SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

Creative Nonfiction
Quarter 1 – Module 1
Literary Conventions that Govern the
Different Genre

Department of Education ● Republic of the Philippines

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Creative Nonfiction
Alternative Delivery Mode
Quarter 1 – Module 1: Literary Conventions that Govern the Different Genre
First Edition, 2020

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Published by the Department of Education – Region X – Northern Mindanao.

Development Team of the Module

Writers: Marilou D. Bienes

EL M. Dela Cruz, Ph.D.
Blaire Romnil U. Riveral
Content Editor: Luzviminda Z. Labis, CE, Ph.D.
Language Editor: Janit U. Llanita
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Development Team:
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Regional Director

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Jonathan S. dela Peña, PhD, CESO V
Schools Division Superintendent
Rowena H. Para-on, PhD
Assistant Schools Division Superintendent
Mala Epra B. Magnaong, Chief ES, CLMD

Members: Neil A. Improgo, PhD, EPS-LRMS; Bienvenido U. Tagolimot, Jr., PhD, EPS-ADM;
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Creative Nonfiction
Quarter 1 – Module 1
Literary Conventions that Govern the
Different Genre

This instructional material was collaboratively developed and reviewed

by educators from public and private schools, colleges, and/or universities. We
encourage teachers and other education stakeholders to email their feedback,
comments, and recommendations to the Department of Education at
action@deped.gov.ph.

We value your feedback and recommendations.

Department of Education ● Republic of the Philippines

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page No.
OVERVIEW
What I Need To Know 1
What Should I Expect 1
Things to Remember To Get Through 2

Lesson 1- Academic Text Structures

What I Need To Know 3
What I Know 4
What's New 5
What Is It 6
What's More 8
What I Can Do 10
Post Assessment 12
What I Have Learned 14

Lesson 2 - Language Use In Academic Writing

What I Need To Know 15
What's In 15
What I Know 16
What's New 17
What Is It 17
What's More 20
What I Can Do 20
Post Assessment 21
What I Have Learned 23

Lesson 3 -Academic Reading Strategies

What I Need To Know 24
What's In 24
What I Know 25
What's New 26
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 What Is It 26
What's More 28
What I Have Learned 29
What I Can Do 29
Post Assessment 30

Lesson 4 - Various Techniques in Summarizing a Variety of Academic Texts

What I Need To Know 32
What I Know 32
What Is It 33
What's New 33
What's More 34
Post Assessment 45
What I Have Learned 48

Lesson 5 - Thesis Statement of an Academic Text

What I Need To Know 49
What I Know 49
What Is It 50
Post Assessment 53
Additional Activities 55

Lesson 6 – Outlining
What I Need To Know 55
What I Know 56
What Is It 57
What's More 61
Additional Activities 62
Post Assessment 63
What I Have Learned 66

References 67

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 This module in Creative nonfiction aims to enhance your communication skills
specially in designing the development of your Abilities I utilizing appropriate language
from various discipline using correct structures.
This module has six parts or lessons:
Lesson 1: Deals about analysis on theme and techniques used in a particular
text
Lesson 2: Create samples of the Literary Elements Based on One’s Experience
Lesson 3: Analyze Factual Non fictional Elements (plot, Characters,
characterization, point of view, Angle, Setting and Atmosphere, Symbol and
Symbolism, Irony, Figures of Speech, Dialogue, Scene, other elements and
devices in Text) Lesson
4: Write a draft of a short piece (Fiction and Non-Fiction) using any of the
literary conventions of genre following these points:
• Choosing a topic
• Formulating a Thesis Statement
• Organizing and Developing Ideas
• Using any literary conventions of a given and chosen literary element
• Ensuring that theme and techniques are effectively developed Lesson
5: Evaluate other’s draft based on:
• Clarity if idea
• Appropriate choice of literary element
• Appropriate use of the element
• Effective combination of the idea and the chosen literary element
Lesson 6: Revise the draft of a short piece using any of the literary conventions
of a genre (e.g. plot for narrative piece)

Every part of the module contains activities and enhancement exercises

utilizing pictures, and illustrations which have been proven as effective instructional
materials in improving the writing skills of the students.

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 The first learning module contains in Quarter 1 contains the Introduction to
Literary Genres; Understanding conventions of traditional genres; fiction, poetry,
drama and other forms. This include also identifying elements of the different genres
and using elements and techniques to develop themes.
In this module, the students understand the literary conventions that govern
the different genres, thus coherently use a chosen element conventionally identified
with a genre for written output.
What should I expect?
After studying this module, you will be able to:
1. Define creative non-fiction from various writers;
2. Do a close reading of creative non-fictional texts
3. Analyze and interpret the theme and techniques used in a particular texts.
4. Create samples of the literary elements based on one’s experience

Good luck as you begin this module

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 LESSON 1

ANALYSIS ON THEME AND TECHNIQUES USED IN A

PARTICULAR TEXT

Learning Objectives: At the end of this lesson, the learners are expected to:
1. Analyze the theme and techniques used in a particular text
2. Write samples of the Literary Elements Based on One’s Experiences

Let’s Answer This!

Getting Back: Recall what you learned about the literature of the past. Read and
answer the following statements. Write the letter of your answer in your notebook
1.Non Fiction
a. reason for which the author writers c. writer tell his own story
b. writing that is true d. writer gives and explanation of ideas
2. Autobiography
a. writer tells someone else’s story c. writing is not true
b. writer tells his own story d. gives a description of a topic
3. Informational Non-Fiction
a. Intent informing the reader about the topic
b. writing that is not true
c. writer tries to convince the reader
d. original materials that have not been altered
4.Biography
a. writer tells his own story c. writer tells the story of someone else’s
b. short form of literary composition d. writing gives explanation of ideas
5. Any short work of non-fiction offering a part of a magazine, newspaper or book
a. article b. diary c. novel d. blog

6. A type of nonfiction writing that includes personal thoughts and reflections.

a. memoir b. biography c. autobiography d. compare and contrast

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7. This pattern of writing shows the order of events occurred
a. categorical b. expository c. chronological d. compare and contrast
8. What is included in background information?
a. claim b. main character c. conflict d. setting
9. Quote, question, study and statement about life and all are all examples of ______.
a. conflict b. text evidence c. resolution d. leading statement
10. The theme of a story is______________.
a. the problem the character is facing
b. how much is the main character solves his problem
c. the location of the story
d. the lesson or big idea the author is trying to teach about

What is Creative Non Fiction? Is a genre of writing that that uses literary styles
and techniques to factually accurate narratives; these includes autobiography,
biography, literary journalism, reportage, personal narratives, travelogues, reflection,
essay, flash nonfiction or flash essay. It is important to know that creative nonfiction
articles must be factually accurate and written with attention (Wikipedia).

Identifying Themes and Literary Analysis

Read the following story for analysis:
Many Mansions
Small World
Ledesma St., San Juan
It probably was a small house, but size throws off a child. What seems modest
to an adult is extravagance to a little one. It was the world to me. It certainly seemed
ample then. There were three bedrooms, which we called blue, green, and aircon.
Children’s names, these; one bedroom was painted blue, one green, and one had a
new air-conditioner. I don’t remember what we called it before the air-conditioner
arrived, but it was yellow, with a parquet floor and a deep dressing area. It was the
room of my parents, which is why the new Sony color TV and Betamax were there.
The old TV was in the living room downstairs, a Zenith in a large cabinet with doors
that slid open. In front of it was a coffee table and the blue sofa where Tito Bing, when
he was visiting, would sit shirtless, leaving a deep, sweaty impression on the vinyl.

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 My mother sent most of us to piano lessons, and soon enough, a piano took its
place in our living room. We went to a music studio in northeast Greenhills, a short
walk from the Greenhills shopping center. To us that whole complex was simply
Unimart, where my mother bought groceries; then came Virra Mall, a modern marvel,
not yet a seedy haven of smuggled goods. This was my small, well-traveled universe:
Ledesma Street to Unimart; further down Ortigas to Meralco, where my father worked
and where we played tennis on Sunday afternoons; and then on to Ateneo, where I
had studied since grade school.
San Juan seemed pretty much the whole city then, because even my relatives
were there. On M. Paterno Street, adjacent to Ledesma, lived Tito Pepot with my
father’s parents. Tito Tito and the Litonjuas lived in another part of Greenhills, with Tita
Letty and the Mendozas nearby on Mariano Marcos Street. Sundays we heard mass
in Mary the Queen, where I would marry my wife years later.
The big round dining table was new, and I suppose like a lot of families, we
experienced that moment of bliss when, having changed from a long table to this round
one with a novelty called the lazy susan, we were liberated from the forced courtesies
of asking people to pass this or that dish. I wonder though if something was lost, if the
convenience of just turning an inner platform set on marbles until what you wanted
was right in front of you did away with the learned cordiality, the togetherness with
one’s table mates that taught you the give and take of community.
There were orange glasses and a matching orange pitcher, and at meals we’d
have it and a blue one on the table. Tito Bing would pour orange juice into his coffee,
forgetting that the water was in the orange pitcher, the orange juice in the blue one.
Ledesma Street was a short one, and quiet. Our house was unassuming, with walls of
a modest height and a green gate. The gate opened to a long three-car garage. We’d
play football there, and Bombit, the eldest, once fell on his wrist and broke it. On
birthdays there would be parties, with folding tables from one end to the other,
balloons, spaghetti, hotdogs, ice cream, and our painfully cute posing for pictures.
Our next-door neighbor made coffins, or so they said. I don’t remember seeing
any. Actually, I don’t remember seeing anyone in that tiny gray house on our left. My
mother says that some of the people there had gone insane. Somehow, coffin-making
and insanity come hand in hand, as we’ve learned from old horror movies.
In high school I discovered the perilous thrill of chasing after girls. Going to
soirées, meeting them, getting their phone numbers, calling them up – how crazy it all
was, to daydream an entire afternoon away, my books on the living room coffee table,
my head in the clouds. The studying could go to hell as my mind floated in its hormone-
induced bliss. It was a heady time, reveling in the rush of taking risks, then wallowing
in the crushing despair of rejection.
The Assumptionistas wouldn’t let you stay on the phone with them more than
fifteen minutes. The Scholasticans would talk for hours, and I loved that. Niña and I
would talk often, it would be daylight out, then it would be dark and I wouldn’t even get

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up to turn on the lights, and we’d talk some more. But I should have seen how that
affair would turn out: she lived on Vito Cruz, way beyond my familiar orbit. At a certain
point, we saw each other at a volleyball game in La Salle Greenhills, then asked "Was
that you?" later in the evening when I called. When you don’t know what each other
looks like anymore, the courtship has officially failed.
Then we transferred. It was 1984, I was fifteen and finishing my second year in
high school. When we were about to leave, we felt the excitement of moving to a new
house, a bigger one, in a more upscale neighborhood. It meant good things that we
were moving up in the world.

