CREATIVE WRITING

Quarter 1 - Module 4:

Various elements, techniques, and literary devices in

specific forms of FICTION

In this lesson, you will be learning the essential elements, techniques and literary devices in
various modes of fiction. I will also show sample works of well-known local and foreign writers.

At the end of this lesson, you will be seeking for some literary pieces and identify the elements,
techniques and literary devices used.

After going through this lesson, you are expected to:

1. identify the various elements, techniques, and literary devices in various modes of fiction
(HUMSS_CW/MPIg-1-11)
2. appreciate some literary pieces which used various identify the various elements,
techniques, and literary devices.

In this part of your journey, we provide something for you to deepen your understanding about
poetry and its elements, literary devices and techniques.
Please continue reading with comprehension as you discover further knowledge that will help you out
in your quest on the remaining phases of this lesson.

What is Literature?

Literature, in its broadest sense, is any written work; etymologically the term derives from
Latin literatura/litteratura "writing formed with letters", although some definitions include spoken or
sung texts. More restrictively, it is writing that possesses literary merit, and language that foregrounds
literariness, as opposed to ordinary language.

Importance of Literature

 Serves as an art form used for expression

 preserves cultural ideals, customs, and morals.
 gives us a deeper context into the lives and livelihood of people distinct from ourselves.

"Literature adds to reality, it does not simply describe it. It enriches the necessary competencies that
daily life requires and provides; and in this respect, it irrigates the deserts that our lives have already
become." - C.S. Lewis, a British scholar and novelist.

What is a genre?
What is a genre \zhän-rə\
is a French word for "kind" or "sort is the term for any category of literature or other forms of art or
entertainment, e.g. music, whether written or spoken, audial or visual, based on some set of stylistic
criteria.

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 What is Prose?
Prose is a form of language that possesses ordinary sentence and natural speech rather than
rhythmic structure; in which regard, along with its measurement in sentences rather than lines, it
differs from poetry. Normal everyday speech is spoken in prose, and most people think and write in
prose form. Prose comprises of full grammatical sentences, which consist of paragraphs, and forgoes
aesthetic appeal in favor of clear, straightforward language. It can be said to be the most reflective of
conversational speech. Some works of prose do have versification, and a blend of the two formats that
is called ―prose poetry.‖

Example of a Poetry Verse vs. the Prose Form

Following is a poetry verse from a popular work of Robert Frost:
“The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.”
(Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, by Robert Frost)

Prose Form

Following is the same sentiment written in prose form:

“The woods look lovely against the setting darkness and as I gaze into the mysterious depths of the forest,
I feel like lingering here longer. However, I have pending appointments to keep, and much distance to
cover before I settle in for the night, or else I will be late for all of them.”
The above paragraph is conveying a similar message, but it is conveyed in ordinary language, without
a formal metrical structure to bind it.
Function of Prose
While there have been numerous basic discussions over the right and substantial development
of composition, the explanation behind its selection can be credited to its inexactly characterized
structure, which most authors feel great utilizing when communicating or passing on their thoughts
and considerations. It is the standard style of composing utilized for most spoken exchanges,
anecdotal just as effective and genuine composition, and talks. It is additionally the normal language
utilized in papers, magazines, writing, reference books, broadcasting, theory, law, history, technical
studies, and numerous different types of correspondence.

Some Common Types of Prose

Nonfictional Prose: A literary work like essays, biographies and autobiographies that are mainly based on fact,
though it may contain fictional elements in certain cases.
Fictional Prose: Holistically or partially imagined stories like novels and stories.
Heroic Prose: A literary work that might be recorded or recounted, and which utilizes a significant number of
the standard articulations found in oral narratives (or orally transmitted stories). Examples are legends and
stories. Epics and Legends may be examples of this.
Prose Poetry: A literary work that shows poetic characteristics and nature and utilizing passionate impacts
and elevated symbolism. Like poetry, it features a heavy use of imagery and figures of speech. However these
are written in paragraph rather than stanza.

