The Australian Association of Writing Programs

Below you will find a fairly extensive list of what respondents said they would like to see on an online community site, along with our responses to these suggestions.

If you have an idea for something you’d like to see on the website, but are not sure how to do it, throw a query out into the blogosphere and see what other members say, or get in touch with Jen.Webb@canberra.edu.au

 

Features requested:

1. A searchable database of examined, completed creative writing MAs and PhDs in Australia

Under RESOURCES there is a hotlink to the Australian Digital Theses site, with a brief description of how to use it. This holds all research degrees that have passed examination and been submitted to the ADT (increasingly, this is the norm).

2. A list of grants and scholarships available to creative writing students

We don’t currently have the resources to produce this; but between all the members, it should be manageable. Blog it, set up a page under RESOURCES, or email grants and scholarships you know about to Jen.Webb@canberra.edu.au

3. A tutorial area where I can participate in creative writing exercises

The best option here is for those interested to establish a writing group online, through the group option on the website, and work together to build skills, experience and confidence

4. An area where I can critique others’ work in progress and have my own work critiqued.

There is a working papers site online; one paper is there; we would warmly welcome more – and welcome too, of course, feedback and discussion by members

5. The ability to join in special interest discussions (eg: students living in Canberra, or a Lacan reading group, etc)

A couple of groups have been established, and a couple of people have provided links to local groups. More would be welcomed

6. A wiki based around creative writing theorists and theories

A group or blog that seemed to be becoming wiki-ish could be converted into a wiki-proper, given enough interest and activity. However, we also suggest members participate actively in Wikipedia, which has a growing number of entries on scholarly issues, and where interested people could build the creative writing theory connections.

7. A peer-reviewed journal of student work in progress, operated by students and for students.

This too was well down the list of preferences; and the first group of people who participated in a publishing workshop run through the AWPN writing network opted not to take this path, but rather to encourage the path of: contribute to the working papers, refine through discussion and feedback; subsequently submit paper to a refereed journal

8. List of examiners, with their interests and contact information

This is online; examiners need to add their details to it or, if it looks too complicated, send those details to Jen.Webb@canberra.edu.au

9. A listserv of what’s happening in the field (eg. conferences, new books published by members, appeals for assistance)

We’d love to do this, but it is enormously resource-intensive, and we don’t have the capacity. The best we can manage is links to other online resources. Please add your links to the site, or email them to Jen.Webb@canberra.edu.au

10. Discussion of authors of literature (novelists, poets, scriptwriters) relevant to their own work, and lists of recent important pubs with brief review

These are excellent ideas; are there any members interested in setting up relevant reading groups and lists? There is almost limitless space on the website for such activity.

11. Links to job opportunities, research opportunities, creative fellowships, grants, publishing opportunities, writing competitions, other related organisations

Whenever members send information to the AAWP website, this is circulated through that community and through the Writing Network

More generally, some links to sources of professional and academic information can be found at the RESOURCES
button or on the AAWP website (aawp.org.au)

Your own university should have a subscription to SPIN or similar database where you can search for opportunities

We are currently compiling material for a LINKS page which will include links to the state Writers Centres, which are excellent resources

There are other resources, such as the Writers Market, for publishing and grants.

Please do, though, set up a page for any of these issues that interests you, and about which you have some knowledge. If others add to it, it will become like a Wiki for writing

12. List of current creative writing post-graduate students in Australia.

We can’t provide this, because of privacy issues; but any members of the Writing Network are online with you, and up for grabs.

13. Comparison of criteria and guidelines for creative writing PhD from different universities.

We are working on this; watch this space (but not too closely – it is taking a lot of time).

14. Workshops, work in progress seminars, discussion groups, workplace and professional training, peer support and opportunities for un-prejudiced complaints about supervision difficulties to postgraduate research office.

We will offer online workshops as long as resources are available: initially we received some funds through a grant to pay tutors; now we rely on the resources of the community as a whole, unless the grant fairy gives us more money.

Work-in-progress seminars are a very good idea we will pursue.

Early next year there will be a workshop on legal and professional issues for writers; if anyone has an idea for a workshop (to participate or to run) please email d.brien@cqu.edu.au

Peer support: set up groups or fora through the site for this. Sending an email across the community with suggestions of topics may help generate a group.

Complaints: for outcomes, you’ll need to use your own university resources; for advice or just to let off steam, use your blog, or set up a group for more private discussions.

15. Bibliography of critical literature.

A number of bibliographies are now available on the website; the more that members post their own bibliographies, and add to those present, the richer this resource will be.

16. News (including jobs, new courses, current research etc).

We recommend all members of the APWN check the AAWP site from time to time, as writing news is posted there. Set up an RSS feed from the AAWP site (and the APWN site): this will bring new posting to your own email, so that you don’t have to remember to check it. To do this, you need to set up your computer to grab RSS feeds; info is available under HELP, or check with your local IT people. Once you have enabled your computer, you need to let it know which sites to connect. All the information is available through the HELP lintks. As a last resort, email Jen.Webb@canberra.edu.au

17. Outlines of how each uni’s program works and what they expect

Check the list of Writing Courses on the AAWP site <aawp.org.au>

18. Links to all universities’ research pages

If members send me <Jen.Webb@canberra.edu.au> their university’s url, I will set up a list. But we do not have the resources to go through each university website and collate them.

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