When We Were
Rich Heron St., Greenmeadows

There were no phones. For some reason, our application for two lines had been
held up. Having just moved, I became acutely aware of the lack of communications, a
serious shortcoming in the eyes of a fifteen year-old. In such ways were an adolescent
boy’s inept attempts at wooing adolescent girls doomed before they hardly had a
chance to succeed.
To communicate with the outside world I simply upped and went to a friend’s
house, Gerry’s in Xavierville or Abe’s in La Vista. I would simply show up and take
them by surprise. Was there some emergency? They would ask. Why had I gone all
the way there? Then they realized that without the ability to call them, I had little choice
but to pop up unannounced at their houses, ready to make myself at home and partake
of their meals. Teenagers can get away with such blithe effrontery.
But even with its isolation, remedied a few months after we moved in when the
phone company finally deigned to be of service, the house had its attractions. In fact,
in many ways it was a dream house. It sat on some eight hundred square meters,
more than twice the size of the San Juan house we left behind. And since the house
my civil-engineer father designed used up less than half the lot, we had more room to
roam than we had ever had, or ever would.
I was especially fond of the wide backyard. Half of it was concrete, on which we
thrashed around playing our tortured brand of basketball with an undersized ball and
a makeshift board and ring. The other half was a garden, green and expansive; all we
had at the back of the Ledesma house was a patch of dark soil where nothing would
grow. Afternoons I’d take the cover off one of the round patio tables and spread it on
the prickly Bermuda grass. I’d lie there on the thick tablecloth that was just long enough
for me and gaze wistfully at a blue, blue sky. The open space of the backyard gave
me a vantage point to the heavens I haven’t had before or since. Not a bad place to

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live in for someone who sometimes wanted to just ponder the sky, who wanted the
occasional chance to escape to it.
I did that often, sitting on the sidewalk outside vigilantly watching the sun setting
over what to me was Greenhills (where the girl of special interest to me lived), or lying
on that tablecloth in the garden. Or sitting at the balcony that joined the rooms of my
parents and Pixie, my sister, on the nights I’d suffer an insomnia attack; my sister
asleep in the master bedroom, I’d bring a chair from her room onto the balcony. An
insomniac, who sometimes has no choice but to be awake when the dark gives way
to light, can always treat himself to the dawn sky. For the growing teen, perhaps the
most important thing about the new house were the bedrooms.
For the first time I had my own room, no small thing in a household of five boys
and one girl. An only girl must have her own room, mother reasoned, and we used to
envy Pixie her privilege. When we moved, I, the third child, finally had mine. This was
important. As a child staggers into adolescence, he grows increasingly ornery when it
comes to matters of privacy. At last I had a place where my things, and thoughts, could
be left undisturbed. Late afternoons and early evenings I’d turn off the lights and play
something on my stereo – Barbra Streisand’s "Somewhere" or Boston’s "More Than
a Feeling" or "Amanda," U2’s "With or Without You" – anything that soared, and turn
up the volume. I’d lie in bed facing the window. Or I’d open the window and sit on the
sill, my feet in the plant box, and let the music take me up into the deepening darkness.

It didn’t take long, though, before I felt that I didn’t quite fit here. Neighbors can
do that to you. On the asphalted tennis court at the park I played mostly with kids from
around the village, kids ten, eleven, twelve years old. And they were kids in their brash,
self-absorbed way. I was never comfortable around them, and I put up with them only
because I enjoyed the game.

On the basketball court things were worse. The brash, self-absorbed kids of the
tennis court were replaced by brash, self-absorbed grown-ups. They found me quiet,
but what was there to talk about? I didn’t smoke, do drugs, party till dawn, or fawn over
cars. In my eyes they were moneyed men in the aimless, petty way I imagined you
grew up to be if you didn’t see anything much that made sense beyond what you could
drive, wear, eat, smoke, or screw. I had nothing to say to them.
I sensed that it was a matter of time before I had to leave. The land surrounding
our house was empty, but for how long? Houses were going up all around the
subdivision. How long until the banging and clatter of construction work drove away
the quiet, the burgeoning houses encroaching upon us and obstructing our view? How
long before the whole place was filled with the arrogant, chattering, idle people I
thought my neighbors were?
The parish church didn’t make me feel any better. It was just outside the village,
and Sundays we heard mass there with the rest of the subdivision and nearby villages.
I never liked the church. I thought the immense bug-eyed statue of Christ above the
altar, to which all eyes had to turn, was ill-proportioned and hideous. It only added to
the feeling of strangeness I felt among my expensively coiffed, dour-faced neighbors.

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And then there was the sound. No matter what they did, no matter how they tried, an
echo always bounced off the walls and made it hard to track the priest’s words. The
word of God deserved better acoustics.
Maybe it was no accident that my crisis of faith occurred at about that time. It
was hard enough grappling with soul-piercing questions of faith; it became tougher to
hang on to God in a place that didn’t seem to want you to. How could faith smolder in
a house of worship cold as this? I stopped going to that church, or any other. I see
now that such thoughts could probably weigh heavily only on the mind of a mid-teen,
one grown attuned, excessively perhaps, to the hollowness of conformity. I was
fighting my quiet rebellions, against family, school, social classes, God – the things
that boxed me in and told who I should be, what I should believe in, how I should
behave. I was concerned, maybe too much so, with the incongruence between who
you were and who you pretended to be. It was too easy to judge.
And perhaps a teenager feels more acutely than others that he is an outsider.
Was I one of them? Yes and no, and I squirmed at the contradiction. There I was in
their midst, living a comfortable life in one of their cushy houses. I wanted the money
and what it could buy (in a family of six children one feels that there is never enough
to go around). But I spurned the accoutrements of such a life, the status symbols, the
badges one wore to prove membership in what I thought was a vacuous elite. I felt
uneasy knowing I wasn’t poor, that my skin was pale, that I spoke in competent
English, that my tastes weren’t lowbrow, that I ate well, that we had cars and maids
and an eight-hundred square-meter house in a posh private subdivision, that I studied
in an expensive exclusive school – that I was part of a narrow stratum of society that
did exceedingly well at fending for itself. This was who I was, and it wasn’t all right with
me. I had become what I scorned: a rich kid. It was one other thing to fight.

In the end, perhaps all this – the uneasiness, the awkwardness, the wanting to
be both in and out of the club – was simply part of the growing pains, endured during
an adolescent’s labored and fitful evolution toward a higher form of being. Perhaps I
was simply suffering the displacedness one first comes to notice as a teenager, the
universal feeling of not quite being at home anywhere, even in one’s skin. I’ve never
lost that feeling. It’s probably just another part of the turmoil of living in a world that
turns and turns without asking if it’s all too fast for you.
Soon enough, my father told us that we had to move out. He no longer wanted
to stay in the construction arm of Meralco, which he had served for decades. He
wanted to strike out on his own with a new company, with his own people. And that
meant earning less. The house had to go, or rather, we had to let go of it.
In August of 1989, two months into my last year as an undergraduate in college,
some five years after we first moved in, we trundled out of the house on our trusty old
Hi-Ace and a small truck my father borrowed from the office. Years later, we would
look back at the years we spent there and chuckle: those were the days when we were
rich, the days of our brief but failed foray into the ranks of the wealthy.
When my mind wanders back to those days, I’m often back on the balcony
outside my sister’s room, up at daybreak because I haven’t slept a wink, and I watch

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the darkness turn into a thin gray, then a blue that grows more and more vivid, the
wisps of clouds streaked with red, herald of the arriving sun. "Night’s candles are burnt
out and jocund day stands tiptoe on the misty mountain top," wrote Shakespeare.
Those years in that house when I had a balcony seat to the break of day I knew exactly
what he meant.

The House on Stilts

Mariano Marcos St., San Juan

We called it Ortega, but it wasn’t really on Ortega Street. It was on Mariano

Marcos in San Juan, but we had called it Ortega all our lives, and Ortega it still is. That
was how we called it, the way the house on Ledesma Street is "Ledesma," the house
on Heron Street "Greenmeadows" (not Heron); the way my wife calls the Malate house
she was born in "Vermont," though Vermont Street has been J. Nakpil for ages.
It felt strange, karmic in a bad way, that we were moving into it. My Tita Letty
and my Mendoza cousins had stayed in that house all the years I was growing up, and
they had just moved into a none-too-posh subdivision in Marikina, not like the grander
ones in the Ortigas area we were leaving. We knew it was going to be a step down.
It was. From the surface sheen of Greenmeadows to this. The house seemed
old, and more importantly, run down. It stood on stilts, as we kids called them, the
house raised from the ground a few feet, in the style of older times for some purpose
we no longer thought applicable. The doors didn’t have knobs, just handles and hooks.
They closed because of springs attached at the top. You’d hear them bang, the
spring’s squeak, when someone passed through. When typhoons hit, the house made
a low rumble as storm winds made the doors and windows jitter, as if it all would finally
come apart.
The interiors were tighter, the corridors narrower, and – perhaps the surest sign
of our harder times – there were fewer bathrooms. There were no marbled floors as in
Greenmeadows, just narrow wooden planks worn away at some places, and they
creaked under your step. The windows weren’t sheets of tinted glass on large metal
frames; they were made of wooden and capiz panels, in the style of old houses I see
only in Manila or the provinces.
This house sat on an unusually shaped corner lot, with one road (Smuth, which
we never did learn how to pronounce) rising sharply upwards from Mariano Marcos,
creating a pizza-pie slice of land. At the thin end of the pie slice was the gate, which
opened to a long driveway of concrete that was broken in some places. When it rained,
opening the gate was a chore; it was low, water collected just under it, and my mother
eventually bought boots and left them by the front door with an umbrella. The plan was
for us to stay here while our new house in Marikina, in the same middle-class village
our cousins had transferred to, was being built. We didn’t know how long that would
take, but it seemed to slow down when the Gulf War broke out and prices shot up.
That was the attitude: we were here only in transit. When you walked into the master

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bedroom, you could tell we didn’t intend to stay. Together with my parents’ queen-size
bed were single beds, a red sofa, and wing chairs, all refugees from the house on
Heron Street that was no longer ours. They seemed to be biding their time, waiting to
be restored to their rightful place, to a room more in keeping with their status.
The house may not have been much to look at. And commuting to anywhere
was harder since it was a long walk toward the nearest jeepney routes. The drive to
Ateneo was longer. But it wasn’t without charms. It had wide open spaces, for one
thing. There was a garden, which wasn’t like the manicured, sculpted showcase in
Greenmeadows; it was thick with grass green and wild, not prickly bermuda. The earth
was soft under your running shoes. In the evenings I’d look out from the living room
window at the grass shimmering in the ghostly moonlight.
At dusk fat flies hovered eerily in the air, after darkness had relented but before
the sun had come out, as if presiding over some solemn ceremony in which the night
gave leave to the day. I saw that strange but wondrous rite several times because of
my insomnia attacks. One summer I suffered a particularly severe one. I’d go to bed
at ten then be awake at two, unable to sleep anymore. I’d get up and play games on
the computer, watch tapes, read. When my mother got up at dawn I’d help her heat
some water for coffee, put ice in and fill the water jug, and sit at the kitchen table. We
weren’t talkative at five in the morning, so we would just drink coffee. When it started
to get light out I’d take a walk or jog, pounding the concrete and the soft earth and
grass, making small circles in the yard, the fat flies that buzzed softly paying no heed.
I’d come in and eat a heavy breakfast, sleep the whole afternoon, then go through it
all again that night. Somehow, after weeks of this, I was finally able to fall asleep at
midnight and wake at eight. I counted my blessings, old house included. The end came
soon enough. The owners of the lot had sold it to a townhouse developer, and we had
until the end of March 1992 to move out. It had been nearly three years.
We packed up and started shuttling between this place and the next, but
moving seemed like more work this time than when we left Greenmeadows. The trips
to Marikina were longer than the ones from Ortigas to San Juan, and the traffic had
only grown heavier. We’d be able to make only two, maybe three trips a day before
pleading exhaustion. The HiAce got worn down quickly. On our last trip we stuffed
everything that would fit into the cars, just barely fitting into them ourselves, and drove
out for the last time it was also my last day as a teacher in the Ateneo High School:
March 29, Sunday, graduation day. I’d taught there two years. That last year I’d met
Hilda. On my first date with her in the middle of August, I came home at six in the
morning. We had been on the couch in her living room talking until two, fell asleep,
and woke up at five thirty, my head still on her lap. My mother opened the gate, a look
of worry on her face, as if afraid she’d lost me to someone else. She did. One week
later Hilda agreed to be my girlfriend, my first ever. Five years later we were married.
After two years on probation at Ateneo High, my contract wasn’t renewed, and
on that last day I stuffed what was left of my things into plastic shopping bags and,
after the ceremony and a complimentary dinner, threw them into a car and drove off
into the night. No job, new house, no teary farewells. A few days later, my mother
would go back to try to retrieve some more things. The gate was open, she said;

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someone had shit on the driveway. Faucets and other fixtures were gone, tiles torn
out, the place a mess. I’m glad I never saw that. Then they torched the house, easier
and cheaper than tearing it down, and I suppose that was good, as good a way as any
to go.