Examples of Prose in Literature

Prose in Novels
This is usually written in the form of a narrative and may be entirely a figment of the author’s imagination.
Example #1: David Copperfield (By Charles Dickens)
“Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these
pages must show.”
Example #2: Anna Karenina (By Leo Tolstoy)

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“Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.”
These examples of prose have been taken from novels, where the writers have employed their imaginations.
They are examples of fictional prose.

Prose in Speeches
Prose used in speeches often expresses thoughts and ideas of the speaker.
Example #3: Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech (By Mother Teresa)
“The poor are very great people. They can teach us so many beautiful things.”
Example #4: Equal Rights for Women speech (By U.S. Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm)
“As for the marriage laws, they are due for a sweeping reform, and an excellent beginning would be to
wipe the existing ones off the books.”
These prose examples have been taken from speeches where the writing is often crisp and persuasive
and suits the occasion to convey a specific message.

Prose in Plays
Prose written in plays aims to be dramatic and eventful.
Example #5: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (By Tennessee Williams)
“You can be young without money, but you can’t be old without it.”
Example #6: As You Like It (By William Shakespeare)
“All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players.”

Prose in plays is frequently in conversational mode and is conveyed by a character.

Notwithstanding, its style remains the equivalent all through the play as indicated by the character of
the character. Fiction incorporates short stories, books, fantasies, anecdotes, sentiments, and legends.
For the most part, center around one or a couple of significant characters that manage issues or
challenges in their lives.

A. Elements of Fictional Prose

I. SETTING - The time and location in which a story takes place is called the setting. There are several
aspects of a story's setting to consider when examining how setting contributes to a story (some, or
all, may be present in a story):
a) place - geographical location. b) time - When is the story taking place? c) weather conditions - Is it
rainy, sunny, stormy, etc? d) social conditions - What is the daily life of the characters like? e) mood or
atmosphere - What feeling is created at the beginning of the story?

II. CHARACTER
– People who take part in the story
– Individuals that do the action in the story
– The representation of a person in the story
– Is revealed by the tone of voice
– Occasionally, it could be an animal or object given human qualities
– There are two meanings for the word character: The person in a work of fiction. The characteristics
of a person.

Protagonist – the chief figure who struggles against opposing forces

Antagonist – the force, most often another character, that opposes the protagonist
Dynamic Character – one whose attitudes and values are changed/affected by the events in the story
Static Character – one whose personality, attitudes, and beliefs remain fixed, no matter what kinds of
situations he encounters
Flat Character – a character having only a single trait or quality. They “lack substance or depth.”
Round Character – a multi-dimensional or a complex character

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Characterization - The development of characters as done by the short story writer. The way in
which an author presents and reveals his/her characters.
Ways to do Characterization
– Direct presentation – the author makes explicit/outright statements or explanations about the
characters

Examples:
 As the years passed, Makato grew tall and handsome.
 He never idled. He never complained and was always satisfied.
 He did every kind of work—carrying heavy things, clearing away the forest, or feeding pigs.

– Indirect presentation – the author reveals the characters through actions and dialogues

Example:
 “I would like to go on a journey for an adventure,” said Makato.

III. PLOT
The plot is the logical arrangement of events in a story or play. The plot is a organized. logical series of
events having a beginning, middle, and end.

Kinds of Plot

1. Linear Plot

The linear plot (sometimes is also called dramatic or progressive plot) presents action or
occurrences chronologically. It typically starts with an exposition (or introduction to the
setting and characters) and the conflict. After that, the rising action follows which leads
to a climax. Soon after the climax, falling action emerges which brings the reader to the
resolution.

