Murder Mystery Lesson 5+6: Agatha Christie / Writing draft + feedback

Check your writing
Holmes and Watson entered a empty classroom. Sherlock immediatly sees a lot of waterbottles in the corner from the room.

"The carbon dioxide monitor is off," Sherlock says as he enters the classroom full of annoying scholars.

Theyre focus is constantly on someone else.  Sherlock, I dont get what you mean. Theyre just two silly boy.
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Slide 1: Slide
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This lesson contains 18 slides, with interactive quizzes, text slides and 2 videos.

time-iconLesson duration is: 50 min

Items in this lesson

Check your writing
Holmes and Watson entered a empty classroom. Sherlock immediatly sees a lot of waterbottles in the corner from the room.

"The carbon dioxide monitor is off," Sherlock says as he enters the classroom full of annoying scholars.

Theyre focus is constantly on someone else.  Sherlock, I dont get what you mean. Theyre just two silly boy.

Slide 1 - Slide

This week
  • How to construct a murder mystery with the help of Agatha Christie
  • Write a murder mystery for feedback
  • Test in two weeks (no classes next week!)

Slide 2 - Slide

8

Slide 3 - Video

Building a character
Create your own character using the cheat sheet below:

  • Character name
  • Origin story (who, how and where?)
  • Internal conflict (i.e. detective versus themselves)
  • External conflict (i.e. detective versus surroundings)

List for adjectives for describing people and personal qualities.

Slide 4 - Slide

Building a character
Create your own character using the cheat sheet below
  • Character name: ...
  • Who and where:  ...
  • Internal conflict: ...
  • External conflict: ...
  • Voice: ...

List for adjectives for describing people and personal qualities.

Slide 5 - Slide

1 Limit the point of view of the narrator
2 Choose the right setting: dark / isolated
3 Play with clues and red herrings

Slide 6 - Slide

01:51
What is a common criticism of Christie’s characters?
A
They are two-dimensional
B
They are unlikeable
C
The suspects are introduced too late
D
There are too many internal monologues

Slide 7 - Quiz

Test run
Check Moodle for the practise assignment:
  • Write a murder mystery test 
  • Hand in by the end of class for feedback.

Graded test on Wednesday 17 April.

Slide 8 - Slide

Freytag's Pyramid

Slide 9 - Slide

Elements in a mystery: techniques
1 Limit the point of view
2 Choose the right setting
3 Play with style and form
4 Use dramatic irony
5 Use cliffhangers

Slide 10 - Slide

01:51
What is distinctive about many of Christie’s settings?
A
They are exotic
B
They are isolated
C
They are cozy
D
They are unrealistic

Slide 11 - Quiz

04:05
Christie’s clues are designed to be _____ by readers.
A
forgotten
B
ignored
C
easy to guess
D
misinterpreted

Slide 12 - Quiz

05:11
What makes Hercule Poirot and Jane Marple unique detectives, compared to Sherlock Holmes and other predecessors?
A
Patriotism
B
Traumatic backstories
C
They are outsiders
D
100% success rates

Slide 13 - Quiz

02:59
What did Christie often change as she worked?
A
The scene of the crime
B
The identity of victim
C
The identity of the murderer
D
The typewriter she wrote on

Slide 14 - Quiz

05:11
Hercule Poirot is a refugee living in England, and often suffers prejudice at the hands of his British suspects. In what ways does this give him a unique perspective as a detective?
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Slide 15 - Open question

05:11
Christie carefully plotted all of her books before she wrote a single word of the manuscript. What are the advantages and disadvantages of plotting out a murder mystery?
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1:00

Slide 16 - Open question

05:11
Agatha Christie’s characters are sometimes stereotypical: what are the pros and cons of this approach for the mystery writer?
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1:00

Slide 17 - Open question

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Slide 18 - Video