Five Brothers, One Mother

Taurus St., Cinco Hermanos, Marikina

The Marikina house wasn’t finished yet, but with an ultimatum hanging over our
heads, we had no choice but to move in. Just how unfinished the house was became
bruisingly clear on our first night. There was no electricity yet, and the windows didn’t
have screens. There were mosquitoes. I couldn’t sleep the whole night. My sister slept
on a cot out in the upstairs hall instead of her room downstairs, maybe because it was
cooler here. Every so often she would toss and turn, waving bugs away with half-
asleep hands. I sat beside her and fanned her. She had work the next day. In the
morning someone went out and bought boxes and boxes of Katol.
Work on the house would continue, but it remains unfinished eight years later.
All the interiors, after a few years of intermittent work, are done. But the exterior
remains unpainted, still the same cement gray as the day we moved in, though grimier
now. Marikina’s factories aren’t too far away. The garden remains ungreened; earth,
stones, weeds, and leaves are where I suppose bermuda grass will be put down
someday.
In my eyes the Marikina house is an attempt to return to the successful
Greenmeadows plan, but with more modest means at one’s disposal. The living room
of the Cinco Hermanos house features much of the same furniture, a similar look. The
sofa and wing chairs seem at ease again. My mother’s growing collection of angel
figurines is the new twist. But there is less space in this room, as in most of the rooms
in the Marikina house, since it is a smaller house on a smaller lot.
The kitchen is carefully planned, as was the earlier one, the cooking and eating
areas clearly demarcated. There is again a formal dining room, and the new one
seems to have been designed for the long narra dining table, a lovely Designs Ligna
item, perhaps the one most beautiful piece of furniture we have, bought on the cheap
from relatives leaving the country in a hurry when we still were on Heron Street.
Upstairs are the boys’ rooms. The beds were the ones custom-made for the
Greenmeadows house, the same ones we’d slept in since then. It was a loft or an attic,
my mother insisted, which is why the stairs had such narrow steps. But this "attic,"
curiously enough, had two big bedrooms as well as a wide hall. To those of us who
actually inhabited these rooms, the curiosity was an annoyance. There was no
bathroom, so if you had to go to the toilet in the middle of the night you had to go down
the stairs and come back up again, by which time you were at least half awake.
Perhaps there was no difference between the two houses more basic, and more
dramatic, than their location. This part of Marikina is not quite the same as the swanky
part of Ortigas we inhabited for five years. Cinco Hermanos is split by a road, cutting

11
it into two phases, that leads on one end to Major Santos Dizon, which connects
Marcos Highway with Katipunan Avenue. The other end of the road stops at Olandes,
a dense community of pedicabs, narrow streets, and poverty. The noise – from the
tricycles, the chattering on the street, the trucks hurtling down Marcos Highway in the
distance, the blaring of the loudspeaker at our street corner put there by eager-beaver
baranggay officials – dispels any illusions one might harbor of having returned to a
state of bliss.
The first floor is designed to create a clear separation between the family and
guest areas, so one can entertain outsiders without disturbing the house’s inhabitants.
This principle owes probably more to my mother than my father. After all, she is the
entertainer, the host. The living room, patio, and dining room – the places where
guests might be entertained – must be clean and neat, things in their places. She
keeps the kitchen achingly well-organized, which is why there are lots of cabinets and
a deep cupboard.
And she put them to good use. According to Titus, the fourth, who accompanied
her recently while grocery shopping, she buys groceries as if all of us still lived there.
I don’t recall the cupboard ever being empty. That became her way of mothering. As
we grew older and drifted farther and farther away from her grasp, defining our own
lives outside of the house, my mother must have felt that she was losing us to friends,
jobs, loves – forces beyond her control. Perhaps she figured that food, and a clean
place to stay, was what we still needed from her. So over the last ten years or so she
has become more involved in her cooking, more attentive, better. She also became
fussier about meals, asking if you’ll be there for lunch or dinner so she knows how
much to cook, reprimanding the one who didn’t call to say he wasn’t coming home for
dinner after all, or the person who brought guests home without warning. There was
more to it than just knowing how much rice to cook.

I know it gives her joy to have relatives over during the regular Christmas and
New Year get-togethers, which have been held in our house for the past half-decade
or so. She brings out the special dishes, cups and saucers, platters, glasses, bowls,
coasters and doilies she herself crocheted. Perhaps I understand better why her
Christmas decor has grown more lavish each year. After seeing off the last guests
after the most recent gathering, she sighed, "Ang kalat ng bahay!" I didn’t see her face,
but I could hear her smiling. My father replied, "Masaya ka naman." It wasn’t a secret.
Sundays we come over to the house, everyone who has moved out, and have lunch
together. Sunday lunches were always differently esteemed in our household. Now
that some of us have left, I sense that my siblings try harder than they ever did to be
there. I know I do. I try not to deprive my mother the chance to do what she does best.

12
Epilogue

The dispersal began in the mid-eighties when Bombit went to the United States
and never returned. He left some months after we’d moved to Greenmeadows, yet I
have no memory of him there. (In memory there are no things, only worlds. Things
never exist by themselves, but only with and against other things, between
backgrounds and foregrounds, swimming in contexts. This is how we can remember
that something is out of place, like a fancy wing chair in the master bedroom of a worn-
down house, like an eldest brother in a house he left behind. I remember him only in
Ledesma, the rough playmate, sometimes the bully who held us in his thrall, who would
jump on cockroaches with glee, who would take alarm clocks apart and not put them
back together. I remember him in the green station wagon, pillows in the back,
disappearing for days visiting his girlfriend in Manila. In the US they would get married,
have two kids, and divorce messily. The guest room in the Marikina house is for him,
for his hoped-for return. The exodus resumed in 1996 when I got married and moved
to Diliman. Pixie, my only sister, the fifth child, married in December 1999 and moved
to Blue Ridge. Titus, the fourth, transferred to a Makati apartment with his wife after
their wedding this past March. Raul, the second, and Mikko, the sixth and youngest,
are left with my parents. My father is what most people would call a man of few words.
He was a father of few words as well. These past few years I’ve tried to talk to him
more and more, which is special because we never did when I was younger. We often
talk about money. I am amazed to learn how little we had in the first place, and I
wonder how we could have afforded the Greenmeadows house, how much he has lost
keeping the company he started afloat, how much he still owes here and there.

To me it makes more and more sense for him to sell the Marikina house, use
some of the money to pay off his debts, buy a condominium with two or three
bedrooms, and live off the interest on what remains, which would still be substantial.
I’ve mentioned this to him a few times, and he seems receptive. But I wonder if there’s
such a thing as a transfer threshold, dislocation fatigue that accumulates over a
lifetime of setting up in one place then moving. By my count the Cinco Hermanos
house is my father’s eighth home. Will he and my mother be too tired, too weary for
another relocation? A few years ago my father and his brothers and sisters sold their
house in San Juan. Built in 1948, it had lasted nearly half a century, sheltering my
grandfather and grandmother and their eight children. They had planned to build a
condominium on the lot, but the real estate bubble of the mid-nineties convinced them
that it would be better to just sell. It was sold. That was not my father’s first house,
though it seemed so to me. Born in 1935, he lived near Pinaglabanan church, then in
1940 at the corner of M. Paterno and Alfonso XIII, with relatives. In my mind the
Paterno house was his first, not just because I hadn’t seen the first two (the first is
gone, the second rebuilt). The Paterno house was where his father and mother lived,
and I’d always imagined them and their children making do in that structure that
weathered the decades. When we were little, my siblings and cousins, we spent
Sundays there. I learned how to ride a bicycle on the long driveway. We played tennis

13
on a neighbor’s court after climbing the back wall. In the grassy front yard we played
baseball, and I hit the first homerun in that tiny ballpark. We fished for star apples with
long bamboo sticks, picked dewy santan, got caught in the thorny bougainvillea
bushes retrieving errant pingpong balls. The last time I passed by the lot the house
had been torn down. My father would have been thirteen when he moved into it; he
was over sixty when he and his brothers and sisters let it go. It made sense to sell it,
but I wonder if anything was bargained away in the transaction. He had lost his parents
years before. Was losing the house a final orphaning? Is this the last one? Am I here
for good? Or should I keep the boxes and packing tape handy? Houses provided us
the necessary certainties – somewhere to come home to where you’d find your family,
your things, a hot dinner, a bed or a good couch. Write to me here. Call me at this
number. But I’ve changed addresses and phone numbers enough times to know
better. Perhaps that’s what houses are really about: the fundamental uncertainty of
life, the slowly learned fact that the reference points by which we draw our maps and
chart our course are ever shifting, and a life’s cartography is never quite done. That
isn’t necessarily a sad thing. Perhaps the houses are no longer, but somewhere inside
me I am still marveling at the break of day, at the way the moon illuminates the grass,
at the way the lives of those I’ve lived with have crisscrossed and intertwined with
mine, no matter how tangled up it all sometimes got. I count my blessings, the ghosts
of houses past included.

This essay won First prize for the Essay in the 2000 Palanca Awards

After Reading the above stories, do Activity below:

Activity 1.1.1
Students will be divided into 4 groups and each group will be assigned to a
particular segment of the story (1 ) Many Mansions, (2) Small World, (3) When We
Were Rich, (4)The House on Stilts, (5) Five Brothers, One Mother. They are going to
analyze each section using the literary tools. After crafting their analysis posted in a
white cartolina, they will briefly report and then followed by a short dramatization
assigned to them.

14
Literary tools
Type of Mansion Analysis
1. Plot (synopsis)
2. Setting
3. Mood

4. Characters in the Story

5. Point of view used
6. Symbolism
7. Theme

Note to the Teacher: Have your assessment on the above activity; likewise decide the
scoring.
For the drama/role play you can employ these rubrics:
Pp128
Source: Writing in Creative Non-Fiction by Sonia B. Sygaco

15
Activity 1.1.2: Memory Walk Writing Activity
Go on a walk around your place you know well, maybe it’s your home, your
neighborhood or a specific park or building. As you’re walking make a mental note of
places that trigger certain memories from your past .Then when you get back from
your walk, write about the most vivid memory you have collected

Source: study.com

MASTERFUL SKILLED ABLE DEVELOPING NOVICE ACTUAL

CRITERIA
(5 pts) (4 pts) (3 pts) (2 pts) (1 pt) SCORE
Outline,
Focus,
Purpose
(Controlling
Idea)
10 pts
Ideas support
and
development
(Evidence) 10
pts
Structure,
Organization
10 pts
Vocabulary
and Word
Usage
10 pts
TOTAL Score
Source: Writing Techniques in Creative Non-fiction by Sonia B. Sygaco

16
 Let’s Do It!
Activity 1.1.3
Analyze the text that capture the photo in Time Magazine, November 1990 (Write
analysis on the photo that Humanized AIDS)
The Photo that Changed the Face of AIDS

RUBRIC
Awesome Good Effort A Work in Just
Criteria
(4) (3) Progress (2) Beginning (1)
Makes a complete Makes a detailed Makes a detailed Description are
and detailed description most of description some not detailed or
description of the the subject matter of the subject complete
Objective subject matter and/or elements matter and/or
and/or elements seen in the elements seen in
seen in the photograph the photograph
photograph
Provides a Provides a Provides some Summary is not
complete summary somewhat summary about detailed or
of the situation and complete summary the situation and complete
Knowledge time period shown, of the situation and time period shown,
and the people and time period shown, and the people
objects that appear. and the people and and objects that
objects that appear. appear.