Fig. 1. Structure or a Linear Plot

The primary advantage of using a linear plot is that the reader knows, or at least has an
idea, of where the plot goes next, and the reader is guaranteed to get a beginning and
ending.
a) Introduction - The beginning of the story where the characters and the setting is
revealed.
b) Rising Action - This is where the events in the story become complicated and the
conflict in the story is revealed (events between the introduction and climax).
c) Climax - This is the highest point of interest and the turning point of the story. The
reader wonders what will happen next; will the conflict be resolved or not?

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d) Falling action - The events and complications begin to resolve themselves. The reader
knows what has happened next and if the conflict was resolved or not (events between
climax and denouement).
e) Denouement - This is the final outcome or untangling of events in the story

2. Episodic Plot

Made up of a series of chapters or stories linked together by the same character, place, or theme but
held apart by their individual plot, purpose, and subtext.

Fig. 2. Structure of an Episodic Plot

Episodic plot also employs a chronological structure. However, unlike linear or dramatic plot which
concentrates on a single event, an episodic consists of a series of loosely related incidents, which are
tied together by a common theme and/or characters. An episodic plot is used when the author wishes
to show an event, place, time, or idea from many different angles, or when he wants to explore one or
more character’s personalities or the socio-cultural background of the era.

Since this plot includes various events with various characters, it can only be used in a novel. Many
adventure novels employ this plot, in which each part or chapter usually highlights a character and
presents a different aspect of the adventure. The presentation of these characters and adventure
situations enables the reader to get a much larger understanding of the conflict.

3. Parallel Plot

A Parallel Plot is a structure that enables an author to combine or weave two or more dramatic plots
in a story. In the beginning, these multiple dramatic plots run on their own up to their rising events
but then crash together at the climax. Although they seem independent in the beginning, all of them
are linked by a similar theme. This plot is very effective to create a very emotional moment in the
climax among the readers because they have previously been involved in multiple rising actions.

Fig. 3. Structure of a Parallel Plot

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 4. Flashback Plot

A flashback plot presents action or occurrences inconsequentially so that the author is able to deliver
information about events that occurred earlier. It allows the author to begin the story in the middle of
a high-action point, and flash backward to provide back up to it. Such a backstory helps the readers
get a full understanding of the present events before going to the upcoming events. As illustrated in
Figure 4, the story starts with an event occurring in October 2018. To provide the readers with a full
understanding of the event, the author flashes backward or presents the events taking place in some
previous months of the same year. Close to the end of the story, the author proceeds telling the story
chronologically by presenting the events occurring in November and December 2018. Flashbacks can
occur more than once and in different parts of a story. In Figure 4, for instance, the events occurring in
August 2018 is not followed by the event taking place in July 2018 but the one occurring in January
2018.

Fig. 4. Structure of a Flashback Plot

Reference:
Pardede, P. (2020). Types and functions of plot. Weaving Edu Tapestry.
https://www.weedutap.com/2020/07/types-and-functions-of-plot.html

IV. CONFLICT - Conflict is essential to plot. It is the opposition of forces which ties one incident to
another and makes the plot move. Within a short story there may be only one central struggle, or
there may be one dominant struggle with many minor ones.

There are two types of Conflict:

1) External - A struggle with a force outside one's self.
2) Internal - A struggle within one's self; a person must make some decision, overcome pain, quiet
their temper, resist an urge, etc.
There are various kinds of Conflict:
1) Man vs. Man (physical) - The leading character struggles with his physical strength against other
men, forces of nature, or animals. A character struggles with another character.
Protagonist vs. Antagonist
The classic ―good guy‖ vs. ―bad guy‖ situation.
Example: - Spiderman. This is the story of Peter Parker who is nerdy high-schooler.
One day while on an excursion to a laboratory a runway radioactive spider bites him... And his life
changes in a way no one could have imagined. Peter acquires a muscle-bound physique, clear vision,
ability to cling to surfaces and crawl over walls, shooting webs from his wrist... But the fun isn’t going
to last.
An eccentric millionaire Norman Osborn administers a performance enhancing drug on himself and
his maniacal alter ego Green Goblin emerges. Now Peter Parker has to become a Spider-Man and take
Green Goblin to the task... Or else Goblin will kill him. They come face to face and the war begins in
which only one of them will survive at the end

