Collaborative Novel Writing (Synthesis Project)
Because every year from late August through early June I am “in the trenches” teaching, I dreamed up a way to carve out some productive writing time during the school year; and so that I would have to commit to the idea, I announced it to parents at the 2010 September Open House. About twenty students joined me in the formation of a collaborative novel writing club, the Synthesis Project, and together we wrote a 57,000-word YA science fiction novel, Beasts of Eden. For the 2011-2012 school year, a new group of nine students joined the Synthesis Project. We wrote a 32,000-word YA fantasy novel, this one called The Heart of Atlantis.
As a result of these successes, for the 2013-2014 school year I was given the opportunity to teach four sections of a collaborative novel writing course (Project Synthesis). Though the course was successful, it was canceled the following year due to scheduling changes. I further developed my collaborative novel writing approach for the 2015-2016 school year, using the process to produce three novels, one with each of my Literacy classes. This I continue to do each school year because I have found collaborative novel writing to be a wonderful way to develop rapport, provide a memorable learning experience, and teach the elements of powerful writing as well as grammar, punctuation and other conventions. The class collaborative novels, written by students and edited by me, are: RUNNING FROM GEORGIA, JUST A DREAM, DEATH BY WEALTH, THE FLASH DRIVE, NEVERENDING, THE AFTER PARTY, THE LAST OF EARTH, LOSING ALTITUDE, LOGGED OFF, LOST IN THE WAVES, WHAT? WHERE? HOW?, THE GLITCH, GLORIOUS, THE DEAL MADE OF FIRE, and DEAD END.
As a result of these successes, for the 2013-2014 school year I was given the opportunity to teach four sections of a collaborative novel writing course (Project Synthesis). Though the course was successful, it was canceled the following year due to scheduling changes. I further developed my collaborative novel writing approach for the 2015-2016 school year, using the process to produce three novels, one with each of my Literacy classes. This I continue to do each school year because I have found collaborative novel writing to be a wonderful way to develop rapport, provide a memorable learning experience, and teach the elements of powerful writing as well as grammar, punctuation and other conventions. The class collaborative novels, written by students and edited by me, are: RUNNING FROM GEORGIA, JUST A DREAM, DEATH BY WEALTH, THE FLASH DRIVE, NEVERENDING, THE AFTER PARTY, THE LAST OF EARTH, LOSING ALTITUDE, LOGGED OFF, LOST IN THE WAVES, WHAT? WHERE? HOW?, THE GLITCH, GLORIOUS, THE DEAL MADE OF FIRE, and DEAD END.
| Synthesis Project article mysuburbanlife.pdf |