17
 Forms a Forms somewhat Relates how Finds it difficult
reasonable reasonable photograph makes to interpret the
hypothesis about hypothesis about him/her fee meaning of the
what is viewed in what is viewed in personally. photograph.
Interpretation the photograph and the photograph and
is able to support is able to support
this with evidence with some evidence
from the from the
photograph photograph
Finds detailed Finds some Finds the time Does not find
information about information about period for the any information
Future
the time period and the time period and photograph. about the
Research
relates It to the relates it to the photograph.
photograph photograph.
Source: http://www.cyberbee.com/artifacts/Photo%20Analysis%20Rubric.pdf

18
 Let’s Answer This!
Multiple Choice. Choose the letter that best answers the given question. Write the
letter of your answer in your notebook.
1. Hints or clues as to what will happen?
a. mood c. personification
b. point of view d. foreshadowing
2. Contrast between what is expected and what actually happens
a. symbol c. simile
b. b. conflict d. irony
3. Perspective from which the story is told
a. mood c. tone
b. point of view d. personification
4. Time and place of action in the story
a. character c. setting
b. theme d. imagery
5. The main event or sequence in the study
a. setting c. plot
b. character d. mood
6. This is referred to as the atmosphere of a literary piece
a. conflict c. climax
b. mood d. theme
7. The performers that do the action and speak dialogue in the story
a. plot c. character
b. story d. imagery
8. A representation using an object or a mood to represent an abstract idea
a. character c. mood
b. symbolism d. foreshadow
9. The underlying message that a writer wants to get across such as bravery,
perseverance or undying love
a. tone c. mood
b. theme d. conflict
10. Literary elements of the story which is considered as the turning point of a
narrative work is it’s point of highest tension or drama
a. climax c. conflict
b. characterization d. tone

19
 Let’s Remember This!
Complete the paragraph with the necessary words or sentences that best describe
what you have learned from the discussion. Write your paragraph in your notebook.
Follow the format below.
I have learned that writing in Creative non-fiction

Congratulations!

You successfully did it. Now, let’s move to lesson 2

20
 LESSON 2

LITERARY ELEMENTS BASED ON ONE’S EXPERIENCE

Learning Competency 1B.Create Sample of Literary Elements based on

Experience (e.g. Metaphor to describe an emotion)
Learning Objectives: At the end of the module, the learners shall be able to:
Write literary elements based on one’s experience (e.g. metaphor to describe an
emotion)

Activity 1.2.1
Do you ever wonder the different theme/analysis and techniques used in particular
text, article, narrative, biography, autobiography, memoir, diary, travelogue, literary
journal, chronicle and personal essay?
Well you can write any idea you have inside the box. Choose only one.

21
 The genre of creative nonfiction also known as literary nonfiction is broad
enough to include travel writing (travelogue) nature writing, science writing, sports,
writing, biography, autobiography, memoir, the interview and both the familiar and
personal essay ; although there is no such as new in nonfiction most common usually
encountered like what has been mentioned. There are some forms of nonfiction like
the docufiction, documentary film, Gonzo journalism and nonfiction novel.
The difference between creative writing and nonfiction is that nonfiction, by contrast is
factual and reports on true events. Histories, biographies, journalism and essays are
all considered nonfiction. This has given rise to a new trend called creative nonfiction,
which uses the techniques of fiction to report on true events.

Docufiction (or docu-fiction), often confused with docudrama, is the

cinematographic combination of documentary and fiction, this term often meaning
narrative film.
It is a film genre which attempts to capture reality such as it is (as direct cinema
or cinéma vérité) and which simultaneously introduces unreal elements or fictional
situations in narrative in order to strengthen the representation of reality using some
kind of artistic expression. More precisely, it is a documentary contaminated with
fictional elements, in real time, filmed when the events take place, and in which
someone – the character – plays his own role in real life. A film genre in expansion, it
is adopted by a number of experimental filmmakers.
The new term docufiction appeared at the beginning of the 21st century. It is
now commonly used in several languages and widely accepted for classification by
international film festivals. Either in cinema or television, docufiction is, anyway, a film
genre in full development during the first decade of this century. The word docufiction
is also sometimes used to refer to literary journalism (creative nonfiction).
(https://findwords.info/term/docufiction)
A documentary film is a non-fictional motion-picture intended to "document reality,
primarily for the purposes of instruction, education, or maintaining a historical record"
- compare documentary theatre. Bill Nichols has characterized the documentary in
terms of "a filmmaking practice, a cinematic tradition, and mode of audience reception
[that remains] a practice without clear boundaries". Documentary films, originally
called "actuality films", lasted one minute, or less. Over time, documentaries have
evolved to become longer in length, and to include more categories; some examples
being: educational, observational, and docufiction. Documentaries are meant [by

22
whom?] to be informative works, and are often used within schools, as a resource to
teach various principles.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Documentary_film)

Gonzo journalism is a style of journalism that is written without claims of objectivity,

often including the reporter as part of the story via a first-person narrative. The word
"gonzo" is believed to have been first used in 1970 to describe an article by Hunter S.
Thompson, who later popularized the style. It is an energetic first-person participatory
writing style in which the author is a protagonist, and it draws its power from a
combination of social critique and self-satire. It has since been applied to other
subjective artistic endeavors.
Gonzo journalism involves an approach to accuracy that concerns the
reporting of personal experiences and emotions, in contrast to traditional journalism,
which favors a detached style and relies on facts or quotations that can be verified by
third parties. Gonzo journalism disregards the strictly-edited product favored by
newspaper media and strives for a more personal approach; the personality of a piece
is as important as the event or actual subject of the piece. Use of sarcasm, humor,
exaggeration, and profanity is common.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gonzo_journalism)
The non-fiction novel is a literary genre which, broadly speaking, depicts real
historical figures and actual events woven together with fictitious conversations and
uses the storytelling techniques of fiction. The non-fiction novel is an otherwise loosely
defined and flexible genre. The genre is sometimes referred to using the slang term
"faction", a portmanteau of the words fact and fiction.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-fiction_novel)

23
 Enrichment
Activity 1.2.2
Create 4 groups and each group will provide a PowerPoint presentation in 10-15
minutes a sample of the following:
• Docufiction (excerpt)
• Documentary film (excerpt)
• Gonzo journalism (excerpt)
• Non Fiction Novel (excerpt)

Let’s Do It!

Activity 1.2.3
Do profile writing about a person (one you really love/ like and the other person whom
you hate/dislike; you can use a pseudo name)
State orally to the class your output, considering why one is easier for you to like, than
the other in comparison. (Using metaphor to describe an emotion)

24
Rubrics for Grading:

CRITERIA MASTERFUL SKILLED ABLE DEVELOPING NOVICE ACTUAL

(5pts) (4pts) (3pts) (2pts) (1pt) SCORE

Outline,
Focus,
Purpose
(Controlling
idea)

5pts

Ideas
support and
development

5pts

Structure,
organization

5pts

Vocabulary
and Word
Usage

5pts

Total Score

25pts

25
 Let’s Answer This!
Multiple Choice. Choose the letter that best answers the given question. Write the
letter of your answer in your notebook.
1. Nonfiction is
a. true c. a combination of True and Made up
b. made up d. written only by adults
2. The best description of how caption are used is
a. add additional information like names or descriptive
b. add facts to a graph or pie chart
c. provide a title for a passage
d. list the author of passage
3. The following are examples of non-fiction
a. auto-biographies, biographies, articles, science fiction
b. auto-biographies, biographies, articles and brochures
c. auto-biographies, biographies, brochures and poetry
d. auto-biographies, biographies, docufiction and memoir
4. Why it is important to get facts in nonfiction writing?
a. It isles important than we might think, many non-fiction books are published
with factual errors
b. It is important because the credibility of the author and the publisher are
reflected in the reliability of factual claims made in the book
c. It is less important than we might think; the work may contain a mixture of
verifiable facts and approximate facts or grassword by the author
d. It is important because sales will be higher if there is more fictional
context, even in a nonfiction book
5. It is a descriptive writing focused on a subject and provides a detailed information
on it.
a. Narrative essay c. memoir
b. Journal article d. profile writing

26
6. Which of the following is not true about biography?
a. A written history of a person’s life
b. An account or the story of a real person’s life written by another person
c. It is about the life of a person narrates by himself or herself
d. None of the above
7. It is the most popular form of literature which is classified as a prose composition
and attempts to explain or clear up an idea, perception or point of view
a. Editorial c. fiction
b. Modern essay d. research report
8. This is the part of the introduction that grabs the reader’s attention
a. Reasons c. leading statement/hook
b. Conflict d. claim
9. Quote, statement, story and a statement about life are all examples of a
a. Conflict c. resolution
b. Text evidence d. leading statement
10. In analysis of creative nonfiction, what is the purpose of concluding sentence?
a. To end a paragraph
b. To tie together the answer and evidence
c. To confuse the reader
d. To make sure the reader understood

27
 LESSON 3

ANALYZING FACTUAL/NONFICTIONAL ELEMENTS IN

THE TEXT

Learning Objectives: at the end of this lesson, the learners are expected to:
1. Analyze essays and articles applying the different literary devices in the text.
2. Answer all the given activities presented in the module.

Let’s Answer This!

Multiple Choice: Choose the letter that best answer to the corresponding questions.
Encircle the letter of your answer and write it on your notebook.
1. Drama means...
a. A Greek word
b. A kind of play
c. Too many emotions
d. To act and imitate reality
2. 5 Elements of Drama include...
a. Voice, Setting, Character, Movement and Acting
b. Role/Character, Relationship, Time/Place, Tension and Focus
c. Conflict, Space, Voice, Staging and Relationship
d. Volume, Facial Expressions, Place, Use of Props and Setting
3. A monologue is...
a. A conversation between characters
b. Small movable objects
c. Private thoughts said out loud by one character
d. The hero's goal or job

28
4. The hero's task is...
a. What the villain is trying to destroy
b. What the hero learns from events
c. What the hero is trying to accomplish
d. Save somebody
5. Motivations are...
a. Reasons for a character to do what he or she does
b. Events that a character takes part in
c. Conflicts that a character faces
d. A task that the hero must accomplish
6. Conversation between two characters is called...
a. A monologue
b. A discussion
c. A dialogue
d. A quotation
7. Italicized portions of text that give information beyond the dialogue and help the
audience interpret the scene are called...
a. Stage directions
b. Rules
c. Movements
d. Dialogue
8. Symbolism...
a. Props on the stage
b. Backdrops
c. Characters and/or props that reinforce the plot and theme of a drama
d. Audience imagination
9. The small divisions in a play.
a. Sections
b. Scenes
c. Chapters
d. Acts
10. The setting of a drama is....
a. Limited by what the audience can see on the stage and allows for the
audience to visualize the scene
b. Time in history
c. The stage
d. How the actors know where to go

29
 Let’s Move On

Diagram Plotting
Read the given story below and identify the plot according to its part. Put your
answer in the given graphic organizer below and write it in your notebook.

EXPOSITION

RISING ACTION

CLIMAX

PLOT

FALLING ACTION

RESOLUTION

30
31
 Elements of Factual/Nonfictional in Texts
A. Plot
A plot is the sequence of events that make up a story, it is either told, written, filmed,
or sung. The plot is the story, and more specifically, how the story is being developed,
unfolds, and moves in time. Plots are typically made up of five main elements:
RISING CLIMAX
EXPOSITION
It is the peak of the story, it is
It is where the main character
It is beginning of the where major event occurs in
is in crisis and events leading
story where characters, which the main character faces a
up to facing the conflict begin to
setting, and the main major enemy, fear, challenge, or
unfold. Also, it is where the
conflict are typically other source of conflict. The most
story becomes complicated.
introduced.
action, drama, change, and
excitement occurs here.
FALLING RESOLUTION
It is where the story begins
Also known as the denouement, the
to slow down and work
resolution is like a concluding
towards its end, tying up
paragraph that resolves any
loose ends.
remaining issues and ends the story.