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2) Man vs. Circumstances (classical) - The leading character struggles against fate, or the
circumstances of life facing him/her.
3) Man vs. Nature - A character struggles with a force of nature (natural disaster, desolation, animal,
etc.) Usually, the character is struggling to survive.
Example: San Andreas. In the movie, A series of massive earthquakes hits Nevada and California.
Caught in the middle is a helicopter rescue pilot, Raymond Gaines. Flying his helicopter, he must first
rescue his ex-wife, Emma, and his daughter, Blake. Meanwhile, a pre-eminent seismologist, Dr
Lawrence Hayes, is trying to predict where the next earthquake will hit.
4) Man vs. Society - In this conflict, a character, or a group of characters fight against the society in
which they live. The character fights against social traditions or rules (fight for freedom, rights, for a
cause etc.) Society becomes a ―character‖ of its own. Usually used to comment on positive or negative
aspects for real society. (SATIRE)
Example: Avatar. In the movie Avatar a man is put into an army to get rid of a civilization of blue
creatures. They want the civilization to move to another location cause their town is built over rich
treasures. But the civilization prays to their God in that one location. Jake Scully (main character) is
told to go into a replica of a body from civilization. After getting used to how they live he wants to help
them fight for their land, so he starts a war to help keep their land.
5) Man vs. Supernatural - is a conflict between a character and something that is not normal in some
way. Supernatural elements include ghosts, omens, and superstitions.
Example: Predator
- The U.S government hires a team of commandos. The group of goes to Guatemala. There they battle
and invisible extraterrestrial with superhuman strength.
6) Man vs. Fate - This type of Conflicts occurs when is trapped by an inevitable destiny, freedom and
free.
Example: Example: Fahrenheit 451
-In part of Fahrenheit 451, ―Burning Bright,‖ Montag’s Fate is to be hunted and killed. The Hound,
programmed to kill Montags, is chasing him, and has the TV says, ―The Mechanical Hound never fails ‖
(page numbers vary by edition)..
7) Man vs. Technology - The protagonist must overcome a machine or technology. Most often the
encounter with the machine or technology is through the character's own doing. For example, it may
be technology or a machine that they created, purchased, or owned with the assumption that it would
make their life easier. Over time the protagonist must overcome the technology, in some instances,
even destroying it before it destroys them.
Example: The Matrix. Thomas A. Anderson is a man living two lives. By day he is an average computer
programmer and by night a hacker know as Neo. Neo has always questioned his reality, but the truth
is far beyond his imagination. Neo finds himself targeted by the police when he is contacted by
Morpheus, a Legendary computer hacker branded a terrorist by the government.

8) Man vs. Self - The character’s Struggle takes place in his/her own mind.
Usually has something to do with a choice (choosing between right or wrong), or it may have to do
with overcoming emotions or mixed feelings.
Example: Tangled (Rapunzel). In the movie Tangled Rapunzel, experiences man vs. Self throughout
the movie. She cannot decide if she want to stay in the tower or defy her ―mother’s wishes and leaved
the tower. When she finally decides to leave, she is very hesitant and does not know if what her
―mother‖ has told her is true or not. She goes back and forth with herself wondering what will
happen if she continues.

