AustLit

This course continues the study of the fundamentals of three genres: poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction. Students will continue to read extensively in poetry, short fiction and creative nonfiction to understand the skills and techniques that go into the forging of the texts. They will also further their ability to critique their own writing and that of their fellow students. This course also focuses on the use of drafts as staging posts to the final work.

Course Objectives:

Upon successful completion of this course, students will have

1. Furthered the understanding of the art of creative reading - the ability to identify a good text and use it as a creative model;

2. Developed an ability to analyse literary texts in a coherent way;

3. Acquired a deeper knowledge of the different genres, literary tradition and forms;

4. Learned more about the mechanics of a good poem, a compelling narrative and creative nonfiction;

5. Learned to work with drafts in the quest for the ideal form.

Course Content:

This course builds upon the knowledge and experience accrued in Intermediate Creative Writing 1. It furthers literary training in three genres: poetry, narrative and creative nonfiction. It explores experimental trends in contemporary poetry, and focuses on more elusive techniques such as the establishment of voice and use of metaphor in prose texts. It also stresses the importance of working with drafts; students learn to revise and edit their work and that of their colleagues.