Here are a few very short stories with sample plots:

Example 1
Kaitlin wants to buy a puppy. She goes to the pound and begins looking through the
cages for her future pet. At the end of the hallway, she sees a small, sweet brown dog
with a white spot on its nose. At that instant, she knows she wants to adopt him. After
he receives shots and a medical check, she and the dog, Berkley, go home together.

In this example, the exposition introduces us to Kaitlin and her conflict. She wants a
puppy but does not have one. The rising action occurs as she enters the pound and
begins looking. The climax is when she sees the dog of her dreams and decides to
adopt him. The falling action consists of a quick medical check before the resolution,
or ending, when Kaitlin and Berkley happily head home.

Example 2
Scott wants to be on the football team, but he’s worried he won’t make the team. He
spends weeks working out as hard as possible, preparing for try outs. At try outs, he
amazes coaches with his skill as a quarterback. They ask him to be their starting
quarterback that year and give him a jersey. Scott leaves the field, ecstatic!

32
The exposition introduces Scott and his conflict: he wants to be on the team but he
doubts his ability to make it. The rising action consists of his training and try-out; the
climax occurs when the coaches tell him he’s been chosen to be quarterback. The
falling action is when Scott takes a jersey and the resolution is him leaving the try-outs
as a new, happy quarterback.

Each of these stories has

▪ an exposition as characters and conflicts are introduced

▪ a rising action which brings the character to the climax as conflicts are developed
and faced, and
▪ a falling action and resolution as the story concludes.

Types of Plot
There are many types of plots in the world! But, realistically, most of them fit
some pattern that we can see in more than one story. Here are some classic plots that
can be seen in numerous stories all over the world and throughout history.
a. Overcoming the Monster
The protagonist must defeat a monster or force in order to save some people—usually
everybody! Most often, the protagonist is forced into this conflict, and comes out of it
as a hero, or even a king. This is one version of the world’s most universal and
compelling plot—the ‘monomyth’ described by the great thinker Joseph Campbell.
Examples:
Beowulf, Harry Potter, and Star Wars.
b. Rags to Riches:
This story can begin with the protagonist being poor or rich, but at some point, the
protagonist will have everything, lose everything, and then gain it all back by the end
of the story, after experiencing great personal growth.
Examples:
The Count of Monte Cristo, Cinderella, and Jane Eyre.
c. The Quest:
The protagonist embarks on a quest involving travel and dangerous adventures in
order to find treasure or solve a huge problem. Usually, the protagonist is forced to
begin the quest but makes friends that help face the many tests and obstacles along
the way. This is also a version of Campbell’s monomyth.
Examples:
The Iliad, The Lord of the Rings, and Eragon

33
d. Voyage and Return:
The protagonist goes on a journey to a strange or unknown place, facing danger and
adventures along the way, returning home with experience and understanding. This is
also a version of the monomyth.
Examples:
Alice in Wonderland, The Chronicles of Narnia, and The Wizard of Oz
e. Comedy:
A happy and fun character finds a happy ending after triumphing over difficulties and
adversities.
Examples:
A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Home Alone
f. Tragedy:
The protagonist experiences a conflict which leads to very bad ending, typically death.
Examples:
Romeo and Juliet, The Picture of Dorian Gray, and Macbeth
g. Rebirth:
The protagonist is a villain who becomes a good person through the experience of the
story’s conflict.
Examples:
The Secret Garden, A Christmas Carol, The Grinch
As these seven examples show, many stories follow a common pattern. In fact,
according to many thinkers, such as the great novelist Kurt Vonnegut, and Joseph
Campbell, there are only a few basic patterns, which are mixed and combined to form
all stories.
The Importance of Using Plot
The plot is what makes a story a story. It gives the story character development,
suspense, energy, and emotional release (also known as ‘catharsis’). It allows an
author to develop themes and most importantly, conflict that makes a story
emotionally engaging; everybody knows how hard it is to stop watching a movie before
the conflict is resolved.

34
Plots can be found in all kinds of fiction. Here are a few examples.
Example 1
The Razor’s Edge by Somerset Maugham
In The Razor’s Edge, Larry Darrell returns from World War I disillusioned. His fiancée,
friends, and family urge him to find work, but he does not want to. He embarks on a
voyage through Europe and Asia seeking higher truth. Finally, in Asia, he finds a more
meaningful way of life.
In this novel, the plot follows the protagonist Larry as he seeks meaningful
experiences. The story begins with the exposition of a disillusioned young man who
does not want to work. The rising action occurs as he travels seeking an education.
The story climaxes when he becomes a man perfectly at peace in meditation.
Example 2
The Road not Taken’ by Robert Frost
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Robert Frost’s famous poem “The Road Not Taken,” has a very clear plot: The
exposition occurs when a man stands at the fork of two roads, his conflict being
which road to take. The climax occurs when he chooses the unique path. The
resolution announces that “that has made all the difference,” meaning the man has
made a significant and meaningful decision.
Plot Devices are ways of propelling the storyline to move forward. It serves to motivate
the characters, creating urgency of resolving complicated situations. This however can
be compared with moving a story forward using a dramatic method by making it
happen since the character are capable of doing “well developed reasons”.

35
Plot Outline is a narrative of a story that can be transformed into a film. It consists of
a page with longer and detailed synopsis summarized into one or two paragraphs.
B. Conflict are problems, issues, or situations that the character needs to resolve
through time. Conflict is often expressed through the actions and dialogues of
the character(s).
Types of Conflict
(1) One Character Against Another Conflict shows one character having a
grievance against another character.
(2) A Character or Group Against Society Conflict demonstrates a character
who is against society’s values, ideas, norms, culture, and values.
(3) A Character Against Nature Conflict reflects a character who is wrestling
with natural disasters or calamities.
(4) Character Against Himself or Herself Conflict illustrates the inner struggles
and emotions of the character (wood, 2013).
Theme pertains to the idea that philosophers deeply think or it is simply the subject of
the story.
Character
A character is an individual (could be an object or animal but usually as a
person) in a narrative in a work of fiction or creative nonfiction. The act or method of
creating a character in writing is known as characterization.
Characters perform actions, create dialogues, and can be seen through their
physical appearance. “A character may provide background information, description,
or an assessment of another character’s life or personality. However, be sure to filter
out character’s bias (woods, 2013, p.142).
Types of Characterization
1. Direct (Explicit) Characterization- informs the readers of what the character
is like which can be deciphered through the narrator, or through how the
characters behave, act, or speak.
2. Indirect (Implicit) Characterization – allows the readers to infer about the
character’s thoughts, actions, conversations, physical appearance,
idiosyncrasies, and workmanship or team play with other characters.

The Character’s conversations will reflect his or her personality, determining

whether the character is educated or not, the formality and informality of the situation.

36
 Point of view is the perspective from which a speaker or writer recounts a narrative
or presents information. This is also known as a viewpoint. This depends on the topic,
purpose, and audience. Writers of nonfiction may rely on the first-person point of view
(I, we), the second-person (you, your, you're), or the third-person (he, she, it, they).

With first-person point of view, the character is telling the story. You will see the
words "I," "me," or "we" in first-person point of view. This point of view is commonly
used for narratives and autobiographies.

First-person point of view can be singular or plural. The singular form uses "I"
or "me" and plural form uses the word "we." Both are used to give the writer's personal
perspective.

Some examples of first-person narrative include:

• I always look forward to my summer vacation at the beach. I like to collect seashells
and swim in the ocean.
• We love walking the dogs in the woods. We all think it is so much fun.
• If it was up to me, I would choose the white car.
• We didn't want to drive so we took the train to the city and back home.

When writing in second-person point of view, the writer has the narrator
speaking to the reader. The words "you," "your," and "yours" are used in this point of
view. Some common uses for second-person point of view are directions, business
writing, technical writing, song lyrics, speeches, and advertising.

Some examples of second-person point of view are:

• In just a few simple steps you can make a big change in your life!
• To make a great chili is you must season it early and often.
• Management is very happy with the progress you are all making.
• You gotta fight for your right to party! - "Fight for Your Right," Beastie Boys

Third-person point of view has an external narrator telling the story. The words
"he," "she," "it," or "they" are used in this point of view. This point of view can either be
omniscient where the reader knows what all the characters are doing in the story or it
can be limited to having the reader only know what is happening to one specific
character. Third person can also be gender specific or neutral, singular or plural.

Third-person point of view is often used in academic writing and fictional writing.

Some examples of third person point of view:

37
• He is a great football player. He scored the most touchdowns this season.
• She was the one who knew all the answers on the test. She had the highest grade in
the entire class.
• What they told her was not the truth.
• She heard a loud crash in the middle of the night. She was so scared that she didn't
know what she should do next.

Angle of the Story

Angle is the precise way to choose on how to tell a story — it’s the element that
sets your story apart from all the rest. In other words, a way of presenting your
information and telling the story that makes it interesting, unique, and memorable.
Angle can be opposite to the ending of the essay, it can be comparisons, or
opposing point of views.
Symbols or Symbolism
Symbols in literary writing is usually applied in poetry and each symbol signifies
a meaning. When an author introduces a particular mood or emotion, the writer uses
symbolism, hinting it rather than saying it literally.
Some common types of symbols are:
black – evil or death ladder – connection between heaven and
earth
broken mirror – separation light – good, power
dark – death, shadows night – end of road, peace, death or darkness
day – beginning, good, opportunities red rose – love and romance
dove – peace water – baptism, purification
fire – danger, anger, passion, love, pain
or death

Symbolism is employed by writers to make the literary piece interesting and the ability
of not giving the literal sense of the ideas or things. Likewise, an action, event, or
exchange of words in a conversation may illicit symbolic values (Literary Devices).
Irony
Irony is the use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal
meaning.
Irony is a storytelling tool used to create a contrast between how things seem
and how they really are beneath the surface. The term comes from the Latin
word ironia, which means “feigned ignorance.” The three main types used in literature
are dramatic, situational, and verbal, as mentioned above.

38
People often conflate irony with sarcasm, coincidence, or bad luck. While these
concepts can have ironic characteristics, they’re not interchangeable with irony.

So for example, if you run to catch the bus and miss it by two seconds, that’s not
ironic — unless the reason you’re late is that you were bragging about how you
wouldn’t miss the bus. This creates an unexpected and comic contrast to what would
otherwise just be an unfortunate situation.

Figures of Speech
A figure of speech is a word or phrase that possesses a separate meaning from
its literal definition. It can be metaphor or simile, designed to make a comparison. It
can be the repetition of alliteration or the exaggeration of hyperbole to provide a
dramatic effect.

