SHARPEN YOUR PENCILS: A couple of bits for you writers out there. First, November is National Novel Writing Month. That means you’ve got about 10 days to come up with an idea for your Great American Novel and a whole month to write it. No sweat. And for those of you who prefer that each word count a little more, Slate looks into how poetry that doesn’t rhyme still pleases. (In a word: meter.)

ACT II: The Dallas Opera launches year two at the Winspear Opera House this weekend with its staging of Don Giovanni. John Pascoe is directing the show, and as he tells theaterjones.com, it’s a fine line between putting your stamp on the show without dominating it. “I work hard early on to convey my thoughts, and then I slowly remove myself so as to let the characters come to life on their own,” he says. Also, the DO’s new general director Keith Cerny is hailed in the Metropolitcan Opera Guild’s  Opera News as a “Renaissance man,” which is art-speak for ‘he has a lot of jobs,’ although it might also refer to his degrees in music and physics (Berkeley), conducting (Guildhall School, London) and business (Harvard).

GAINING GROUND: Back in May, Jerome spoke with Renzo Piano about his plans to expand the Kimbell Art Museum. A late summer start date was the idea, but a couple of delays pushed the construction back to around now. In the meantime, a few of Piano’s plans have been slightly altered reports dfw.com.