skills across a range of genres or forms;
  3. demonstrate an awareness of best practice in terms of ethical research and enquiry;
  4. produce writing that reflects an emerging awareness of market and audience;
  5. identify and adapt writing techniques used by professional writers;
  6. demonstrate fundamental skills in providing editorial feedback.

Topics

Description Weighting(%)
1. Memoir 25.00
2. Biography 25.00
3. Writing fictional characters 25.00
4. Editing skills development 25.00

Text and materials required to be purchased or accessed

ALL textbooks and materials available to be purchased can be sourced from (unless otherwise stated). (https://omnia.usq.edu.au/textbooks/?year=2020&sem=02&subject1=CWR1002)

Please for alternative purchase options from USQ Bookshop. (https://omnia.usq.edu.au/info/contact/)

There are no texts or materials required for this course.

Reference materials

Reference materials are materials that, if accessed by students, may improve their knowledge and understanding of the material in the course and enrich their learning experience.

Student workload expectations

Activity Hours
Directed ¾«¶«´«Ã½app 39.00
Independent ¾«¶«´«Ã½app 126.00

Assessment details

Description Marks out of Wtg (%) Due Date Notes
BIOGRAPHY SUBMISSION 100 25 04 Sep 2020
BIOGRAPHY WORKSHOP 100 25 04 Sep 2020 (see note 1)
FICTION SUBMISSION 100 25 26 Oct 2020
FICTION WORKSHOP 100 25 26 Oct 2020 (see note 2)

Notes
  1. You will be asked to complete a series of editing tasks during semester.
  2. You will be asked to complete a series of editing tasks during semester.

Important assessment information

  1. Attendance requirements:
    Students must attend and complete the requirements of the Workplace Health and Safety training program for this course where required.

    External and Online: There are no attendance requirements for this course. However, it is the students’ responsibility to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration.

    On-campus: It is the students’ responsibility to attend and participate appropriately in all activities (such as lectures, tutorials, laboratories and practical work) scheduled for them, and to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration.

  2. Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
    To satisfactorily complete an individual assessment item a student must achieve at least 50% of the marks.

  3. Penalties for late submission of required work:
    Students should refer to the Assessment Procedure (point 4.2.4)

  4. Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
    To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must achieve at least 50% of the total weighted marks available for the course.

  5. Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
    The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the aggregate of the weighted marks obtained for each of the summative assessment items in the course.

  6. Examination information:
    There is no examination for this course.

  7. Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
    There is no examination in this course, there will be no deferred or supplementary examinations.

  8. ¾«¶«´«Ã½app Student Policies:
    Students should read the USQ policies: Definitions, Assessment and Student Academic Misconduct to avoid actions which might contravene ¾«¶«´«Ã½app policies and practices. These policies can be found at .

Other requirements

  1. Students can expect that questions in assessment items in this course may draw upon knowledge and skills that they can reasonably be expected to have acquired before enrolling in the course. This includes knowledge contained in pre-requisite courses and appropriate communication, information literacy, analytical, critical thinking, problem solving or numeracy skills. Students who do not possess such knowledge and skills should not expect to achieve the same grades as those students who do possess them.

Date printed 6 November 2020