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CREATIVE WRITING

Lesson 3: Reading and Writing Fiction

FICTION
Writing without metrical and rhythmical structure that describes imaginary or made-up events and
people exemplified by novels and short stories.

LITERARY DEVICES

 Literary devices are common structures in writing that make up the components of literature. We use
these devices to help us interpret and analyze literary works.
 The names of literary devices may also be called literary terms. Literary devices include both literary
elements and literary techniques.

 Literary elements are the essential parts of storytelling that are found in almost all types of literary and
narrative writing.

o PLOT is how the author arranges events to develop his basic idea. It is the sequence of events
in a story or play. The plot is a planned, logical series of events having a beginning, middle, and
end.
 Five essential parts to the plot: introduction, rising action, climax, falling action, and
resolution.
 A. Exposition - The beginning of the story where the characters and the setting
are revealed. The introduction can also be called the exposition.
 B. Rising Action - This is the part of the story were a conflict is revealed (called
the inciting force) and becomes more pronounced as the story progresses.
 C.) Climax - This is the highest point of interest, the turning point of the story or
the moment of greatest suspense.
 D.) Falling Action - At this point the events and complications begin to resolve
themselves. The falling action is all of the events between the climax and
resolution.
 E.) Resolution - This is the final outcome or untangling of events in the story.

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 Types of Plots
o Linear Plot – events are constructed logically and not by coincidence.
o Episodic Plot – short events are linked to one another by common characters,
places, or a unified theme but are held apart by their individual plot, purpose and
subtext.
o Cumulative Plot - events are repeated with one new aspect added with each
repetition.
o Circular Plot – characters in the story end up in the same place that they were at
the beginning of the story.
o Plotless plot – narratives are written without traditionally recognizable plots and
yet still evoke in you a feeling that you are going somewhere when you read it.

o CHARACTER - The plot can only exist with characters. The main character is placed in a situation
that contains a problem he or she must overcome; therefore, conflict exists.
 A. Protagonist - The main or central character.
 B. Antagonist - This character opposes the protagonist. Often, he or she is an opponent
to the main character.
 C. Round Characters - A character affected by the events of the story. These characters
are usually fully developed in terms of personality.
 D. Flat Character - A character who doesn't go through a change. These characters are
usually one-dimensional.

o CONFLICT - is essential to plot. Without conflict, there is no plot. Conflict does not involve just
arguments, but rather it is any form of opposition that faces the main character. Four types of
conflict:
 Character vs. Person - The leading character struggles with his or her physical strength
against other characters, forces of nature, or animals.
 Character vs. Circumstances - The leading character struggles against fate, or the
circumstances of life facing him/her.
 Character vs. Society - The leading character struggles against ideas, practices, or
customs of other people.
 Character vs. Self - The leading character struggles with himself/herself; with his/her own
soul, ideas of right or wrong, etc.

o SETTING - the time (when) and location (where) in which a story takes place is called the setting.
 Place - Geographical location. Where is the action of the story taking place?
 Time - When is the story taking place?
 Weather conditions - Is it rainy, sunny, stormy, etc?
 Social conditions – What is the character's daily life?
 Mood or atmosphere - What feeling is created at the beginning of the story?

o THEME - A theme is the author's underlying meaning, message or main or central point of idea
that he is trying to convey.

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o POINT OF VIEW - Point of view is the angle from which the story is told. Although every story has
a point of view, the type used is up to the author. The person or voice telling the story is called
the narrator and there are two common ways to tell a short story:
o First person narration - The story is told by the protagonist or another character who is
part of the action (using I, me, we, etc).
o Third person narration - The story is told by someone who is not part of the action (using
he, she, it, they etc).
o Limited narration - The narrator only knows what he/she experiences or learns about in
some way - the narrator's knowledge grows as the story unfolds; at times, the reader may
know more than the narrator.
o Omniscient narration - The "all knowing" narrator knows all of the details about events,
characters, etc. and reveals them to the reader as the story unfolds.

