Creative Writing

Title: Elements of Fiction

1. Character- they are the persons or animals that act in a story . They are classified as:
a. Protagonist- it is the main character.
b. Antagonist - it is the bad side or the villain that most of the times makes the life of protagonist a
miserable one.
c. Confidant- the close friend of the protagonist.
d. Foil- it is neither the protagonist nor the villain
e. Background- other characters.

2. Settings- are known as the time and place where the story happens. It is an important element of fiction as
it gives mental images to readers of the story’s environment, atmosphere and culture. Thus, making it more
realistic in the reader’s mind.
Some or all of these aspects of setting should be considered when examining a story.
a. place- geographical location. Where is the action of the story taking place?
b. time- When is the story taking place ?( historical period, time of day, year, etc)
c. Weather conditions- Is it rainy, sunny, stormy, etc?
d. Social Conditions- what is the daily life of the characters like? Does the story contain local
colour( writing that focuses on the speech, dress, mannerisms , customs, etc of a particular place?

3. Plot- it is the sequence of events in the story.

a. Dramatic or Progressive Plot- according to dr. Chen, it follows a chronological order establishing the
setting, conflict, rising action, climax to a denouement.
b. Episodic Plot- Dr. Chen defined it as a chronological order but it consists of chapters.

PARTS OF A PLOT

A. Exposition- It is the introduction; it is where the characters and setting are introduced.
B. Rising Action- it is the part of plot that leads to the climax. It is where the conflict is built.
C. Climax - it is the highlight and the most important part of the story. This is where your intense emotion
will be aroused
D. Falling Action- it is where the conflict or problem is resolved.
E. Denouement- it is how the story ends up.

4. Point of View- it is how the author narrated the story.

a. First Person Point of View- it is a type of narration where the author is a part of the story. He
himself is the narrator. The pronoun “ I” is used in narration.
b. Third person Pint of View- in this type of point of view , the author is no longer a part of the
story. The pronouns in the third person like “ he, she, it, they are used in narrating the story.
B1. Third Person Omniscient- it is a type of narration wherein the author tells everything
about the characters, his attitudes , actions, thoughts and emotions.
B2. Third person Objective- it is a type of narration wherein the author tells the story in his
own perception without telling the characters emotions and thought.
5. Conflict – Conflict is the essence of fiction. It creates plot. The conflicts we encounter can usually be
identified as one of four kinds.
a. External Conflict- refers to the opposition between an individual and some outside force.
 Human vs. Human ( man vs. man)
Conflict that pits one person against another.
 Human vs. Nature
This involves a run-in with the forces of nature. On the one hand, it expresses the
significance of a single human life in the cosmic scheme of things. On the other hand, it
tests the limits of a person’s strength and will to live.
  Human vs. Society
The values and customs by which everyone else lives are being challenged. The
character may come to an untimely end as a result of his or her own convictions. The
character may, on the other hand, bring others around to a sympathetic point of view, or
it may be decided that society was right after all.

 Man vs. Supernatural

Pitting characters against phenomena like ghosts, or monsters raises the stakes of
a conflict by creating an unequal playing shield.

b. Internal Conflict- refers to the opposition coming from within...

 Human vs. Self
It is a good test of a character’s values. It is a conflict where a character is their
own adversary.

6. Theme-it is the message or central idea of the story, most often, it is also the moral or the lesson of the
story.
The theme of a fable is its moral. The theme of a parable is its teaching. The theme of a piece of fiction is
its view about life and how people behave.
In fiction, the theme is not intended to teach or preach. In fact, it is not presented directly at all. You
extract it from the characters , action and setting that make up the story. In other words you must figure out
the theme yourself.

7. Style- it is how the author wrote the story; it includes his choice of words, diction and others.