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SHS CREATIVE WRITING MODULE

Quarter 1- Module 5.2: Pulling Off a Character's Coat

Producing at least one striking scene of a short story and
creating a character profile

Republic Act 8293, section 176 states that: “No copyright shall subsist in
any work of the Government of the Philippines. However, prior approval of
the government agency or office wherein the work is created shall be
necessary for exploitation of such work for profit. Such agency or office may,
among other things, impose as a condition the payment of royalties.”

Borrowed materials (i.e., songs, stories, poems, pictures, photos, brand

names, trademarks, etc.) included in this book are owned by their respective
copyright holders. Every effort has been exerted to locate and seek
permission to use these materials from their respective copyright owners. The
publisher and authors do not represent nor claim ownership over them.

Regional Director: GILBERT T. SADSAD

Assistant Regional Director: JESSIE L. AMIN

Development Team of the Module

Author: MERCY N. BIESCAS

Editor: MARIA ANASTACIA P. TEODORO
Reviewers: JOE-BREN L. CONSUELO and SDO CAMARINES NORTE
(headed by EMMA V. DASCO)
Illustrators: JOHN LEONARD P. CUIZON AND KENNETH and JOSEPH P. OCAMPO
Layout Artist: CRIZ T. NUYLES

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Introductory Message

For the teacher:

Welcome to the SHS CREATIVE WRITING MODULE!
This module was collaboratively designed, developed and reviewed by
educators from public institutions in Department of Education Region V
(Bicol) to assist you, the teacher in helping the learners meet the standards
set by the K to 12 Curriculum while overcoming their personal, social, and
economic constraints in schooling.
This learning resource hopes to engage the learners into guided and
independent learning activities at their own pace and time. Furthermore, this
also aims to help learners acquire the needed 21st century skills while taking
into consideration their needs and circumstances.
As a teacher, you are expected to orient the learners on how to use
this module. You also need to keep track of the learners' progress while
allowing them to manage their own learning. Furthermore, you are expected
to encourage and assist the learners as they do the tasks included in the
module.

For the learner:

Welcome to the SHS CREATIVE WRITING MODULE!
This module was designed to provide you with fun and meaningful
opportunities for guided and independent learning at your own pace and
time. You will be enabled to process the contents of the learning resource
while being an active learner and at the same time an adventurer. Diego
your learning companion is with you as you embark in this learning journey.
You will transport in the different realms to learn and perform noteworthy
tasks.
If you encounter any difficulty in answering the tasks in this module, do
not hesitate to consult your teacher. Always bear in mind that you are not
alone.
We hope that through this material, you will experience meaningful
learning and gain a deep understanding of the relevant competencies.
More so, use your notebook or a separate sheet of paper in noting significant
details and pieces of information in the different modules and even in
accomplishing the tasks given to you. You can do it!

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 Hi there! We will continue forging our way towards understanding
fiction as a genre as we analyze its elements and techniques of
development. Specifically, this will equip you with the necessary skills you
need in recognizing a narrator’s point of view, types of character in a fiction
MATCH ME

and eventually developing a character in a literary piece.

The Ibalon Kingdom still needs your help. Cadugnung wants you to
work on the tasks so you will receive the ‘Kalasag ni Baltog’- the weapon that
will make you invisible just like a Tawong Lipod. Hop in, we can do this
together!

Let us first crystallize your knowledge on the following terms. These terms
will be used along the activities in this module. Try to familiarize them or use
them as you encounter contexts or situations which they may be of use.
Match the meanings (in the Match Me table) with the words in box. You can
do this on your notebook.

Protagonist
Antagonist
Point of View
Characterization
Direct Characterization

I know you are ready to conquer your fears in creative writing. This
activity will prepare you to developing your character.

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 a. refers to the main character in the story
b. the villain in the story
c. is a name for the methods a writer uses to reveal a character’s values,
feelings, goals, etc. to readers.
d. is when a writer conveys information about a character by telling the
information directly to the reader.
e. is essentially the eyes through which a story is told.

Do you imagine someone with notable looks, habits, thoughts, etc.?

Give him/her a name and let us realize how he/she might exist in real world.
Write words/phrases inside the character map below that give distinction/
description to your character. You can use a separate sheet for this.

Think about this:

Have you named you character?

Did you like what came out of your output?

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Which of the characteristics you have given you liked the most? Is it the
physical or the personality characteristics? (Have your answers on your
notebook)

Great! If you did all these seamlessly, you are extremely ready for more
challenging tasks ahead.