LITERARY TECHNIQUES - are tools that an author may choose to use to enhance their writing and to convey
meaning in a certain way. Figurative language and sound devices are examples of literary techniques.

 A FIGURE OF SPEECH is a poetic device that uses phrase or word out of their literal meaning.
 COMMONLY USED FIGURE OF SPEECH
o Simile - figure of speech that compares two unrelated things or ideas using "like" or "as"
o Personification - figure of speech in which human attributes are given to an animal, an object
or a concept.
o Alliteration - The repetition of an initial consonant sound.
o Anaphora - The repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses
or verses.
o Hyperbole - An extravagant statement; the use of exaggerated terms for the purpose of
emphasis or heightened effect.
o Metaphor - An implied comparison between two dissimilar things that have something in
common.
o Onomatopoeia - The use of words that imitate the sounds associated with the objects or
actions they refer to.
o Oxymoron - A figure of speech in which incongruous or contradictory terms appear side by
side.
o Imagery - the use of vivid detailed descriptions that evoke sensory images.
o Irony - The use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning.

 DICTION - Refers to an author’s word choice. Word choice can be formal, informal, colloquial or
slang.
o Formal diction is usually found in academic texts, academic papers and formal discussion.
o Informal diction is relaxed conversation and is found in writing that has a lighter tone and is
sometimes humorous.
o Colloquial diction or jargon is the everyday usage of a particular group of people.
o Slang is defined as a newly coined word not accepted for formal usage yet, and is usually not
found in the dictionary.

 FLASHBACK - Is when an author reveals an event that took place in the past.
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 FORESHADOWING - Is a when the author gives hints or clues to suggest what will happen as the
story progresses.
 SYMBOLISM - Symbolism refers to when a symbol, such as an object, color, person or place, is
used to represent an abstract idea or concept. A red rose for example, is not just a rose but a symbol
of love and beauty. A dove is not just a bird, but also a symbol of peace.

 TONE - Refers to the general atmosphere created in a story, or the author’s or narrator’s attitude
toward the story or the subject

IRONY, SARCASM and SATIRE

 IRONY – is a literary device in which there is a contradiction of expectation between what is said and
what is really meant.
o Three Types of Irony
i. Verbal Irony – is a contrast between what is said and what is meant.
ii. Situational Irony – refers to the contrast between the actual result of a situation and what
was intended or expected to happen.
iii. Dramatic Irony - occurs when the audience or the reader knows more than the character
about event. In other words, what the character thinks is true is incongruous with what the
audience knows.

 SARCASM – is a biting remark that is worded ironically, so it may sound like praise but is really an insult.
It generally involves malice and the desire to put someone down. It is meant to hurt and wound a person.
o Example: “You are so cute. Now, which of the seven dwarfs are you?

 SATIRE – exposure of vices or follies of an individual, a group, an institution, an idea, or a society, usually
with the hope of correcting them or forcing awareness. It uses a lot of humor and a lot of ridicule, irony,
mockery, and sarcasm – that is why it is also called as comedic criticism.

FICTION: MODERN, LITERARY and GENRE

Modern Fiction – a particular literary form. (novels, short stories, fables, legends, myths, fairy tales,
plays, narrative poems, comic books, video games, operas, film, radio programs, spoken narratives etc.

Literary Fiction – also called as “serious fiction”, fiction of ideas that primary purpose is to provoke
thought. It is supposed to be more concerned with the writer’s personal style and self-expression.

Genre Fiction – also called as “popular fiction” and “commercial fiction. Fiction of emotions. Its purpose
is to entertain the readers. It is more concerned with great dialogues, fast-paced plots, and characters
with whom readers can easily identify.
Prepared by:
TRIVIA: THE SHORTEST STORY IN THE WORLD RENZ PAULO B. RODRIGUEZ, LPT
“For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” – Ernest Hemingway Subject Teacher

Address: Y Zuño St., Poblacion B., Rosario, Batangas

Email: [email protected] /[email protected]
Tel Nos: (043) 311-3927/ (043) 774 3578