Writer's Workshop - Castle Midnight

The Prompt

It was the dead of night.

All that could be heard was the muffled beating of the creature’s enormous wings as it soared through the inky-black sky. Behind it, at the end of a frayed length of rope, sat the coachman. Coat wrapped tightly around his broad shoulders, his mission tonight was a straightforward one: to escort the two strangers to Castle Midnight. It all seemed straightforward to him. Even if it wasn’t, he always did as the Master bade. No one ever dared to disobey the Master, especially on a night such as this…

Question time!

- Who are the two mysterious strangers?
- What happens at Castle Midnight?
- Why is the Master so formidable?
- What kind of person do you think the coachman is?
- Why does everyone fear the Master?
- Who are the two strangers in the back? Why do you think they are going to Castle Midnight?
- What kind of place do you think Castle midnight is?
- Is the owl ‘normal’ in size?
- Where/when do you think this story is set?

Sentence Challenge! - The past tense

Simple past tense: actions that took place at a specific time and have now finished. E.g. I walked to school.

Continuous past tense: actions that took place over a period of time in the past. E.g. I was walking to school.

Fill in the gaps in the sentences below, using the past progressive form of the verb in brackets.

While the creature (to fly) ______________ through the sky, the strangers (to talk) _______________ to each other in the back.

Can you identify where you have used simple past tense or continuous past tense in your writing today?

Sick Sentences!

These sentences are ‘sick’ and need help to get better. Can you help?

The big creature flew through the sky. A big castle was on the horizon.

Perfect Picture!

Imagine what everything in the picture would look like in the daylight. Would it still be scary? Draw/describe what you have imagined.