Character can’t be separated from action. We come to understand a

character by what he or she does. In stories, characters drive the plot. The
plot depends on the characters' situations and how they respond to it. The
actions that occur in the plot are only believable if the character is
believable. Aguila et al (2017) discussed the types of characters:

TYPES OF CHARACTERS
Protagonist (hero): the central figure with whom we usually sympathize
or identify

Antagonist (villain): the figure who opposes the protagonist and

creates the conflict

Foil Character: the figure whose personality traits are the opposite of
the main character’s. This is a supporting character and usually made to
shine the protagonist.

The ways characters are portrayed:

Flat Characters (stock, static characters or stereotypes): they have no

depth and no change; we only see one side or aspect of them. Most
supporting characters are portrayed in this way, for example, a strict teacher,
a helpful policeman, and an evil stepmother.

Round Characters (dynamic character): they have more fully

developed personalities. We expect the protagonists and antagonists to be
rounded individuals who express a range of emotion and change throughout
the narrative, usually toward greater maturity.

The ways characters are revealed:

a. What the narrator says about the character

b. What the other characters say about the character

c. What the character says about himself or herself

d. What the character actually does

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 Though the writer should know everything there is to know about his
character, he should present his knowledge of the characters indirectly,
through dialogue and action. Still, sometimes a summary of a character’s
traits needs to be given. For example, for characters who play the supporting
cast in a story, direct description of the character’s traits keeps the story from
slowing down.

Direct Characterization is telling the information directly to the reader.

This is done through narration when the author comes right out and tells the
reader things about the character. For example, the writer might tell us
“Sarah was the smartest in the family.” or that “Sarah was tall for her age and
had an athletic build.” In this instance readers have certain knowledge of
Sarah’s intellect in relation to the rest of the family and of her
build/appearance.

Indirect Characterization shows readers the characters’ traits without

explicitly describing them. Any writing that helps infer or deduce things about
a person’s personality.

Examples of indirect characterization :

Dialogue – (where a character’s bossy, kind, mean, or other qualities

come through)
Actions – what a character does (for example jumping on a beetle to
squash it) reveals, incidentally, their character (in this case that a
character is needlessly unkind or violent)
Description – although associations differ from country to country,
culture to culture, how a character looks often gives indirect
characterization.

POINT of VIEW
Point of view is essentially the eyes or angle through which a story is
told. It is the narrative voice through which readers follow the story's plot,
meet its characters, discover its setting, and enter into its relationships,
emotions, and conflicts. Point of view allows readers to experience the story
as it unfolds.

TYPES of POINT OF VIEW

First Person Point of View

In the first person point of view, one of the story's characters serves as a
narrator and readers watch the story unfold through that character's eyes.
First person point of view is easy to identify because the character or narrator
speaks to readers in his or her own voice, frequently using the pronoun 'I'.

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Second Person Point of View

The second person point of view is relatively rare because it makes the
reader a character in the story and directly addresses the reader as 'you'. It
allows readers to make decisions that affect the story's plot and lead to
various outcomes.

Third Person Point of View

In the third person point of view, the narrator is someone outside the
story, who frequently uses pronouns, like 'he,' 'she,' and 'they,' to describe the
characters.

Subcategories:
1. The objective third person, in which the narrator knows or reveals
nothing about the characters' internal thoughts, feelings, and motivations but
sticks to the external facts of the story (as in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The
Scarlet Letter)
2. The limited third person, in which the narrator describes the internal
thoughts, feelings, and motivations of one character, usually the main
character (as in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series)
3. The omniscient third person, in which the narrator knows and at least
partially reveals the internal thoughts, feelings, and motivations of all the
characters (as in E.B. White's Charlotte's Web)

Well written fictional characters should come alive and real enough to
live in our memories long after the story ended. In short, fictional characters
are treated the same way we treat people. As a writer, you need to be alert
for how you are to take them and for what you are to make of them. You
need to see how they may reflect your and the reader’s experience.

Get a paper and tear those into six pieces. On three of those pieces,
write down physical traits that a person might possess (examples: peg leg,
pot belly, balding, tall & skinny, athletic build, crazy eyes, etc.). Be as unique
and specific as possible – this activity won’t be any fun if people write
generalities such as “brown eyes” or “short.” On the other three pieces of
paper, write down personality traits (such as optimistic, industrious, respectful,
etc. ) Try to write positive personality traits as much as you can.

