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?, and THE GLITCH.
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?, and THE GLITCH.
| Synthesis Project article mysuburbanlife.pdf |