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CREATIVE WRITING

Quarter 1 – Module 7:

ELEMENTS OF FICTION – FOCUS ON POINT OF VIEW

Polytechnic College of Botolan · Botolan, Zambales

SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT

 Republic of the Philippines
POLYTECHNIC COLLEGE OF BOTOLAN
(Formerly Botolan Community College)
Botolan, Zambales
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: pcbzambales.com
Contact number: 0949-155-3113

GENERAL
INSTRUCTIONS:

1. READ THE DIRECTIONS CAREFULLY.

2. DO NOT WRITE ANYTHING ON THIS MODULE.
3. PROVIDE ANSWER SHEETS FOR YOUR ANSWER.

LEARNING
OBJECTIVES:
OBJECTIVES
At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:
1. Determine various modes of fiction;
2. Distinguish different types of plot; and
3. Develop a short story that involves essential elements of plot.

PRE-TEST
TURN UP YOUR KNOWLEDGE:
Analyze the following events and umber them according to their logical sequence.

Sequence the event! Sequence the event!

Adam the Runner
The Writing Process
Place the events in the correct sequence by using
the numbers 1-6:
Place the events in the correct sequence by
using the numbers 1-7:
_____ Adam ran up and down the stadium steps
three times. _____ Prewriting exercises provide key
_____ He took a shower. words, meaning, and structure to.
_____Adam stretched his muscles for 10 minutes. ____ Identify your audience.
_____ He ate a large breakfast. ____ Intentionally separate “proofreading”
_____ Adam did twenty laps around the track. form the “writing
_____ He ran all the way home. _____ If a topic is not assigned, identify a
subject that interest you.
______ develop your time line: allow for
editing, revision and unexpected
developments.
LESSON PROPER ____ Take time to revise your work.
_____ Start the draft and keep it right.
GEAR-UP YOUR MIND:

Plot – How the author arranges events to develop the 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. The short story usually has one
plot so it can be read in one setting.

There are four primary types of plots (modified from Anderson, 2006, & Lukens, 2007):

1. Episodic - are structures made up of series of chapters or stories linked together by the same character,
place, or theme but held apart by their individual plot, purpose, and subject. In fact, the chapters or stories
could be shuffled around and placed in a different order if desired because there is no overall beginning,
middle, and end to the book or story as a whole.
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 One example of this is the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. These books have an overall theme
to them, yet each chapter has different story to illustrate that theme.

This structure can be either plot driven or character driven. Keep in mind that a “place can be
considered a character if it is the central figure in each episode. If the story is character driven, you will
most likely have at least one character showing up in every episode, using this character as the driving
force in each story. If the story is plot driven, you will see a similar character, place, or theme in each
chapter or story, but the driving force will be the events within each.

2. Linear - consists of a series of events starting with a beginning, middle, and ending with a conclusion. It
presents stories in a logical manner by telling what happens from one point in time to the next without using
flashbacks or flash-forwards and then returning to the present. On the other hand, a non-linear plot structure
consists of a series of events that are out of order. Authors and filmmakers mainly use non-linear plot to copy
the structure and recall of human memory.

3. Cumulative – plots with lots of repetition of phrases, sentences, or events with one new aspect added with
each repetition. The Gingerbread Man and The Great, Big Enormous Turnip are examples of cumulative plots.

4. Circular – the characters in the story end up in the same place that they were at the beginning of the story.
Examples of circular stories are If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and Where the Wild Things Are.

There are five essential parts of plot:

1. Exposition (introduction) – Beginning of the story; characters, background, and setting revealed.

2. Rising Action – Events in the story become complicated; the conflict is revealed. These are events
between the introduction and climax.

Conflict – Essential to plot, opposition ties incidents together and moves the plot. Not merely limited to
arguments, conflict can be any form of struggle the main character faces. Within a short story, there may
be only one central struggle, or there may be many minor obstacles within a dominant struggle. There are
two types of conflict:

 Internal – Struggle within one’s self.

 Man vs. Self – Struggle with own soul, physical limitations, choices, etc.
 External – Struggle with a force outside one’s self.
 Man vs. Character – Struggles against other people.
 Man vs. Nature – Struggles against animals, weather, environment, etc.
 Man vs. Society – Struggles against ideas, practices, or customs of others.

3. Climax – turning point of the story. Reader’s wonders what will happen next; will the conflict be 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 the objective is met).

4. Falling action – Resolution begins; events and complications start to fall into place. These are the events
between climax and denouement.

5. Resolution (Conclusion or Denouement) – Final outcome of events in the story.

Read the short story “The Man told the Story of His Life” by Grace Paley. As you read see if you can
identify some elements of fiction.

1. Vicente said: I wanted to be a doctor. I wanted to be a doctor with my whole heart.

2. I learned every bone, every organ in the body. What is it for? Why does it work?
3. The school said to me: Vicente, be an engineer. That would be good. You understand
mathematics.
4. I said to the school: I want to be a doctor. I already know how the organs connect. When
something goes wrong, I’ll understand how to make repairs.
5. The school said: Vicente, you will really be an excellent engineer. You show on all tests what a
good engineer you will be. It doesn’t show whether you’ll be a good doctor.
6. I said: oh, I long to be a doctor. I nearly cried. I was seventeen. I said: but perhaps you’re right.
You’re right. You’re the teacher. You’re the principal. I know I’m young.
7. The school said: and besides, you’re going into the army.
8. And then I was made a cook. I prepared food for two thousands men.
9. Now you see me. I have a good job. I have three children. This is my wife, Consuela. Did you

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 know I saved her life?
10. Look, she suffered pain. The doctor said: what is this? Are you tired? Have you had too much
company? How many children? Rest overnight, then tomorrow we’ll make tests.
11. The next morning I called the doctor. I said: she must be operated immediately. I have looked
in the book. I see where her pain is. I understand what pressure is, where it comes from. I see
clearly the organ that is making trouble.
12. The doctor made a test. He said: she must be operated at once. He said to me: Vicente, how
did you know?

