Unit 3: Reading and Writing Fiction

“A writer is not a day dreamer, but is a worker with paper and the joy of craft”

FICTION: It is a name for stories not entirely factual, but at least partially shaped, made up, imagined.
It creates illusion of the reality. It portrays imaginary people caught imaginary situations usually read
for pleasures and intended to expand or refine our life and quicken our senses. It comes from the
Latin word “fictio” means to invent or make up and has two forms: novel and short story.

SHORT STORY: This refers to a brief fictional narrative , a series of imaginary events that happen to
imaginary people, often involving one connected episode.

There are essential elements that make up fiction and are all interrelated to make up a unified story.

1. PLOT: This consists of related sequence of events, interrelated actions, and is the framework of
fiction.

PLOT OF A SHORT STORY

STAGES FUNCTIONS
- Introduces the character and places them in a setting
Exposition - Establishes a point of view
- Fills in background information
- Introduction of the conflict
Rising Action - Presents incidents of insights that intensify the conflict.
- The tension or uncertainty developing out of the conflict increases.
- Raises the conflict to maximum intensity
Climax - Changes the course of events or the way that the reader understands the story.
Falling Action - Relaxes the conflict to prepare the readers for denouement.
Denouement - Final outcome of the conflict.
(Resolution) - The solving of the problem

EXTERNAL No story will be

FORCE made without INNER
CONFLICT. It is FORCE
a. social the struggle about
conflict (psychological
opposing forces; a
conflict)
b. physical clash of actions,
conflict ideas, desires, or
values.

2. CHARACTERS: These are the persons about whom the story is told.

Flesh out - Make characters come to life.

Complex character – will have many facets to his/her personality.
Foil – A minor character in a plot or defined by plot function. Foil characters are the alter ego of the
protagonist.
Characters classified according to CONFLICT;
1. Protagonist: He is the central character in a conflict whether good or bad and sympathetic
or unsympathetic. The very word her or heroine is used to mean the protagonist.
2. Antagonist – He is the adversary who opposes the protagonist or forces who struggle
against the protagonist.
Characters classified according to DEVELOPMENT;

“Life is short, go and love yourself”

Ms. Ma. Rebecca S. Olorvida, subject teacher
Faculty, HUMSS Department
 Unit 3: Reading and Writing Fiction
“A writer is not a day dreamer, but is a worker with paper and the joy of craft”

1. Flat or Stock character - is the same sort of person at the end of the story as in the
beginning. They tend to be very static and stay the same throughout the story.
2. Round or Developing Character – undergoes a change in some aspect of character,
personality or outlook, be it better or for worse. The characters are very dynamic and often
changes – or become enlightened, grow or deteriorate.

3. POINT OF VEW – The angle of vision from where the story is told. Determined when the author
decides who is going to tell the story.

NARRATOR – The person who tells a story. The author may tell a story directly whereby he usually
remains an anonymous observer who seldom male any references to himself.

KINDS OF POINT OF VIEW/ NARRATOR according to David Starkey

First Person
First Person Plural
Second Person
Third Person Limited
Third Person Omniscient It allows the narrator to enter the mind and situation of anyone. It
(“all-knowing”)
It is told from a character who is participating – sometimes centrally,
sometimes more peripherally – in the action of the story. It can make
the story personal.
Example: “I get in the car, turn on the ignition and drive to the end of
Blue Street.”
It turns the narrator to a group of people.
Example: “We get in the car, turn on the ignition and drive to the end
of Blue Street.”
It requires the reader to become a character in the story.
Example: “You get in the car, turn on the ignition and drive to the end
of Blue Street.”
It focuses on one character’s perspective; it looks over the shoulder
and sometimes into the mind, of a single character in the story.
Example: “He get in the car, turn on the ignition and drive to the end
of Blue Street, thinking, I will never come this way again.”
gives wider view of the story.
Example:
He get in the car, turn on the ignition and drive to the end of Blue
Street, thinking,
“I will never come this way again”.
Standing in the driveway, remembering their night together in
that restaurant near Malate,
She mutters, “Don’t come back.”

DIALOGUE – This generally refers to conversation between two or more characters in a story. Your
characters will reveal themselves not only through what they say but the way they say it.

4. THEME: This is what the story means. It is the underlying main idea of a literary work, a
philosophy or observation of life, a principle of truth which the author wishes to convey to the
authors.
Some common examples of universal themes to explore in writing fictional texts are about
love, survival, war, mystery, fate, friendship, good versus evil, justice, prejudice, loss, courage,
coming of age, freedom, loneliness, ambition and spirituality.

TWO TYPES OF THEME

Major theme This is the most significant message found in any fictional work. This embodies
the central idea of the story that can be seen until the very end.
Minor theme These are the less important ideas found in any story. They may only appear in
some parts of the story.

“Life is short, go and love yourself”

Ms. Ma. Rebecca S. Olorvida, subject teacher
Faculty, HUMSS Department
 Unit 3: Reading and Writing Fiction
“A writer is not a day dreamer, but is a worker with paper and the joy of craft”

5. SETTING: It refers to the time, place and general environment in which a piece of fiction occurs.
The purpose of setting is to serve as a background or physical context for the action. Another
purpose of setting - it can be used to reveal character or shape events; it may also help create the
atmosphere/mood from which the story evolves.
a. Time and Place
b. Sociological, cultural, political, religious
c. Sensibilities that leads to specific modes

OTHER ASPECTS OF SHORT STORY:

1. Symbolism and Motif: any object or action that is used to evoke ideas that go beyond its
obvious meaning.
2. Setting Tone and Mood: There is a need to develop a special mood or feeling.
TWO TYPES OF TONE
OBJECTIVE This is mostly expressed in a neutral manner. Neutral manner suggests
that it doesn’t show any strong feeling about a given topic. An example of
this can be seen in texts that staes factual details and explanations. This
tone sets a text in a formal tone.
SUBJECTIVE This is used in creative writing particularly in writing fictional texts. Since
the tone describes the feelings, experiences, and thoughts found in the
text, it is inclined toward being personal, emotional and even informal.

3. Style: It refers to the individual traits or characteristics of a piece of writing.

4. Use of Active Verbs: “What moves always wins out of what is stagnant”
5. SFX Appeal: Crisp fiction has to emit sound. Let your readers hear what your characters hear.
6. Create Pictures: Readers want a picture – something to see, not just a paragraph to read – a picture made out
of words.
7. Using Details: It is an essential element of all good prose. Common sense should govern your use of detail.
8. Use fresh similes and metaphors: Way of turning abstract ideas into concrete images by clothing.
9. Writing with Examples and Revision: A pro is specific. His writing cites an example than
general statement.
10. Grab your reader: A book page must not only read well, it must also look inviting.

NOTES:

“Life is short, go and love yourself”

Ms. Ma. Rebecca S. Olorvida, subject teacher
Faculty, HUMSS Department