LEVEL: A2-C1
GRADE: any
LENGTH: 5-10 minutes
TOPIC: writing a story while trying to follow a plot created by someone else
HOW TO:
This activity is great to use in groups of about 10 students, but it could work for smaller or bigger groups too (for smaller groups, do 2 rounds and for bigger groups, I would suggest dividing students into 2 groups).
Hand each student a sheet of paper and tell them to think of a crazy beginning of a story they would like to read. After that, students write 1 sentence and pass their paper to the student sitting next to them. Now they have to forget about their story and focus on the story in front of them. They should read the new sentence and continue with a story that their classmate started. Again, they should write just 1 sentence.
Repeat this step until the paper gets to its original creator who wrote the very first sentence.
It is very important that the students always read the whole story when a new paper gets to them and they try their best at fitting the work’s genre, atmosphere and following the characters’ life stories.
TIP
Allocate enough time, because the stories get longer and longer, but also support students in going with their guts and just writing the first idea they get.
SILLY VARIATION
Do the same thing but let the student write always just 1 word at a time.
