Dracula

• MBO
• Studiejaar 1

Planning

• What do you already know?
  
• TED-Ed video
  
• Writing exercises
  

What do you know about Vampires?

Can you name any famous vampires?

Dracula

Today we will discuss the world's most famous vampire

We are going to watch a TED-Ed video now

Make sure to take some notes for inspiration since you are about to write a short story later!

Activity

You are going to write a very short story in groups.

1. The first person will write the first 2 or 3 sentences.

2. Then you fold the paper so the next person does not see what the first person wrote.

3. We will do this 4 times, so you will have 4 stanzas in total.

Guidelines

1. The first person starts their stanza with the words: "Once upon a time" and tells something about the vampire. (name, how old is he/she?) 

2. The second person writes about a problem that the vampire has.

3. The third person writes how the vampire will solve this problem.

4. The fourth person writes about what the vampire is going to do next. (Example: now that he has found his suitcase, he is going on a holiday to Spain)

NO swearing, we stay civil.

Let's hear some of the stories!

Writing tips

- A strong point of view. Know from the beginning what it is you want to say with your short story. Ask yourself: what do you want people to feel or think as they read your story? 

- Experimental element. Short stories don’t necessarily have to stick to traditional storytelling techniques, which means that you can feel free to play around with certain conventions.

There are some common elements across all fiction writing, but short stories specifically feature:

-  A clearly defined mood or feeling. This can be a genre (horror, comedy) or an emotion (grief, happiness). Or it can be a combination—as long as the point is clear.

- Clear, descriptive language that sets up the concept of the story quickly, try to avoid vague language. 

- A small cast of characters, including a main character and supporting character(s) who must serve an important role in the story. 

Final exercise

Now you are going to write a short story by yourself.

You are a vampire and are about to write a short story about your life in the 18th/19th century.

Use the past tenses that we discussed!

Use your creativity!

You are allowed to use pictures.

Min. 100 words