Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde: Creative Writing Activity

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson should inspire you to write your own creative piece. Choose one of the following options:

●     Write a new ending to the book: perhaps Jekyll and Hyde are not the same person. Suppose they are but they don’t die and either good or evil conquers the body of Jekyll. Suppose Utterson is intrigued by the experiment and decides to try it for himself. These are ideas that you may choose to follow or you may choose to come up with your own ideas.

●     Write an original story about a character who struggles with addiction and/or mental illness. Dr. Jekyll becomes addicted to being Hyde--it’s an escape for him. Your story may be based in reality (your own experiences or observations) or completely made up; however, make this a realistic story that truly shows the nature of addiction and/or mental illness.

●     Write in one of the genres of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. This novella may be classified in any of the following genres: science fiction, mystery, or gothic (the horror genre has risen from gothic writing). Write your own original story in one of these genres. See directions below for elements to include in the genre of your choice:

○     Science fiction: Your story MUST have at least one element of technology (such as Jekyll’s potion) that is not currently developed. Your story must also explore the moral (good versus evil) consequences of that technology. This story may be set in the future, but does not have to be; however, setting is very important in science fiction and in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, so a well-developed setting is a MUST in this writing assignment.

○     Mystery: Your story MUST have a mystery to solve (a murder mystery, strange disappearance, theft, or otherwise). Furthermore, you MUST include clues/foreshadowing (like the handwriting in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde) and multiple suspects. Last, include at least one “red herring” (a “red herring” is a clue that leads the reader in the wrong direction but can be explained logically in the end; in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the will created a red herring that Hyde was blackmailing Jekyll, for example).

○     Gothic: Your story MUST include at least four of the following elements:

■     ruined buildings which are sinister or which arouse a pleasing melancholy,

■     dungeons, underground passages, crypts,catacombs, labyrinths, dark corridors, creepy basements/attics, and/or winding stairs,

■     shadows, a beam of moonlight in the blackness, a flickering candle, or the only source of light failing (a candle blown out or an electric failure),

■     extreme landscapes, like rugged mountains, thick forests, or icy wastes, and extreme weather,

■     omens and ancestral curses,

■     magic, supernatural manifestations, or the suggestion of the supernatural,

■     a passion-driven, willful villain-hero or villain,

■     a hero whose true identity is revealed by the end of the novel,

■     horrifying (or terrifying) events or the threat of such happenings.

NOTE: You will conference with your teacher at least 1-2 times before turning in a final draft. Also, please refer to the rubric attached for more information about expectations.