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 Make two boxes/piles: one for collective physical traits, and one for
collective personality traits. Shuffle each pile and be ready to create a
character based on the results of shuffling. Now you are ready to give life to
a character. Name the character and write a one paragraph story using
your preferred point of view. The paragraph should show physical and
personality traits of the character.

Think about it:

What did you feel upon seeing your imaginary character come alive through
words? Did you capture your imaginary character’s physical and personality
attributes? (Write your answers in your notebook).

Usually, a short story focuses on a critical moment of a character’s life,

while a longer piece builds up to this moment. Whatever happens in your
story usually determines everything that happens afterwards.

In this exercise, you take a look at the whole span of a character’s life
from birth to death:

1. Write a scene in which your character is born. If you don’t know anything
about childbirth, talk to someone who does! The birth may impact on the
relationship between mother and child – a difficult birth may lead to a
difficult relationship later on. Use a point of view which you will use
throughout this activity.
2. Write a scene about your character as a young child, under ten years of
age. The scene can be set at home or at school. Try not to think too hard
about it; just write what comes up.
3. Compose a scene about your character as a teenager. Is the person full
of teenage angst, interested in books or music, etc? Does she confront
her parents and challenge their values, or conform and face problems
with her peer group? Does she leave home?
4. Write a scene about your character as a young adult aged mid-20s to
mid-30s. Is she working and in a relationship or on her own? What are her
goals and desires. Is she on her way to achieving them?
5. Move on to a scene set when the character is aged mid-30s to mid-40s. Is
she having a mid-life crisis? Does something happen that turns her life
around? Or does she have what she wanted and finds that it no longer
satisfies her?

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6. Progress to a scene when the character’s in her mid-40s to 60. Has a
significant change taken place in her life? Does she need to make a big
decision to change things? What are her goals and aspirations now?
7. Portray the character as an old person, looking back on her life. How does
she face the prospect of old age and death? What does she think of her
life – is she satisfied or regretful? Does she need to make amends for
wrongdoings – or to achieve what she failed to do? Don’t be too rigid
about this step – just write what you think is most useful for you. Don’t worry
if the character dies at the end of the story you have in mind, maybe
halfway through her life – just write what would have happened if she
hadn’t died. In itself, this step can provide useful information about your
creation, who by now is a rounded person you’re really getting to know.
8. Write a scene in which the person dies. For the purposes of this exercise,
it’s usually best if the person’s death occurs in old age and follows on from
the scene in step 7. But if you kill the character off early, just write her
death scene.

Use this rubric in writing your scenes:

CATEGORY Exceptional (5) Good (4) Fair (3) Poor (2)
Setting Many vivid, Some vivid, The reader can The reader has
descriptive words descriptive words figure out when trouble figuring
are used to tell are used to tell and where the out when and
when and where the audience story took place, where the story
the story took when and where but the author took place.
place. the story took didn't supply
place. much detail.
Characters The main The main The main It is hard to tell
character is character is character is who the main
named and named and named. The character is.
clearly described. described. Most reader knows
Most readers readers would very little about
could describe have some idea the character.
the character of what the
accurately. character looked
like.
Problem/Conflict It is very easy for It is fairly easy for It is fairly easy for It is not clear what
the reader to the reader to the reader to problem the main
understand the understand the understand the characters face.
problem the main problem the main problem the main
characters face characters face characters face
and why it is a and why it is a but it is not clear
problem. problem. why it is a
problem.
Solution/Resolution The solution to the The solution to the The solution to the No solution is
character's character's character's attempted or it is
problem is easy to problem is easy to problem is a little impossible to
understand, and is understand, and hard to understand.
logical. There are is somewhat understand.
no loose ends. logical.
Dialogue There is an There is too much There is not quite It is not clear
appropriate dialogue in this enough dialogue which character
amount of story, but it is in this story, but it is speaking.
dialogue to bring always clear is always clear

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 the characters to which character which character
life and it is always is speaking. is speaking.
clear which
character is
speaking.
Organization The scene is very The scene is The scene is a Ideas in scenes
well organized. pretty well little hard to seem to be
One idea follows organized. One follow. The randomly
another in a idea may seem transitions are arranged.
logical sequence out of place. sometimes not
with clear Clear transitions clear.
transitions. are used.
Creativity The scenes in story The scenes in The scenes in There is little
contain many story contain a story contain a evidence of
creative details few creative few creative creativity in the
and/or details and/or details and/or scenes. The
descriptions that descriptions that descriptions, but author does not
contribute to the contribute to the they distract from seem to have
reader's reader's the story. The used much
enjoyment. The enjoyment. The author has tried imagination.
author has really author has used to use his/her
used his/her his/her imagination.
imagination. imagination.
Mechanics The story contains The story contains The story contains The story contains
no errors in few minor errors in many and/or so many errors in
grammar, usage, grammar, usage, serious errors in grammar, usage,
or mechanics. or mechanics. grammar, usage, and mechanics
or mechanics; that errors block
may interfere with reading.
reading.

