AMU3857 - Writing techniques - 2019

6 points, SCA Band 1, 0.125 EFTSL

Undergraduate - Unit

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Faculty

Arts

Organisational Unit

Malaysia School of Arts and Social Sciences

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Joseph Nicholas Goh Geok Lin

Coordinator(s)

Ms Deborah Germaine Augustin

Unit guides

Offered

Malaysia

  • First semester 2019 (On-campus)

Prerequisites

Twelve credit points of second-year Arts units.

Prohibitions

ATS3857

Synopsis

The unit covers a range of compositional techniques used in prose fiction. The weekly topics are organised around exercises designed to develop skills in effective use of creative detail, in conscious crafting of formal elements or writing techniques (e.g. building character, developing storyline, describing place, cultivating writing style or voice, identifying a narrative structure, etc.), and in preparation and editing of copy for publication.

Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit students will have:

  1. An understanding of a range of practices and techniques in contemporary writing through reading, analysis and practice;
  2. Refined and extended communication and writing skills across a number of literary and other forms and for a variety of audiences;
  3. Skills in editing, proofing and preparation of copy for publication;
  4. Advanced writing and reading skills as a member of an Internet writing group;
  5. A dossier of research, ideas for writing and examples of drafts and finished work at the end of the unit.

Assessment

Within semester assessment: 100%

Workload requirements

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. A unit requires on average three/four hours of scheduled activities per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.

See also Unit timetable information

This unit applies to the following area(s) of study