Hundreds of thousands of tourists visit a particular site in Scotland each year, hoping to see a monster. What are they looking for?
It turns out that tourists are not the only ones looking for something. Operation Groundtruth has begun a search for the Loch Ness Monster (“Nessie”), a monster some claim they have seen. They are using a marine robot equipped with sonar to search the depths of the loch.
Nessie, if she exists, is thought to be a marine reptile, perhaps a plesiosaur, left over from the age of dinosaurs.
What has Operation Groundtruth found so far? The steep sides of the loch, the deep trench of the loch, and even a World War II airplane lying on the bottom of the loch. No Nessie. Yet.
Nessie and other monsters are considered cryptids, creatures that have been sighted but have not been proved by scientists as actually living. Bigfoot would fit into this category, as would a Yeti.
Now it’s your turn: Choose any of the prompts below.
1. Why?
Why do we humans love to talk and think about monsters? Why do people want to discover or see one? Think of one reason and write a paragraph to explain what you mean. Give an example, if you have one.
2. What?
If you were to find a monster, whether it is one people already talk about or a new one, what would you like to find? Write about what you would like to find and where you would like to look for it. Or write a short story of someone discovering a monster.
3. Who?
Monsters have long appeared in stories. Grendel is the fierce foe of the hero Beowulf in the Scandinavian tale of the same name written in Old English. Frankenstein’s sewn-together monster has been the subject of many movies. And the superheroes in Marvel Comics’ X-Men series all are mutants, monsters of a sort.
Create your own monster or mutant superhero and write a story about him or her.
4. Really?
Do monsters exist? Have they ever existed? Write your opinion.
5. What? Again.
What is a monster? Write a definition in one sentence. Use that as your topic sentence and then write the rest of the paragraph to support your definition.
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Would you like another prompt on Nessie and others? Click here.
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