Creative Writing Week 5-6 PDF

NAIC WEST POINT COLLEGE, INC. LESSON 3: ELEMENTS OF FICTION Ibayo Silangan, Naic, Cavite BRIEF INTRODUCTION Literature comes in three genres:...

NAIC WEST POINT COLLEGE, INC. LESSON 3: ELEMENTS OF FICTION Ibayo Silangan, Naic, Cavite BRIEF INTRODUCTION Literature comes in three genres: prose, poetry, and drama. For this particular module, the focus will be on fiction. As the word implies, fiction refers to a body of literary work that focuses on events that are not real, and although these were created by the writer’s imagination, attention is given to make them relatable to readers. CREATIVE WRITING The literary arts come in three groups –prose, poetry, and drama – and creative writing helps us distinguish the two. The previous modules dealt extensively on poetry to distinguish it from prose –a body of literature that is both narrative in style and declarative in form. Prose is further classified as fiction and nonfiction. Fiction consists of works that are based on fabricated events and experiences, as opposed to the factual nature of nonfiction. Fiction is divided into the short and long type, obviously based on their differences in length and word count. Long fiction is also known as the novel, while short fiction, though popularly named as short story, can also be a novella, novelette or flash fiction. Fiction contains certain symbolic and thematic features known as “literary merits.” In other words, fiction narrates a story, which aims at commenting on something significant related to social, political, or human related issues. ELEMENTS OF FICTION Ms. Rochelle S. Buena 1. Plot. How the author arranges event to develop the basic idea. Also Subject Teacher known as the structure or framework of the story, or the sequence or timeline of events as they transpire, the plot comes in five parts: (1) introduction, (2) inflation (or rising action), (3) climax, (4) deflation (or falling action) and (5) resolution (or denouement). 1|Cr ea tive Writing  In Aspects of the Novel, Edward Morgan Foster defined story as “the  Conflict. Any form of struggle the main character faces. Conflict is the chronological telling of events,” and the plot as “the cause and effect heart of fiction. It can either be internal or external. Internal conflict arrangement.” suggests that the main character is facing a dilemma or needs to choose between two options of equal weight and consequences. He gave the now famous examples: a. Man against man Conflict (man vs. man) wherein the  The king died and then the queen died. characters are fighting against each other.  The king died and then the queen died of grief. The first is a story because it tells a series of events in their b. Man against society conflict (man vs. society) - wherein the character stands up against man-made institutions and social chronological order, while the second is a plot because it tells a series of rules, and is forced to make moral choices. events in causal and logical structure that connects the events to reveal their dramatic, thematic, and emotional significance. c. Man against nature conflict (man vs. nature) – wherein the Dramatic Structure character is fighting against the animal or the forces of nature such as storm or even the sea. Aristotle, in his Poetics said that a whole is what has a beginning, middle and end---- or technically, the protasis, epitasis, and catastrophe. He d. Man against self conflict – wherein the struggle is internal, and simply means that a traditional plot structure must have situation, conflict, the character must overcome his or her own nature and make a and resolution. He spoke about dramatic works like plays, of course, but choice between two or more paths. people have been applying his principle to stories as well. You may also add such conflicts as man vs. time, man vs. the German novelist and playwright Gustav Freytag made the so-called unknown, man against machine or technology, man against fate, man Freytag’s Pyramid which says the plot of the story must consist of five parts: against the supernatural and even man against God. exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution/revelation (also known as denouement or catastrophe). c. Climax- Turning point of the story. Readers wonders what will happen next; will the conflict resolved or not? Consider the climax as a three-fold phenomenon:  Main character receives new information.  Main character accepts this information (realizes it but does not necessarily agree with it.)  Main character acts on this information (makes a choice that will determine whether or not objective is met.) d. Falling Action- Resolution begins; events and complications start to a. Exposition (introduction) – Beginning of the story: characters, fall into place. These are the events between climax and background, and setting revealed. denouement. b. Rising Action – events in the story become complicated; the conflict e. Resolution (Conclusion) – Final outcome of events in the story. is revealed. These are events between the introduction and climax. 