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V. POINT OF VIEW
Point of view, or P.O.V., is defined as the angle from which the story is told.
1. First Person POV - The story is told by the protagonist or one of the characters who interacts
closely with the protagonist or other characters (using pronouns I, me, we, etc).
The reader sees the story through this person's eyes as he/she experiences it and only knows what
he/she knows or feels.
2. Third Person POV – The narrator does not participate in the action of the story as one of the
characters but let us know exactly what the characters feel. This uses third personal pronouns like he,
she, it, and they.
a) Omniscient - A narrator who knows everything about the characters is all-seeing and all-knowing;
in other words, omniscient. The omniscient narrator knows everything about the story and its
characters. This narrator can enter anyone’s mind, move freely through time, and give the reader their
own opinions and observations as well as those of the characters.

b) Limited Omniscient - The author tells only what the character knows and what the author allows
him/her to tell us. We can see the thoughts and feelings of characters if the author chooses to reveal
them to us. This point of view (often called a “close third”) is when an author sticks closely to one
character but remains in third person. The narrator can do this for the entire novel, or switch between
different characters for different chapters or sections. This point of view allows the author to limit a
reader’s perspective and control what information the reader knows. It is used to build interest and
heighten suspense.

c) Objective Omniscient– Third-person objective point of view has a neutral narrator that is not privy
to characters’ thoughts or feelings. The narrator presents the story with an observational tone. This
POV appears as a camera is following the characters, going anywhere, and recording only what is seen
and heard. No interpretations are offered. The reader is placed in the position of spectator without the
author there to explain. The reader must interpret events on his own. This point of view puts the
reader in the position of a voyeur, eavesdropping on a scene or story.

Reference:
MasterClass. (2021, Sept. 3) What is third person point of view in writing? How to write in third
person narrative voice with examples. https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-third-
person-point-of-view-in-writing-how-to-write-in-third-person-narrative-voice-with-examples

VI. THEME - The theme in a piece of fiction is its controlling idea or its central insight. It is the
author's underlying meaning or main idea that he is trying to convey. The theme may be the author's
thoughts about a topic or view of human nature. The title of the short story usually points to what the
writer is saying, and he may use various figures of speech to emphasize his theme, such as: symbol,
allusion, simile, metaphor, hyperbole, or irony.
Some simple examples of common themes from literature, TV, and film are: - things are not always as
they appear to be - Love is blind - Believe in yourself - People are afraid of change - Don't judge a book
by its cover
Presenting the theme of the prose:
• the feelings of the main character about the subject written about
• through the thoughts and conversations of different characters
• the experiences of the main character in the course of a literary work
• the actions and events taking place in a narrative

Theme Vs. Subject

• A subject is the topic of the story, or what the story is about
• The theme is an idea that the poem expresses about the subject or uses the subject to explore
• For example, the themes of the Harry Potter series include wizardry, bravery, and love.
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• The theme is the main or controlling idea in the story. It is, in other words, ABSTRACT.

Motifs
• Look for meaningful REPEATED elements in the story, or motifs.
• Whenever an element is repeated in a story, you should assume it is both intentional and
meaningful.
•An example from the Harry Potter series is Potter’s scar on the forehead, whose present is
emphasized and repeated in the story. It symbolizes the curse of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and
the selflessness of his parents.
• Motifs are often connected to the theme of the poem, as is the case above.

VII. TONE
• When you speak, your tone of voice suggests your attitude.
• In fact, it suggests two attitudes: one concerning the people you’re addressing (your audience)
and the other concerning the thing you’re talking about (your subject).
• That’s what the term tone means when it’s applied to poetry as well. Tone can also mean the
general emotional weather of the poem.

Example: “And the trees all died. They were orange trees. I don’t know why they died, they just died.
Something wrong with the soil possibly or maybe the stuff we got from the nursery wasn’t the best. We
complained about it. So we’ve got thirty kids there, each kid had his or her own little tree to plant and
we’ve got these thirty dead trees. All these kids looking at these little brown sticks, it was depressing.”

B. TECHNIQUES AND LITERARY DEVICES

A literary device is a technique that shapes narrative to produce an effect on the reader. It is a literary
or linguistic technique that produces a specific effect, esp. a figure of speech, narrative style, or plot
mechanism.

PLOT DEVICE - an object, character or a concept introduced into the story by the author to introduce
its plot.

