Malaspina Summer Writing School 2005

Calling all aspiring writers.

Admission is now open for Malaspina Summer Writing School 2005, a chance for aspiring writers to take two years' worth of their chosen writing genre in just three months.

The department of creative writing and journalism will offer first-year classes in fiction, scriptwriting, journalism and poetry in a seven-week format from May 2 to June 17, and second-year classes in fiction, scriptwriting and journalism from June 20 to Aug. 5. The courses, part of Malaspina University-College's fast-growing summer session, will meet twice a week for three hours.

This year's schedule will allow students to move from a first-year course in the first seven weeks to a second-year course in the second block, says Frank Moher, the creative writing instructor and former department chair who suggested the new format.

Moher, artistic producer of Nanaimo's Western Edge Theatre and a widely-published magazine writer, will teach first-year scriptwriting and second-year journalism. All instructors will be both published writers and experienced teachers.

"Malaspina has small class sizes compared to other institutions, so students will get lots of individual attention if they want it," says Richard Dunstan, Malaspina's creative writing chair and former Nanaimo Daily Free Press (now Nanaimo Daily News) city editor. "Our regular academic year classes are so popular they're hard to get into, so our summer school is a good way to beat the waitlists for the exact same course material."

"Why wait until September to write about what you did this summer? Why not spend your summer writing?" adds Dunstan, who will be teaching first-year journalism.

Both current and new Malaspina students may apply for admission to summer classes (see www.viu.ca/ccs/summersessioninfo.htm for details). Registration begins March 1 for continuing Malaspina students and March 15 for new students.

First-year courses are: CREW 100 (journalism), Mondays and Wednesdays, 9 a.m.-noon; CREW 110 (poetry), Mondays and Wednesdays 1-4 p.m.; CREW 120 (fiction), Tuesdays and Thursdays 9 a.m.-noon; and CREW 140 (drama), Tuesdays and Thursdays 1-4 p.m., all May 2-June 17 at the Nanaimo campus.

Second-year classes are: CREW 200 (feature writing), Mondays and Wednesdays 9-noon; CREW 220 (short fiction), Mondays and Wednesday 1-4 p.m.; and CREW 240 (short-form scriptwriting), Tuesdays and Thursdays 9-noon, all June 20-Aug. 5 at the Nanaimo campus.

For more information call, 753-3245 local 2110, or email: dunstanr@viu.ca.