2|Cr ea tive Writing  The setting (either place setting or time setting) of the story is made d. Social Conditions – the daily life of the character. Does the known in the introduction. The main characters are also introduced here. The story contain local colour (writing that focuses on the speech, conflict begins to reveal in the inflation. The highest point of fiction is the dress, mannerisms, customs, etc. of a particular place? climax, which is followed by the deflation where a solution to the conflict begins to happen. The conclusion of the story is called the resolution. e. Mood or Atmosphere – feeling created at the beginning of the story. Types of Plot a. Linear Plots – events are constructed logically and not by coincidence. 3. Character/Characterization. The primary source of action and dialogue in a work of fiction are its characters. How these characters b. Episodic Plots – short events (or episodes) are linked to one are revealed or detailed to the readers/audience is called another by common characters, places, or a unified theme but held characterization. The main or major character is also known as the apart by their individual plot, purpose, and subtext. protagonist because the conflict revolves around him or her. The source of this conflict is the antagonist. A special type of character is c. Cumulative Plots – events are repeated with one new aspect added the antihero, who initiates conflict in the story but also happens to be with each repetition. its main character. d. Circular Plots – characters in the story end up in the same place (or In terms of prominence, a character may be main/major, at least, a similar place) that they were at the beginning of the story. supporting, participant (has one or two lines) or mentioned (has no lines but is mentioned). A major character is usually given much development, e. Plot less Plots – narratives are written without traditionally recognizable plots and yet still evoke in you a feeling that you are more conflicts to resolve, more background story and usually more action; a going somewhere when you read them. minor character usually serves a certain purpose to move a plot, but is not developed and explored as major character. 2. Setting. Time and location that a story takes place. For some stories, In terms of development, a character may be described as static the setting is very important: while for others, it is not. When examining (there is no change that occurs in the role/portrayal) or dynamic (there is how setting contributes to a story, there are multiple aspects to change). consider: A character’s description in a story can be termed as round a. Place - Geographical location; where is the action of the action (complex) or flat (simple). The former involves details of a character’s past of the story taking place. or attitude/behaviour and have the capacity to surprise you in a convincing and even inevitable way. They are richer, deeper, more complex, more b. Time – Historical period, time of day, year, etc.; when is the mysterious and more unpredictable than flat characters. A flat character is story taking place. only described through physical features and they are usually constructed around a single idea or quality. c. Weather Conditions – rainy, sunny, stormy 3|Cr ea tive Writing Frye’s Mode of Fiction (Herman Northrop Frye) 1. Objective First Person- wherein the story is narrated by a fictional charter who plays a minor part in the story or isn’t present 1. Myth – a story mode where the hero is a divine being with an inability at all. that is superior in “kind” to other people and to the environment of other people. 2. Subjective First Person - wherein the first person narrator is the main character or one of the main characters in the story. 2. Romance – a story mode where the hero has marvellous actions, but who is identified as a human being with an ability superior in b. Second Person POV – Story told by a narrator who addresses the “degree” to other people and to his environment. reader or some other assumed “you”. Speaker uses pronouns “you”, “your”, and “yours”. 3. High Mimetic- a story mode where the hero is a leader with an c. Third Person POV – wherein the narrator does not appear in the inability superior in degree to other people “but no to his events of the story, but rather tells the story by referring to all environment”. The hero has authority, passions and power of characters and places in the third person using “he”, “she”, “it”, expression far greater than others, but what he does is subject both “they”, “his”, “hers”, “its”, and “theirs”. Story told by a narrator who social criticisms and order of nature. sees all of the action. 4. Low Mimetic – a story mode where the hero is one of us, with an The third person POV can also be classified into three perspectives: ability that is superior “neither” to other people nor the environment. 1. Omniscient third person A narrator can be omniscient, meaning the thoughts and 5. Ironic- a story mode where the hero has an ability or intelligence memories of a character or characters are presented to the readers. “inferior” to ours so we often have a sense of looking down on a scene God-like, the narrator knows and sees everything, and can move of bondage, frustration, or absurdity. from one character’s mind to another. Authors can be omniscient narrators by moving from character to character, event to event, and introducing information at their discretion. There are two types of omniscient POV: 4. Narration/Point of View. Narration is the voice that guides the reader throughout the progress or flow of a story. Point of View (POV), or a. Innocent Eye/Naïve Narrator – Story told through child’s perspective, is the angle, the perception, the position