Types of Figure of Speech

There are countless figures of speech in every language, and they fall into hundreds
of categories. Here, though, is a short list of some of the most common types of figure
of speech:
A. Metaphor
Many common figures of speech are metaphors. That is, they use words in a manner
other than their literal meaning. However, metaphors use figurative language to
make comparisons between unrelated things or ideas. The “peak of her career,” for
example, is a metaphor, since a career is not a literal mountain with a peak, but the
metaphor represents the idea of arriving at the highest point of one’s career.
B. Idiom
An idiom is a common phrase with a figurative meaning. Idioms are different from
other figures of speech in that their figurative meanings are mostly known within a
particular language, culture, or group of people. In fact, the English language alone
has about 25,000 idioms. Some examples include “it’s raining cats and dogs” when it
is raining hard, or “break a leg” when wishing someone good luck.
Example
This sentence uses an idiom to make it more interesting:
There’s a supermarket and a pharmacy in the mall, so if we go there, we can kill two
birds with one stone.
The idiom is a common way of saying that two tasks can be completed in the same
amount of time or same place.
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C. Proverb
A proverb is a short, commonplace saying that is universally understood in today’s
language and used to express general truths. “Don’t cry over spilt milk” is a popular
example. Most proverbs employ metaphors (e.g. the proverb about milk
isn’t literally about milk).
Example
This example uses a proverb to emphasize the situation:
I know you think you’re going to sell all of those cookies, but don’t count your chickens
before they hatch!
Here, “don’t count your chickens before they hatch” means that you shouldn’t act like
something has happened before it actually does.
D. Simile
A simile is a very common figure of speech that uses the words “like” and “as” to
compare two things that are not related by definition. For example, “he is as tall as a
mountain,” doesn’t mean he was actually 1,000 feet tall, it just means he was really
tall.
Example
This example uses a simile for comparison:
The internet is like a window to the world—you can learn about everything online!
The common phrase “window to the world” refers to a hypothetical window that lets
you see the whole world from it. So, saying the internet is like a window to the world
implies that it lets you see anything and everything.
E. Oxymoron
An oxymoron is when you use two words together that have contradictory meanings.
Some common examples include small crowd, definitely possible, old news, little giant,
and so on.
F. Metonym
A metonym is a word or phrase that is used to represent something related to bigger
meaning. For example, fleets are sometimes described as being “thirty sails strong,”
meaning thirty (curiously, this metonym survives in some places, even when the ships
in question are not sail-powered!) Similarly, the crew on board those ships may be
described as “hands” rather than people.
G. Irony
Irony is when a word or phrase’s literal meaning is the opposite of its figurative
meaning. Many times (but not always), irony is expressed with sarcasm (see Related

40
Terms). For example, maybe you eat a really bad cookie, and then say “Wow, that
was the best cookie I ever had”—of course, what you really mean is that it’s the worst
cookie you ever had, but being ironic actually emphasizes just how bad it was
Dialogue
Dialogue is a written or spoken conversational exchange between two or more
people, and a literary and theatrical form that depicts such an exchange.
Dialogue, when used as a literary technique, helps to advance the plot of a
narrative, as characters engage in dialogue to reveal plans of action and their inner
thoughts and emotions. Sometimes, authors show us a character's inner
dialogue where thoughts and feelings are revealed as the character has a
conversation with him or herself. Often, we read outer dialogue, which occurs between
two characters as spoken language.

Other literary devices:

(1) Hyperbole is a term for overstatement or exaggeration.
(2) Understatement is exactly the opposite of hyperbole, when the writer tries
to play down the significance, magnitude, or intensity of a situation or event.
(3) Incongruity is a circumstance when something is out of proportion or strange
situations knit together.
(4) Irony is a position when there is “a gap between what is said and what is
meant” (woods, 2013).

Examples of Dialogue:

"Lisa," said Kyle, "I need help moving this box of toys for the garage sale. Will you help
me?"
"Sure!" Lisa put her book down and moved to lift one end of the box for her brother.
She glanced down into the box. "Hey!" she exclaimed. "You can't give away your Harry
Potter collection!"
"Well, I am not taking them to college with me." Kyle smiled at his little sister. "Do you
want them?"
"Yes!" Lisa smiled back. "I will read them all again, and it will remind me of how we
used to pretend to be Harry and Hermione."
"They are yours, Squirt." As Kyle smiled as his sister, he realized how much things
would change in the next few days.

Scene
A scene is where the place and time where the action of the literary and factual
narrative takes place.
The word ‘scene’ has multiple literary definitions. On one hand, it is ‘A place or
setting regarded as having a particular character or making a particular impression.’

41
(OED). When we talk of a scene as a unit of story structure, a scene is ‘A sequence
of continuous action in a play, film, opera, or book’ (OED). It’s also ‘A representation
of an incident, or the incident itself.’ (OED)

How do these definitions combine? Scenes, individual story units smaller than
chapters (but somewhat self-contained), show us sequences of actions and incidents
that reveal place and time, characters’ actions, reactions or dilemmas.

Scenes (in short fiction and novels, plays and films) serve several functions. They:

• Move the story forward: They keep us engaged, asking ‘what happens next?’
• Establish characters’ arcs or cause and effect. This links to the first point.
For example, a scene might begin with a character missing a train. As a result,
the character may be late for a meeting. The reader wonders what impact this
small misfortune will have
• Reveal consequences of earlier events. A subsequent scene following the
missed train, for example, might show the consequences for the character
when they are late for a crucial meeting
• Make a story easier to follow. Scenes chunk what could be a narrative mess
into digestible units of action and event. They allow us to play with how we
release information to the reader (for example, a scene resolving an earlier
subplot might only take place much later in a novel. As writers we can make
some plot gratification instant and some delayed)

42
 Let’s Practice!

Essay Analysis:

Read the Article written by Exie Abola. Then, extract and analyze each section
using the literary tools. After crafting your analysis posted in white cartolina,
write them in your notebook. Follow the format below.

Many Mansions
by Exie Abola

It probably was a small house, but size throws off a child. What seems modest
to an adult is extravagance to a little one. It was the world to me.

It certainly seemed ample then. There were three bedrooms, which we called
blue, green, and aircon. Children’s names, these; one bedroom was painted blue, one
green, and one had a new air-conditioner. I don’t remember what we called it before
the air-conditioner arrived, but it was yellow, with a parquet floor and a deep dressing
area. It was the room of my parents, which is why the new Sony color TV and Betamax
were there. The old TV was in the living room downstairs, a Zenith in a large cabinet
with doors that slid open. In front of it was a coffee table and the blue sofa where Tito
Bing, when he was visiting, would sit shirtless, leaving a deep, sweaty impression on
the vinyl.

My mother sent most of us to piano lessons, and soon enough, a piano took its
place in our living room. We went to a music studio in northeast Greenhills, a short
walk from the Greenhills shopping center. To us that whole complex was simply
Unimart, where my mother bought groceries; then came Virra Mall, a modern marvel,
not yet a seedy haven of smuggled goods. This was my small, well-traveled universe:
Ledesma Street to Unimart; further down Ortigas to Meralco, where my father worked
and where we played tennis on Sunday afternoons; and then on to Ateneo, where I
had studied since grade school.

San Juan seemed pretty much the whole city then, because even my relatives
were there. On M. Paterno Street, adjacent to Ledesma, lived Tito Pepot with my
father’s parents. Tito Tito and the Litonjuas lived in another part of Greenhills, with Tita
Letty and the Mendozas nearby on Mariano Marcos Street. Sundays we heard mass
in Mary the Queen, where I would marry my wife years later.

43
 The big round dining table was new, and I suppose like a lot of families, we
experienced that moment of bliss when, having changed from a long table to this round
one with a novelty called the lazy Susan, we were liberated from the forced courtesies
of asking people to pass this or that dish. I wonder though if something was lost, if the
convenience of just turning an inner platform set on marbles until what you wanted
was right in front of you did away with the learned cordiality, the togetherness with
one’s table mates that taught you the give and take of community.

There were orange glasses and a matching orange pitcher, and at meals we’d
have it and a blue one on the table. Tito Bing would pour orange juice into his coffee,
forgetting that the water was in the orange pitcher, the orange juice in the blue one.

Ledesma Street was a short one, and quiet. Our house was unassuming, with
walls of a modest height and a green gate. The gate opened to a long three-car
garage. We’d play football there, and Bombit, the eldest, once fell on his wrist and
broke it. On birthdays there would be parties, with folding tables from one end to the
other, balloons, spaghetti, hotdogs, ice cream, and our painfully cute posing for
pictures.

Our next-door neighbor made coffins, or so they said. I don’t remember seeing any.
Actually, I don’t remember seeing anyone in that tiny gray house on our left. My mother
says that some of the people there had gone insane. Somehow, coffin-making and
insanity come hand in hand, as we’ve learned from old horror movies.

In high school I discovered the perilous thrill of chasing after girls. Going to
soirées, meeting them, getting their phone numbers, calling them up – how crazy it all
was, to daydream an entire afternoon away, my books on the living room coffee table,
my head in the clouds. The studying could go to hell as my mind floated in its hormone-
induced bliss. It was a heady time, reveling in the rush of taking risks, then wallowing
in the crushing despair of rejection.

The Assumptionistas wouldn’t let you stay on the phone with them more than
fifteen minutes. The Scholasticans would talk for hours, and I loved that. Niña and I
would talk often, it would be daylight out, then it would be dark and I wouldn’t even get
up to turn on the lights, and we’d talk some more. But I should have seen how that
affair would turn out: she lived on Vito Cruz, way beyond my familiar orbit. At a certain
point, we saw each other at a volleyball game in La Salle Greenhill, then asked "Was
that you?" later in the evening when I called. When you don’t know what each other
looks like anymore, the courtship has officially failed.

Then we transferred. It was 1984, I was fifteen and finishing my second year in
high school. When we were about to leave, we felt the excitement of moving to a new

44
house, a bigger one, in a more upscale neighborhood. It meant good things that we
were moving up in the world.

Literary Tools Analysis

Type of mansion

Plot (synopsis)

(1) Conflict of the story

(2) Theme

(3) Characters of the Story

(4) Setting

45
 Let’s Do It!

A. Based on the 5 words below, create five sentences as an introduction in

creating a storyline. Share your output by writing it in your notebook.

Place: Circus
Character: Grandfather
Time: Morning
Activity: Walking
Mood: Sad

B. Read the paragraph carefully and identify the theme used. Write your answer
in your notebook.

One summer's day, a merry Grasshopper was dancing, singing and playing his
violin with all his heart. He saw an Ant passing by working hard to store food for the
winter. “Come and sing with me instead of working so hard,” said the Grasshopper
“Let’s have fun together.” “I must store food for the winter,” said the Ant, “and I advise
you to do the same.” “Don’t worry about winter, it’s still very far away,” said the
Grasshopper, laughing at him. But the Ant wouldn’t listen and continued to work.
When winter came, the starving Grasshopper went to the Ant’s house and
humbly begged for something to eat. “If you had listened to my advice in the summer
you would not now be in need,” said the Ant. “I’m afraid you will have to go without
supper,” and he closed the door.

46
 Let’s Answer This!

Multiple Choice. Choose the letter that best answers the given question. Write the
letter of your answer in your notebook.
1. Which part of the plot is the most intense?
a. Falling action
b. conflict
c. exposition
d. climax
2. A struggle between two or more opposing forces.
a. climax
b. conflict
c. character
d. chapter
3. What type of conflict is best shown here?
a. character vs. character
b. character vs. self
c. character vs. nature
d. character vs. society
4. The story's time and place is
a. tone
b. plot
c. setting
d. voice
5. The main idea, or message, in a literary work is the
a. setting
b. plot
c. tone
d. theme
6. Which part of the story is represented by this blue blob?
a. exposition
b. rising action
c. climax
d. resolution

47
7. Which part of the story is represented by this blue blob?
a. exposition
b. rising action
c. falling action
d. resolution

8. Which part of the story is represented by this blue blob?

a. climax
b. rising action
c. falling action
d. resolution

9. Which part of the story is represented by this blue blob?

a. climax
b. rising action
c. falling action
d. resolution

10. Which part of the story is represented by this blue blob?

a. climax
b. exposition
c. falling action
d. resolution
11. Character versus self is an __________ conflict
a. internal
b. external
12. In this element of plot the author introduces the characters and setting...
a. Resolution
b. Climax
c. Exposition
d. Rising Action
13. The theme is a lesson learned; the moral of the story.
a. True
b. False

48
14. What type of conflict is best shown here...
a. character vs. character
b. character vs. self
c. character vs. nature
d. character vs. society
15. Which part of the plot creates tension and suspense?
a. rising action
b. climax
c. falling action
d. resolution

Let’s Remember This!