Now ask yourself: what conflict does the narrator experience in the course of this story? What is
the theme of this story? What central idea does it convey?

You can infer that the conflict is between societal pressure and individual desire. Vicente wants
to be a doctor, but everyone tries to discourage him. After all, the central idea focuses on how misguided advice
from authorities can lead people to waste their talents. Vicente clearly should have become a doctor – he had the
passion, and instincts to become a good one. The story conveys the idea that people are most fulfilled if they
pursue their dreams.

LEVEL-UP YOUR LEARNING:

ACTIVITY 1

Choose a topic that you want to write about. Make sure to include the five essential parts of the plot.

1) A jewel – encrusted box is found in an ancient abandoned temple. Describe the box, what is in the box,
and the temple. See where it takes you.
2) Write a short story about an embarrassing, or painful incident that happened to you.
3) Three characters enter a room; an old embittered woman, angry at life and full of regret, a young idealistic
boy, and a mother of a newborn baby. How does each character describe the room?

Your work will be graded based on the following criteria:

a) Believable characters/Character Development

b) Setting
c) Flow (beginning, inciting)
d) Plot Development
e) Creativity
f) Organization
g) Title

See rubric below for your scoring guide and criteria.

CREATIVE STORY 4- Excellent 3- Good 2- Progressing 1- Not Yet
CRITERIA
CHARACTER The main The main characters The main characters It is hard to tell who
characters are are named and are named. The the main characters
named and clearly described. Most reader knows very are.
described. Most readers would have little about the
readers could some idea of what characters.
describe the the characters
characters looked like.
accurately.
SETTING Many vivid, Some vivid The reader figure The reader has the
descriptive words descriptive words out when and where trouble figuring out
are used to tell are used to tell the the story took place, when and where the
when and where audience when and but the author didn’t story took place.
the story took where the story took supply much detail.
place. place.
ENGAGING Beginning of a story Beginning of a story Catchy beginning No attempt was to
BEGINNING has a very creative has some type of was attempted but catch the reader’s
“grabber”. The “grabber”. The did not grab the attention in the
reader is pulled into reader is pulled into reader’s attention beginning of the
the story. the story. story. Story begins
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 abruptly or
awkwardly.

INCITING It is very easy for It is fairly easy for It is fairly easy for It is not clear what
INCIDENT/RISING the reader to the reader to the reader to problem the main
ACTION understand the understand the understand the characters face
problem the main problem the main problem the main
characters face and characters face and characters face but
why it is a problem why it is a problem it is not clear why it
is a problem.
ORGANIZATION The story is very The story is pretty The story is little Ideas and scenes
well organized. One well organized. One hard to follow. The seem to be
idea or scene idea or scene may transitions are randomly arranged.
follows another in a seem out of place. sometimes not clear.
logical sequence Clear transitions are
with clear used.
transitions.
CREATIVITY The story contains The story contains a The story contains a There is little
many creative few creative details few creative details evidence of
details and/or and/or descriptions and/or descriptions, creativity in the
descriptions that that contribute to the but they distract story. The author
contribute to the reader’s enjoyment. from the story. The does not seem to
reader’s enjoyment. The author has used author has tried to have used much
The author has his/her imagination. use his/her imagination.
really used his/her imagination.
imagination.
ELEMENTS OF A The story reflects The story reflects a The story reflects The story reflects a
SHORT an advanced thorough some understanding little understanding
STORYPLOT understanding of understanding of; of: Plot, Elements of of : Plot, Setting
Plot, Elements of a Plot, Elements of a a Short Story (place, time, mood)
Short Story Plot Short Story Plot(introduction, Characters (reader
(introduction, rising Plot(introduction, Rising action, relates to them,
action, climax, Rising action, Climax, Falling used to drive plot
falling action, Climax, Falling action, resolution, and create mood)
resolution) action, resolution) reader relates to and conflict
them, used to drive
plot and create
mood) and conflict
TITLE Title is creative, Title is related to the Title is present, but No title
sparks interest and story and topic. does not appear to
is related to the be related to the
story and topic. story topic.

SUMMARY

Plot is the arrangement of events that make up a story. Many fictional plots turn on a conflict, or struggle
between opposing forces, that is usually resolved by the end of the story. Typical fictional plots begin with an exposition that
provides background information needed to make sense of the action, describes the setting, and introduces the major
characters; these plots develop a series of complications or intensification of the conflict that lead to a crisis or moment of
great tension. The conflict may reach a climax or turning point, a moment of greatest tension that fixes the outcome; then,
the actions falls off as the plot’s complications are sorted out and resolved the resolution or denouenment.

GENERALIZATION
1. Enumerate the various modes of fictions.

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 2. List down the different types of plot.
3. Give the essential elements of plot.

References
Jose, P. L., & Larioque, R. R. (2017). Creative Writing. Mandaluyong City: Books Atbp. Publishing Corp.

FEEDBACK

Prepared by:

SHELLA MAR BARCIAL, LPT.

SHS Teacher

Reviewed by:

MYRNA S. PANGAN
SHS Principal

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