that you take to eye, narrator’s judgment is different from that of an adult. tell your story. It answer the question, “Who is telling the story?” b. Stream of Consciousness – Story told so readers solely a. First Person POV – wherein the story is told by the narrator from experience a character’s thoughts and reactions. his or point of view. Story told by the protagonist or a character who interacts closely with the protagonist or other characters. The 2. Limited /Objective third person- wherein the narration speaker uses the pronouns “I”, “me”, “we”. Readers experience the simply describes what the characters do and say without giving story through this person’s eyes and only knows what he/she knows the readers access to their thoughts. Readers see what the and feels. narrator sees. The first person POC can still be divided into two angles: 4|Cr ea tive Writing  3. Close third person – wherein the narration uses third persons 4. The part of the plot where the solution to the conflict is revealed. pronouns, and like the omniscient, it gets inside the minds of the a. introduction c. deflation characters, but the whole story is generally told from the point b. inflation d. resolution of view of only one character. 5. The part of the plot where the setting is identified. a. exposition c. falling action 5. Theme. Central message, “moral of the story”, and underlying meaning b. rising action d. resolution of a fictional piece; may be the author’s thoughts on the topic or view of human nature. 6. The part of the plot where the conflict is introduced. a. exposition c. falling action a. Story’s title usually emphasizes what the author is saying. b. rising action d. resolution b. Various figures of speech may be utilized to highlight the theme. c. Examples of common themes occurring in literature, on 7. The part of the plot that is also known as denouement. television, and in film are: a. exposition c. falling action  Things are not always as they appear to be. b. rising action d. resolution  Love is blind.  Believe in yourself. 8. It is the also termed as the “timeline” or “sequence” of narration in a story.  People are afraid of change. a. plot c. prosody  Don’t judge a book by its cover. b. prose d. plough 9. The highest point of a story. a. climax c. inflation b. deflation d. resolution CHECKING YOUR UNDERSTANDING 10. At this stage of the story, the conflict is starting to get resolved. A. Directions: Choose the letter of the correct answer. a. climax c. inflation b. deflation d. resolution 1. The main element of fiction. a. character c. conflict 11. The type of narration limited to the actions and movements of the b. climax d. catharsis characters. a. objective c. omnipresent 2. The structure/framework of fiction. b. omniscient d. operative a. narration c. theme b. plot d. summary 12. The narrator being the protagonist will have which of the following point of view? 3. A type of narration that presents the thoughts of a character to the a. first person c. third person audience/reader. b. second person d. fourth person a. objective c. omniscient b. omnipresent d. operative 13. If the narrator is giving orders or commands, the point of view is most likely? 5|Cr ea tive Writing  a. first person c. third person C. Directions: Describe fiction through sentences or phrases that begin in b. second person d. fourth person the following letters that spell the word FICTION. 14. A “rags-to-riches” story will have this type of character development. a. dynamic c. round F b. flat d. static I C 15. The character’s physical qualities are the only information presented by T the narrator. I a. dynamic c. round O b. flat d. static N B. Directions: Read the texts and fill the gaps. Choose the answer from the words inside the box. REFERENCES: third dilemma protagonist conflict person Electronic Sources plot narration deflation Source: “Fiction,” Anonymous, accessed December 13, 2020, physical round time https://literarydevices.net/fiction/ Source: “Moments Earlier,” Kate Doyle, June 17, 2020 accessed December The _______ comes in five parts: (1) introduction, (2) inflation (or 13, 2020, https://electricliterature.com/moments-earlier-kate-doyle/ rising action), (3) climax, (4) _______ (or falling action) and (5) resolution (or denouement). The setting (either place setting or is also known as the Source: “NANKING STORE by Macario D. Tiu,” The Best Philippine Short _______ setting) of the story is made known in the introduction._______ Stories, accessed December 13, 2020, because the conflict revolves around him or her. The main character The https://www.sushidog.com/bpss/stories/nanking.htm source of this _______ is the antagonist. Image A character’s description in a story can be termed as _______ if it involves details of a character’s past or attitude/behavior. A flat character Source: Chris Gavaler, Freytag’s Pyramid, digital illustration, April 23, 2018 is only described through _______ features. Internal conflict suggests that accessed December 13, 2020, the main character is facing a _______ or needs to choose between two https://thepatronsaintofsuperheroes.wordpress.com/tag/freytagspyramid/ options of equal weight and consequences. _______ is the voice that guides the reader throughout the progress or flow of a story. A _______ point of view on the other hand means that the narrator is either an observer or a secondary character. 6|Cr ea tive Writing