Complete the paragraph with the necessary words or sentences that best describe
what you have learned from the discussion. Write your paragraph in your notebook.
Follow the format below.
I have learned that writing in Creative non-fiction

49
Let’s Practice/ What I can do (let’s do it)
Rubrics for grading/rating an essay
Tick the box that corresponds to the score of the essay

Criteria Masterful Skilled Able Developing Novice Actual

(5 Pts) (4 Pts) (3 Pts) (2 Pts) (1 Pts) Score
Outline, Focus,
Purpose, Thesis
(controlling idea)
5 pts
Ideas, support, &
development
(evidence)

5 pts

Structure,
organization

5 pts

Sentence
structure
(grammar)

5 pts

Vocabulary and
word usage

5 pts

Total Score 25
pts

50
REFERENCES:
Book
Sygaco, Sonia B. (2017). Writing Techniques in Creative Nonfiction. Great Books
Trading, 7B Cavite St. West Avenue, Quezon City, Phil.

Internet
https://literaryterms.net/plot/

https://literarydevices.net/characterization/

https://examples.yourdictionary.com/examples-of-point-of-view.html

https://www.thewritersforhire.com/finding-the-best-angle-for-your-nonfiction-book/

https://blog.reedsy.com/what-is-irony/

https://literaryterms.net/figures-of-speech/

https://www.softschools.com/examples/grammar/dialogue_examples/460/

https://www.nownovel.com/blog/how-to-write-a-novel-scene/

https://www.softschools.com/examples/grammar/dialogue_examples/460/

https://www.nownovel.com/blog/how-to-write-a-novel-scene/

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 LESSON 4

DRAFTING A SHORT PIECE USING ANY OF THE LITERARY

CONVENTION OF GENRE

Learning Competency 1:
Write a draft of a short piece on Nonfiction from various disciplines
Learning Objectives: at the end of this lesson, the learners are expected to:
1. Discuss what is non-fiction
2. Identify the essential genres of Nonfiction; and
3. Write a creative nonfiction piece about your everyday hero (someone in your
life who you consider a hero).

Let’s Answer This!

Instructions: Read and analyze the items below before each number. Write the letter
that corresponds to the best answer.

1. Which of the following is an example of a work classified as Creative Nonfiction?

a. Autobiography b. Memoir c. Personal Narrative d. all of the foregoing

2. Which of the following is NOT TRUE about biography?

a. A written history of a person’s life
b. An account of the story of a real person’s life that is written by another
person
c. It is about the life of a person narrated by himself or herself
d. None of the above

52
3. It is any work drawn from the imagination of the writer.
a. Essay b. fiction c. novel d. short story

4. It is the most popular form of literature which is classified as a prose composition

which attempts to explain or clear up an idea, perception, or Point of view.
a. Editorial b. essay c. fiction d. research report
b.
5. In the line, the child is the father of the man, what figure of speech employed?
a. Anaphora b. litotes c. paradox d. simile
b.
6. Which group of words exemplifies onomatopoeia as a sound device?
a. Hold, told, mold, gold c. Hiss, buzz, swoosh, boom
c. Wicked and wan d. die, sky, fly, pie

7. The line glowing color appear, appeals to the sense of __________.

a. Sight b. smell c. taste d. touch

8. This element makes the essay literary.

a. Theme and content c. language and style
b. Form and structure d. coherence and unity

9. This is also known as “character essay”.

a. Informal essay c. critical essay
b. Didactic essay d. biographical essay

10. Which is true about a short story and a novel?

a. These literary works are both classified as fictional works
b. Both are imaginative prose works
c. They differ from each other in length and complexity
d. All of the preceding

53
 Let’s Move On!
Test I. put a check (/) mark that best answer the questions.
1. A story written about another person’s life, is what type of nonfiction?
a. Autobiography
b. Exposition
c. Informational Article
d. Biography
e. Essay
2. A story that just explains information on a topic is what kind of non-fiction?
a. Exposition
b. Informational Article
c. Biography
d. Essay
e. Autobiography
3. A story that explains someone’s opinion on a topic is what kind of non-fiction?
a. Autobiography
b. Exposition
c. Informational Article
d. Biography
e. Essay
4. A story that someone wrote about their life is what kind of non-fiction?
a. Autobiography
b. Exposition
c. Informational Article
d. Biography
e. Essay
5. A story about a person named John Jackson and what his life is about would be
what kind of non-fiction?
a. Autobiography
b. Exposition
c. Informational Article
d. Biography
e. Essay

54
6. What kind of non-fiction do most people read daily in the newspaper?
a. Autobiography
b. Exposition
c. Informational Article
d. Biography
e. Essay
7. Before you write non-fiction what do you need to do?
a. Read a good book
b. Eat a good lunch
c. Research your topic
d. Take a test
8. True or false: Informational articles contain opinion
a. True
b. False
9. What type of non-fiction would be describing a historic event?
a. Autobiography
b. Exposition
c. Informational Article
d. Biography
e. Essay
10. A diary is what type of non-fiction?
a. Autobiography
b. Exposition
c. Informational Article
d. Biography
e. Essay

What is Fiction and Creative Nonfiction?

A work of fiction is created in the imagination of its author. The author invents
the story and makes up the characters, the plot or storyline, the dialogue and
sometimes even the setting. A fictional work does not claim to tell a true story. Instead,
it immerses us in experiences that we may never have in real life, introduces us to
types of people we may never otherwise meet and takes us to places we may never
visit in any other way. Fiction can inspire us, intrigue us, scare us and engage us in

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new ideas. It can help us see ourselves and our world in new and interesting ways.
What's more, it's often just plain fun!
Creative nonfiction weaves the marginal boundary of literary art such as
fiction and nonfiction (covering and writing journalism, statistical, the essay, and many
others). Creative nonfiction then is the emphasis of truthful writing using the character,
setting, plot, conflict, and theme of the literary devices making it creatively challenging.
In writing creative nonfiction, it should include precise and well-researched
information, should stir the interest of the reader to continue evaluating the storyline,
and provides artistry in the storytelling of truthful events. Types of creative nonfiction
include autobiography/biography, literary journalism or reportage, a blog may
feature travelogue, reflection essays, personal narratives or memoir, flash essay,
and testimonia.
Understanding Various Forms and Types of Creative Nonfiction
Creative Nonfiction (CN) includes different types of writing such as food, travel,
memoir, personal, reflective essays, and other hybridized types. It employs the literary
techniques to achieve elegance in the language, character, and make the story
heartwarming and nearer to the readers. It seeks closer to the truth as it continues to
provide the human aspects of triumphs and tragedies. Although creative nonfiction
may look poetic or crafted, it still illustrates creativity in weaving all the details together.
Writing for creative nonfiction makes you uncovered as you continue to reveal all what
you have in life.
Autobiography is a story of a person’s life in a specific moment in time that is told
by the person himself or herself. Thus, it is always told in the first-person point of view
since it is a story reshaped by reminiscing memories. Autobiography can be subjected
to truthfulness because of misleading or incorrect information provided. Biographies
are written in the third person about someone other than the author. It may profile
subjects both living and dead. There are four shorter types of autobiography.
(1) Journals are daily written personal accounts, observations, experiences but
not emotional.
(2) Diaries are emotional accounts and personal experiences of the writer.
(3) Letters are written messages addressed to a particular person, organization,
or institution.
(4) Memoirs are narrower in focus, carrying memories, feelings, and emotions of
the writer.

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Sample of Biography:

JOSE GARCIA VILLA

Poet, critic, short story writer, and painter, Jose
Garcia Villa was a consummate artist in poetry and in
person as well. At parties given him by friends and
admirers whenever he came home for a brief visit, things
memorable usually happened. Take that scene many
years ago at the home of the late Federico Mangahas, a
close friend of Villa's. The poet, resplendent in his shiny
attire, his belt an ordinary knotted cow's rope, stood at a
corner talking with a young
woman. Someone in the crowd remarked: "What's the idea wearing a belt like that?"
No answer. Only the faint laughter of a woman was heard. Or was it a giggle perhaps?
Then there was one evening, with few people around, when he sat down Buddha-like
on a semi-marble bench under Dalupan Hall at UE waiting for somebody. That was
the year he came home from America to receive a doctor's degree, honoris causa,
from FEU. Somebody asked: "What are you doing?" He looked up slowly and
answered bemused: "I am just catching up trying to be immoral." Sounded something
like that. There was only murmuring among the crowd. They were not sure whether
the man was joking or serious. They were awed to learn that he was the famed Jose
Garcia Villa. What did the people remember? The Buddha-like posture? Or what he
said? That was Villa the artist. There's something about his person or what he does or
says that makes people gravitate toward him. Stare at him or listen to him.
Villa is the undisputed Filipino supremo of the practitioners of the "artsakists."
His followers have diminished in number but are still considerable.
Villa was born in Singalong, Manila, on 05 August 1908. His parents were
Simeon Villa, personal physician of revolutionary general Emilio Aguinaldo, and Guia
Garcia. He graduated from the UP High School in 1925 and enrolled in the pre-med
course. He didn't enjoy working on cadavers and so he switched to pre-law, which he
didn't like either. A short biography prepared by the Foreign Service Institute said Villa
was first interested in painting but turned to writing after reading Sherwood Anderson's
"Winesburg, Ohio."
Meanwhile, he devoted a good part of his time writing short stories and poems.
Soon he started exerting his leadership among the UP writers. His ideas on literature
were provocative. He stirred strong feelings. He was thought too individualistic. He
published his series of erotic poems, "Man Songs" in 1929. It was too bold for the staid
UP administrators, who summarily suspended Villa from the university. He was even
fined P70 for "obscenity" by the Manila Court of First Instance.

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 With the P1,000 he won as a prize from the Philippines Free Press for his "Mir-
i-Nisa," adjudged the best short story that year (1929), he migrated to the United
States. He enrolled at the University of New Mexico where he edited and published a
mimeographed literary magazine he founded: Clay. Several young American writers
who eventually became famous contributed. Villa wrote several short stories published
in prestigious American magazines and anthologies.
Here is a partial list of his published books:
Philippine Short Stories, best 25 stories of 1928 (1929)
Footnote to Youth, short stories (1933)
Poems (1941)
Have Come Am Here, poems ((1941)
Selected Poems and New (1942)
A Doveglion Book of Philippine Poetry (1962)
Through the sponsorship of Conrad Aiken, noted American poet and critic, Villa was
granted the Guggenheim Fellowship in creative writing. He was also awarded $1,000
for "outstanding work in American literature." He won first prize in poetry at the UP
Golden Jubilee Literary Contests (1958) and was conferred the degree Doctor of
Literature, honoris causa, by FEU (1959); the Pro Patria Award for literature (1961);
Heritage Awards for literature, for poetry and short stories (1962); and National Artist
Award for Literature (1973).
On 07 February 1997, Jose Garcia Villa died at a New York hospital, two days after
he was found unconscious in his apartment. He was 88.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said Villa, popularly known as the "comma poet,"
died at 12:37 a.m. (New York time) of "cerebral stroke and multilobar pneumonia" at
the St. Vincent Hospital in Greenwich.
He is survived by his two sons, Randy and Lance, and three grandchildren.
Interment was scheduled on Feb. 10 in New York, the DFA said. It added that Villa
had expressed the wish to be buried wearing a barong. Though he lived in New York
for 67 years, he remained happily a Filipino citizen.

