Course overview
The course introduces students to writing a novel against a background of the form's historical development and range of contemporary possibilities. Students will investigate the novel in its contemporary forms and consider the legacies of past literary, artistic, and cultural movements on current modes of composition. In doing so, students will learn to define and situate their work within the broader critical and cultural context in which it circulates. Throughout the course, students will close read and analyse several innovative works of contemporary fiction. They will examine aspects of form such as narration, point of view, time, character, consciousness, style, voice, and the relationship between fiction and non-fiction to practice making more critically informed creative decisions. Students will craft the opening of a novel, learn how to prepare a manuscript submission/proposal, and learn how to present their work to an academic or industry gatekeeper.
Course learning outcomes
- Introduce students to a range of creative writing practices relevant to prose fiction.
- Introduce students to ways of reading, talking, and thinking about contemporary texts.
- Develop students’ capacity to investigate contemporary writing contexts (social, historical, and political).
- Develop students’ awareness of the nexus between reading and writing.
- Develop students’ ability to evaluate and apply critical material.
- Develop students’ ability to reflect upon their own work in the context of writing by established writers.
- Develop students’ ability to confidently, thoughtfully, and respectfully express their ideas to their peers.
- Develop students’ confidence to share work in progress with peers, giving and receiving constructive criticism.
- Develop students’ editing skills.
- Develop students’ teamwork skills.