Teaching with Frankenstories

Now that everyone gets the basic idea, play another whole-class, casual game.

However, this time, encourage the class to work together to create something satisfying.

What happens?

What’s likely to happen

The quality will vary depending on your class, but the average beginners' unmoderated whole-class game is pretty chaotic. 

Most likely, the students have fun, but the resulting story doesn't hang together.

For example, the game might open well in R1 & 2, but then someone writes something stupid but funny in R3, wins the round, and soon everyone is writing cheap-laugh responses and the story gets derailed.

As in this one:

In some ways, that's good

Students are writing for an audience, which means the experience is social and motivating, and they’re learning from each other.

It’s a legitimate part of the craft.

The problem is...

If jokes and memes are the only responses that win rounds, then soon that's all anyone will write, and the class will get stuck.

Stories will be pointless, writing skills won't improve, and you'll wonder if you wasted your time.

(This is not unique to students; Keith Johnston writes at length about the same dynamic with adults in improvised theatre. The issue is mainly about the desire to gain status and a fear of losing status.)

If that's your situation, use the next game to introduce Approval Mode.