Adventures in writing

Sometimes, when I’m not interested in teaching a regular Nova lesson, I have my students blindly choose from a list of phrases (found in the teacher’s room) and have them create a story from the phrases. I did a lesson like that today, but this time I participated as well. Each story was written in 10min.:

One night I was walking home from work, jamming to my iPod as usual. Before I knew it, sharp teeth plunged into my neck and I sank to the ground. And then – it was only then – that I noticed a dark shadow had fully encompassed my neighborhood – streetlights and barking dogs included. The next thing I knew, I woke up! I was on the Chuo line pulling into Mitaka station. A little disturbed by my dream, I put on my music to power myself for the walk home. Rounding the final corner before my house I noticed another pedestrian in the street. In that moment I realized that I hadn’t been dreaming, as I leapt up to sink my teeth into the neck of my neighbor.

Required phrases: before I knew it, sharp teeth, and then, a dark shadow, the next thing I knew.

A strange noise pierced the cold wind swirling around their secluded country home. The family was gone, leaving only the dog to register the eerie noise. The floorboards began to creak and faint voices and shuffling noises could be heard – as if this strange turn of events was straight from a terrible nightmare of Tim Burton or Stephen King. All of a sudden the front door of the house swung open to reveal a long dark road that in the daytime functioned as the family’s private driveway. The whimpering dog witnessed a parade of the undead file into the house. They silenced the dog, and waited for the family to return.

Required phrases: a strange noise, a cold wind, a terrible nightmare, all of a sudden, a long dark road.