Friday Open Writing Calendar

• 9/6 Introduction
• 9/20 Class #2
• 9/27 Class #3
• 10/4 Class #4
• 10/18 Class #5
• 11/1 Class #6
• 11/8 Peer Editing
• 11/15 Class #8
• 11/22 Publication Day (one-trimester-long pieces only)

Open Writing 2013-2014

In Open Writing you have the opportunity to craft a piece of writing on a subject of your choice.  Your piece of writing may take the form of fiction, non-fiction, or poetry.  Your writing must be original; you may not write fan-fiction or re-tell the story of another book, movie, TV show, or video game.

The first thing you must decide regards the length of your piece.  You decide if you want to work on a piece for one trimester, two trimesters, or three trimesters.  If you choose to write a one-trimester-long piece, you will publish your piece at the end of the trimester.  If you choose a two-trimester-long piece you will need to take Open Writing again in the Winter and you will publish after the Winter Trimester.  If you choose a three-trimester-long piece you will need to take Open Writing all three trimesters and you will publish at the end of the year.  Everyone will publish their work this year in Open Writing.  Publishing only means you will be sharing your work with other NOVA students.  No one outside of NOVA will read your work (unless you yourself make it available to people outside NOVA—which you are welcome to do).

If you only plan on taking Open Writing one trimester, you need to plan a very short piece.  Plan something you can finish by the end of the trimester. 

You may work this year on works already in progress, but the above publication guidelines still apply.  Just because we “publish” a work at NOVA doesn’t mean a work is necessarily in its final form.

You are welcome to work on your Open Writing piece outside of Open Writing.  However, no work outside the enrichment class is required.

Before you start working on your Open Writing piece, you need to write a proposal to Mr. Gacek.  Please use 1.5 line spacing and size 13 font.  Include a proper heading and title.
 

Open Writing Proposal

Trimester Length:_______________

Genre: ____________________

Characters: Write a short paragraph describing the characters in your story.

Setting: Write a short paragraph describing the setting of your story.

Plot: Write a short paragraph describing what will happen in your story.

Inspiration/Influences: Write a short paragraph describing your inspiration for writing this story and any other works or factors which might have pushed you in this direction.

Once you get your Proposal checked by Mr. Gacek, you may start writing!

If you would like to create a piece of non-fiction or poetry write a paragraph regarding what you would like to write.

Open Writing Submission Due Date

I will be compiling work from Open Writing classes this year into books.  Any pieces which were worked on this year in Open Writing are eligible.  Pieces should be edited and proofread, but they do not have to be finished works.  They may be works in progress.  Please create a simple title page with the piece’s title and your name for each work.  [Please delete any previous headings you may have created for your works.]  Submissions may be any page length.

The due date is Friday, May 17.

I will be binding the books of student work on the following day (Saturday), so the due date is definitely firm. 

Please submit a hard copy of your work to Mr. Gacek.  DO NOT STAPLE YOUR SUBMISSION.  Please use a paper clip in the upper left hand corner of your submission.  If you are unable to get a hard copy to Mr. Gacek you may e-mail him your submission at jgacek@novaschool.org.

Open Writing students are not required to submit work this year, particularly if students have only had the class during the third trimester.  However, students who have had Open Writing all year are STRONGLY ENCOURAGED to submit a piece.

Students who took Open Writing in the first or second trimesters but are not currently taking the class may submit works they worked on earlier in the year.

Students in Open Writing and Open Reading will have the opportunity to read the books during their classes after May 17.

You may e-mail me with questions.

I look forward to seeing all the great work completed this year in Open Writing!