Think about it:

Have you exactly described the type of character you want to develop?

Have you provided details of why your character acts the way she/he is in
certain ways?

Was the type of narrator’s point of view effective in describing your

character? (Write your answers in your notebook)

Let us imagine that your character is living today. Create a social

networking profile of your character. You may choose other character (apart
from the character you created in the Cooling Down activity). If online
platforms are not available, you can do this manually using sheets of papers
or scrapbook materials.

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Sections of a Social Networking Profile:

1. Screen Name: Name of your imaginary character

2. Avatar: The avatar is the image or photo that a person uses to
represent him/her on a social networking site. For this activity, choose
the type of photo you think your imaginary character would display.
3. Quote: On Instagram and Facebook, users can put in a famous quote
or song lyric or other goofy phrase to display on their timelines. Choose
a quote for your imaginary character; you might pick something from
one of your favorite movies or a lyric from a band you listen to, or a
line from a Shakespearean sonnet you learned in the previous
modules.

4. “Favorites” List: Online social networking profiles contain a list of the

user’s favorite things. In particular, these lists usually involve songs, movies,
books, and foods. List favorites of your imaginary character.

5. Friends List: Provide a list of people you think would be on your

imaginary character’s friends list. You can use real people, historical
people, or fictional characters. Some examples might include JK Rowling,
Cardo Dalisay, or even Adolf Hitler.

6. Group Affiliations: Social networking is about networking, after all. Come

up with a list of groups you think your imaginary character might want to
join, such as “Creative Writers Group” or “Kdrama Lovers” group.

Be guided with the criteria below as this will be the basis for assessment:

Creativity 50%
Mechanics 50%

The various aspects of a character should add up to some kind of

meaningful, larger understanding of the character. If the various aspects of a
character don’t add up, the character isn’t believable. This doesn’t mean
that your characters have to be sensible. Your characters may have no
common sense at all, but we have to understand the character and why she
or he is that way. The character’s motives and actions have to add up,
however conflicted, marginalized or irrational they may be.

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 Hi there! How was your journey in this lesson? Congratulations, you did
great in finishing the tasks. Now, you will get the ‘Kalasag ni Baltog’. This
weapon will give you the power to be invisible just like a Tawong Lipod.
However, you can only use this if you have on your hand the other weapons
found in the succeeding lessons.

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Vocabulary Builder

Antagonist- is the character that is against the protagonist and causes

problems for him or her

Characterization-is a name for the method a writer uses to reveal a

character’s values, feelings, goals, etc. to readers. When revealing a
character’s traits, a writer can do so using direct characterization or indirect
characterization.

Direct Characterization-is when a writer conveys information about a

character by telling the information directly to the reader. This is done when
the author comes right out and tells the reader things about the character.

Point of view- is essentially the eyes through which a story is told.

Protagonist- is a term that refers to the main character in the story

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Textbooks

Aguila, et al (2017). Wording the World: The Art of Creative Writing. C&E

Publishing

Castro,H et al. (2014). Exploring Life Through World Literature. Phoenix

Publishing House, Inc.

Muller, G & Williams, J. (1994). Bridges: Literatures across culture. McGraw Hill
Inc.

Robert, D. (2000) Fiction: An introduction. McGraw Hill Inc

Internet Sources

Canva.com. Creating designs for classroom use (free). www.canva.com

Accessed June 30,2020.

Lesson Plan Bright Bulb Education (2009) Retrieved June 21, 2020 from
https://www.brighthubeducation.com/high-school-english-lessons/37110-
character-creation-exercise-social-media-profile/

Tuttle, M. (2012) Point of View. Retrieved June 25, 2020 from

https://www.bath.k12.ky.us/userfiles/159/Classes/1381/POINT%20OF%20VIEW%
20PRACTICE%20worksheet.pdfs

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