1. Flashing arrow- technique used to focus the reader’s, but not the characters’ attention on an
object, or location.
Example: The Shutter
A man wonders on his consistent neck ache without knowing that he is carrying the ghost all those
times.

2. Red herring- it distracts the reader’s attention from the plot twist. It is used to maintain tension
and uncertainty.
Example: Professor Snape of Harry Potter
In Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Severus Snape is a red herring, sneaky and behaving
suspiciously but not, eventually guilty. In fact, Snape's chequered path through the books is littered
with red herrings. Less ambiguously, Sirius Black is painted as an evil character, to be feared, which is
undermined when he finally meets Harry.

3. Deathtrap- device that the villain uses to try to kill the protagonist and satisfy his own sadistic
desires.
Example: Different Death scenes in Final Destination stories
4. Reverse chronology- is a technique where the story begins at the end and works back toward the
beginning.

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Example: The White House Story where the story begins at the end and progressed the story while
taking the story backward.

5. “In medias res‟- the narrative starts in the middle of the story instead of from its beginning. Other
events are often introduced through a series of flashbacks.
Example: The Odyssey of Homer. The story started in the middle instead of the beginning of the story.
Flashbacks were used to introduce the initial events in the story.

VISION - character share with the reader visions of the past or the future to explain a character’s
motives.
1. Dream sequence- series of dreams which allows the character to see events that occur or have
occurred in another time
Example: The Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Ebenezer Scrooge had a series of dreams which allowed him to see the events happened in another
time with the help of the Christmas ghosts of the past, present and future and led him to change his
attitude.

2. Analepsis (flashback)- prevents events from before the current time frame. Flashbacks are usually
presented as characters’ memories and are used to explain their background.
Example: Titanic. The story used Rose, the main character, to tell the events happened to Titanic.

3. Prolepsis (flash-forward)- presents events that will occur in the future.

Example: Final Destination seeing what will happen in the future.

4. Prophecy- is often used in science fiction to underline their futuristic structures.

Example: Breaking Dawn’s Final Rival Scene between the Volturi and Bella Swan and Edward Cullen’s
family. Alice who has a premonition supernatural presented the prophecy, the possible event that can
be happened once the action will be continued.

5. Foreshadowing- is a premonition, muck like a flash-forward, but only hints at the future.
Example: Toy Story 2. The use of Buzz’s glass space helmet to ignite the rocket string was
foreshadowed when Buzz was accidentally burnt because of the glass lens.

ENDING - refers to story endings

1. Cliff-hanger- an abrupt ending that leaves the plot incomplete, without denouement, it often
leaves characters in a precarious or difficult situation which hint at the possibility of a sequel.
Films with sequel are examples of this.

2. Twist ending- is an unexpected finale that gives an entirely new vision on the entire plot. It is a
powerful technique but may leave the reader dissatisfied and frustrated.
Example: Planet of the Apes. Twist: As Taylor escapes with mute companion Nova (Linda Harrison),
he is stunned to discover that he didn't land on a distant planet, he was back on Earth, centuries into
the future.

3. Happy ending- a finale when everything ends in the best way for the hero.
Example: Since the target audience are the children, Disney Movies have Happy endings.

4. Deus ex machina- plot dating back to ancient Greek theater, where the conflict is resolved through
a means (god, or dues) that seem unrelated to the story. This allows the author to end the story as
desired without following the logic and continuity of the story.

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For a plot device to be a Deus Ex Machina, it has to satisfy the following conditions:
 The plot is facing an impossible and hopeless problem, no existing characters can solve.
 A new element is introduced.
 The element itself usually doesn't have any plot/character development to set it up.
 Even if the element was previously mentioned, it was never used in such fashion, or never explained
to have such power.
 The element is here to solve this problem and disappear again. The element's power was never used
to solve other problems, even the situation is similar.
 The element is independent of character choices made in the story.

Perfect example of Deus ex machina is the Fairy Godmother of Cinderella who helped her
during the moment that the reader thought that no one could help the main character.

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