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TitlePass the Story
SourceCASLS
Body

This activity was designed for Novice and Intermediate Learners, but it is also appropriate as a scaffolding activity for Advanced learners who are new to fanfiction. The activity was inspired by the FanTALES Teacher Handbook, and a brief overview of approaching writing fanfiction with learners is available in the creating fanfiction video

Learning Objectives:
Learners will be able to:

  • Contribute 1-2 creative sentences (per turn) to a collaboratively written creative story
  • Evaluate the quality of their emerging narratives

Mode(s): Interpretive, Presentational

Materials: source text, digital space for writing or paper, introduction to fanfiction video (optional)

Procedure:

  1. Provide learners with an overview of fanfiction, if necessary, by using the introduction to fanfiction video.
  2. Next, survey learners about their favorite narrative-based media (e.g. movies). If you need an idea of what questions to ask, check out the appendix of the FanTALES Teacher Handbook.
  3. Use the survey responses to select a source text for the class. You could pick one text for the whole class to use or a series of texts for different groups of learners.
  4. If the text is not already well-known by learners, make sure to take time to read it, watch it, or play it in class.
  5. After learners become familiar with the source text, ask that they work in groups of 4-5 people to collaboratively write their own fanfiction inspired by the source text. The type of fanfiction (e.g., prequels, sequels, and fix-it fiction) is up to you and your learners. Decide which type will be written before moving to Step 6.
  6. To begin, the first group member will write 1-2 sentences to start the story. The story then passes to the next group member, who will also add 1-2 sentences that build off what was already written. For a brief example, see the creating fanfiction video. This process repeats until all have had at least one turn. 
  7. Learners will evaluate their story as a group.
  8. Learners will complete their story in the same format described in Step 6. You may choose to require that the story be completed in a set amount of time or in a certain number of turns.
  9. Ask learners to read their stories together. As a group, they should pick their favorite plot point and share it with the class. 

Notes:

  • Educators working in online contexts may use a variety of platforms to complete Pass the Story. Discussion boards, Padlet, Google Jamboard, or any other collaborative digital space for creation would work well.
  • During Step 7, learners may need some guiding questions:
    • What sentences were the most intriguing or interesting to read?
    • What plot points were surprising?
    • What’s still missing (e.g. the resolution to the conflict)?
    • Are we staying true to the norms of our fanfiction? If not, is that a purposeful choice? Should we change our goals? 

Reference: 
The FanTALES Group. (2020). Teacher Handbook. FanTALES Project Publication, Leuven. Available from          https://www.fantales.eu/download/1007/

Publishdate2020-11-30 08:15:01