Writing for Publication will focus on writing for professional publication, examining the modes, standards and practices associated with different forms of published output. Students will read examples from a variety of fields, including poetry, fiction and creative non-fiction, writing for advertising and digital media, and essays/features written for journals, digital and print media. They will consider what makes effective writing in each genre, and the professional and ethical standards that need to be met prior to publication. WRITE501 will address practical questions covering transferable skills in professional writing, including research, drafting, editing and proof-reading; it will also address some of the issues professional writers may encounter in their working lives, including privacy, defamation, informed consent and the appropriate use of research materials. Students will complete two stand-alone writing projects, researching potential venues for their work and preparing their writing to publishable standard.

WRITE501 will comprise one three-hour session per week. The sessions will include lectures and group discussions. Approximately half of the sessions will include a two-hour workshop, in which students will present their work-in-progress for critique. This work will be written in response to exercises and posted on Moodle before class (the deadline will be 9am on the Monday before each workshop). We will also hear from two guest speakers on key aspects of writing for publication.