Reading and Writing Genre Texts
Overview
This unit explores why specific story styles remain eternally popular in the bestseller lists and on our bookshelves. It introduces students to a deeper understanding of the history, conventions, and social and political underpinnings of popular fiction genres. These will help to inform the development of their own critical reading and creative work, irrespective of medium. The unit will examine the history and development of a popular genre each week from a variety of theoretical perspectives and also include workshops where students apply genre ideas studied to their own creative projects
Requisites
02-November-2025
Learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
- Demonstrate critical understanding of theoretical and creative approaches to genre writing and production
- Critically evaluate a range of genres and conventions
- Apply ideas and perspectives from genre studies to their own creative output
Teaching methods
Hawthorn
| Type | Hours per week | Number of weeks | Total (number of hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Live Online Lecture | 1.00 | 12 weeks | 12 |
| On-campus Class | 2.00 | 12 weeks | 24 |
| Specified Activities Various | 3.00 | 12 weeks | 36 |
| Unspecified Activities Independent Learning | 6.50 | 12 weeks | 78 |
| TOTAL | 150 |
Assessment
| Type | Task | Weighting | ULO's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | Individual | 30% | 1,2,3 |
| Genre Writing Project | Individual | 40% | 1,2,3 |
| In-Class Exercises | Individual | 30% | 1,2,3 |
Content
- Genre theory
- Romance
- Crime
- Speculative fiction
- Fantasy
- Gothic and horror
- Historical fiction
- Literary fiction
- Postmodern genres
- Literary analysis techniques
Study resources
Reading materials
A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.