Sample of Autobiography
My name is Amanda L. Winter. I was born on 17 March, 1983 in Lexington,
Kentucky, where I lived until the time I went to college in another state. I’m the fourth
child and the only girl in a family of five. My father, Mr. Paul Winter is a retired physician
and he currently runs a drug store within the city.
My mother, Mrs. Beverly Winter was a registered nurse working for various
medical institutions across the state, until she decided to retire in 2010. Nowadays,
she helps dad run the drug store. I went to school in Dixie School and Paul Laurence,

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where I completed my elementary and high school education respectively. Then, I
went to Kansas University, where I did my under graduate degree in Journalism.
Growing up around four brothers was not easy, considering the fact that I am a
girl. With all the masculinity in the house, there was a lot of competition and rivalry. I
had to be tough as my brothers or I would have been toppled by their naturally
aggressive nature. Not that we were a dysfunctional family, it was just normal sibling
rivalry and it turned to be of benefit to me.
Since I was the youngest and a girl, I was bound to be at the bottom of the
totem pole in everything. So, I had to be equally tough to fight for whatever was
rightfully mine. As a result, I turned out to be a tomboy and also built a reputation as a
no nonsense girl. Furthermore, I had older brothers to protect me in case of a dispute.
I believe I adopted both my parents’ brilliant brains, because I was always the
best students academically. However, my abilities were not limited to the classroom
alone. I also excelled in sports. In high school, I was arguably the best female
sportsperson in outdoor games, especially in athletics and volleyball.
I have many accolades to my name, however the one that stands out was in
my second year in high school. Representing our school in short races, I went to the
state competition where I emerged third overall. I was not fortunate enough to win it,
but it was an eye opener for me to strive for greatness in life. Fortunate for me, I won
the best sportsperson award that year at our school’s award giving ceremony.
While I was forging a name for myself in the academic and sports circles, my
social life was in a really bad state. My tomboy look was making it hard for me to
coexist well with either of the sexes. The girls were scared of my tough persona, while
the boys felt intimidated by my confidence and competitive nature.
My wardrobe was full of my brothers’ clothes that they had outgrown. All the
girlish clothes my mother bought for me, I had them piled in the closet and completely
forgot about them. When we went to the stores to buy clothes, I would be with my
brothers at the boys’ section. This disheartened my mother and she tried to advise me
out of it, but I was just too adamant. Eventually, she accepted the way I was.
However, something happened in my life that sent me reeling back to the
foundations of my femininity. It happened during my senior year in high school. It was
the prom week and everyone was geared towards the most important night of their
high school life. Love was in the air. Young men were gathering courage to approach
girls they liked, while girls were torn apart whether to accept or reject their proposals.
All the girls had prom dates, except me. No one approached me or even
mastered the courage to look my way. It was one of the worst days of my life. I spent
the night with my mother watching my favorite movie to raise my spirits up. As a result,
I decided to embrace my feminine side. I got rid of all the male clothes, started wearing
dresses and released my hair. My mum really came to my aid at this point in my life
and although it was hard at first, I got used to the idea of wearing dresses ad heels.
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 So, I began my college studies with a new form of rejuvenation in life. I decided
to pursue my college education far away from my hometown, because of the
misconceptions that I had been associated with for so long. I wanted to pursue
journalism as a career, because I understood the challenges and opportunities it would
expose me to and I love challenges.
I have always wanted to travel the world and I knew a career in journalism would
offer me that. With a 3.5 GPA, I secured a spot at Kansas University. During the first
year of study, I met the love of my life Ken Rodgers (not the singer, although he has
the same deep baritone voice) and everything as they say is history.
After graduation in 2006, I interned with the Kansas City Star for six months. I
then worked as a correspondent journalist with the Kansas City Globe Newspaper for
a year. We moved to Atlanta with my husband, after I secured a writing job with the
Daily Report for a year. At the time, he had a fitness vlog, where he gave daily workout
routines and healthy recipes to his clients. Therefore, moving from state to state did
not interfere with his line of work.
All he needed was a camera and an internet connection. My biggest break
came when I was hired by the LA Times. The pay was good, I travelled around the
world and each day was exciting in its own unique way and offered new opportunities.
Unfortunately, the job was too demanding and more times than not I was away from
my husband. I quite in 2011, after two years with the newspaper giants.
I had not quite decided what I wanted to do with my life, so I worked as a
freelance journalist for a Canadian media firm. My job was basically to capture hot
showbiz news in Hollywood. It was an exciting job checking into the fabulous lives of
celebrities. I had no alternative, but to quit this job also when my first pregnancy was
due. It marked the last job of my professional career.
I decided to be a fulltime mum to my three lovely kids, Mathew, Sally and Luke. To
put my writing abilities into use, I became a permanent freelancer for various blogs
and websites. I have always thought of writing a book and I believe this is the right
time. The kids spend all the day at school and I have all the day by myself. I have not
decided which way to go with the book, however I’m thinking in the lines of romance
and a bit of suspense and action.

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 Literary Journalism or Reportage is a precise, well-researched report of which a
reporter follows a topic, subject, or theme for a long period of time and then provides
a personal angle on it.

Sample of Literary Article:

GHOST BOAT BY ERIC REIDY FOR MEDIUM

This is an open investigation about the mysterious disappearance of 243 refugees

in the Mediterranean ocean. The article is written in ten parts with no definitive answer.
It’s incredibly heartbreaking, but an amazing piece of journalism as so many people –
experts, students, amateurs – came together to find answers. It also shows that, when
it comes to refugees, people just don’t care and seem to value one life over another.

Personal Narratives are taken from real life situations where the writer depicts
vividly the event, incident, or experience. It creates a dramatic effect to the readers by
making readers’ laugh, be frightened, or make them feel at the edge of their seats.
Sample of Personal Narratives:
Swimming Distance
“Jenny, do I really have to swim this? The distance is so long, and I don’t want
to do two laps of butterfly! In the first event when I did butterfly, I choked on water!” I
complained on a sun-drenched day.
I was at Petaluma High School, standing next to my coach, Jenny. It was my
first swim meet, and I was having a pleasant time. Something was bothering me,
though. You could blame it all on the next event coming up. I was not looking forward
to it one bit. I had done fairly well in my previous events; however, I was edgy and
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nervous for this one. This was a 200-yard Independent Medley. It was a long distance
because it included eight laps of four different strokes.
“Next event, 200 I.M. Girls, ages 11 to 12s,” Coach Patrick called through the
speakers. He was the announcer for today, and his voice sounded different through
the intercom speakers.
“Come on; you can do it! Go! Go! Go!” Jenny urged as I ran over to get ready.
“I just know you can!” I heard her say.
This was it, the last event of today’s swim meet.
“Swimmers, step up,” called Patrick. He waited until the six swimmers walked
up to their diving blocks. Quiver, wobble, shake, went my legs. Oh dear, I thought in
my head as I waited.
It was only about five seconds before my head would touch the cool water, but
five seconds felt long. The swimmers bent down and held the edge of the diving blocks.
I guess I looked so ready and professional-like on the diving block, but inside my
stomach was on the world’s biggest rollercoaster and my heart was the one who
wanted to jump out into the pool. The water smiled gleefully at me. Come on, come
on, it seemed to muse.
Beep! The buzzer went off, and everybody plunged into the shallow, still water,
sending it into a million ripples and crinkles. It felt good, and I relaxed for a split second,
but then remembered that this was a 200-yard medley. I started kicking and soon
emerged out of the silky water.
Start with the butterfly stroke, I told myself going through the order again in my
head as I swam. I pulled my arms back and did a stroke. Again, again, and again. I
hoped not to choke on water this time. Soon the wall was in front of me. I turned and
kicked off, starting my next lap of this stroke.
Next up, backstroke, I thought. On my backstroke start, I got water up my nose,
probably gallons of it. Gagging, I resurfaced. At the flags, I counted five strokes, and
then did a flip turn. More water ran up my nose. It felt like a hundred needles touching
it.
When I pushed off the wall for the breaststroke laps, my legs were stones,
wanting to sink lower and lower. I needed to catch my breath. But I can’t stop. Keep
going! I thought about what Jenny had said. I know you can, I know you can.
Before long, I was approaching the wall for my finish. I heard a swimmer coming
up behind me, but I wanted to get there first.
Kick, stroke, kick, stroke. We swimmers were all like sharks of the same species
who wanted the prey first. I could hear everybody speeding up.
I touched the wall, mouth full of water. I looked up and climbed out of the pool.
People cheered. I never thought I’d be able to do it. Sure I was trying to catch my
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breath and my legs were Jell-O, but I swam it. I swam 200 yards! I did it and got second
place. Now I felt strong and confident. Thank you Jenny, my mind said, wishing Jenny
would get the message.

Memoir is a record of facts and events concerning a particular subject or period

usually written from the writer’s personal knowledge, experience, and observations.
Sample of a Memoir:

Tarlac Dike

by Kerima Polotan

The Tarlac Dike that is reported to have cracked and sent was the dike of my
childhood. Many years ago I lived in Tarlac, in a house off Tañedo Street whose
kitchen over-looked that dike. It stretched from one end of town, from the railroad
station all the way to Agana Bridge, and the dike was what I took to Tarlac High. People
lived in crude little huts huddled close to the wall, on the land side, and from the dike
as I walked by; I could look into their lives.

The dike curves ever so slightly in my memory, as though describing the arc of
a slow ball. It was made of cement and had steps on either side, ever so often along
the way. You could walk up to the ledge and walk into the river if you wished, but the
river was not the fearsome one reported today but a friendly, familiar one in which the
debris of living floated – old chairs, dead pigs, empty sardine cans.

It never flooded in the years I lived there but the waters rose to the ledge when
it rained, lapping against the wall. In summer the river behind my house disappeared,
and it as the unending puzzle of my young life where it went because then in summer
the riverbed dried up so completely that we could cross it, my friend and I, balancing
ourselves on huge stones that the June rains hid, on our way to the barrios across,
where the fruit trees waited our plunder. And such plunder it was! Guavas, unripe
mangoes, chicos, the fruits of childhood haunt the periphery of the tongue no matter
how far one has gone and what diverse tables one has sat at.

I had a good friend then who would later become one of the richest women in
the province (or so I’m told): but I done suppose she cares to remember the nipa hut
she used to live in the horse that pulled the rig which was the source of their livelihood.
I remember helping her walk their horse occasionally – a privilege, I thought because
it was a handsome animal. A “calesa” ride was five centavos was all I had to live on
every day, I took the dike instead, saving money for a slice of cake at recess.

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 It was a cool damp walk in the morning on the dike if all one thought was getting
in school, you could reach the back of the trade school building in ten minutes, walk
down the steps, cross Romulo Boulevard, and be in time for the flag ceremony. But
there were diversions to see- life stirring in the dark interiors of the dike houses,
breakfast being set, children hushed, a wife nagging, a husband scratching himself in
the window, clothes hung out dry, flower pots watered, detours of the imagination that
help the passerby and delayed him.

But the walk in the afternoon was the best part of all. We dragged our wooden
clogs and our school bags, taking our time, my friends and I, thinking of home and
supper. Along the dike the mothers called to their children; the houses sprang alive
with kerosene lamps. The smell of the rivers would come up to us and we would look
across it to the bank, talking of approaching summer, planning forays to melon
patches.

On clear nights the river would glisten, one huge sheet of dark glass from our
kitchen window. My friends has gone on to wealth and status, not too easily accessible
to people these days but I do enough remembering for the two of us I suppose we
weather everything – I have survived her success without envy and my reminiscences
must leave her untouched. Only the wall two high school girls had thought would last
a hundred years has crumbled a casualty of government neglect of shortsightedness.

But my mind never let go. The dike the papers say has given way, stands
stubbornly in my memory, a sweep of cement and sand and the paucity my children’s
lives includes the absence of such memory of their lives.

Travelogue embraces the personal accounts of a writer on travel as he or she

evaluates the food, hotels, restaurants, and best sites to visit. A travelogue can be
shown through a magazine, website, television or film. It also highlights affordable
rates as well as expensive hangouts for tourists.

Sample of a Travelogue:
Lyon: The City of Two Rivers

Although Lyon has a population estimated at 484,000, you would never call it
crowded. Lyon is considered to be the most comfortable city in France and, in my
opinion, one of the best cities on the planet.

It is situated at the confluence of Rhône and Saône rivers. Somehow, the city
reflects the spirit of rivers ― calm and fascinating. There is no rush of modern life like
in Paris, no salty sea air of Marseille, and no golden sand of the French Riviera. And,

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still, there is something magnificent in Lyon’s little streets, fancy houses, and green
hills. The magic of the city’s soothing life rhythm attracts tourists from all over the world.

I remember Lyon as a city of bridges and bikes. By the way, a bike is a great
alternative to walking around. You can better sense the atmosphere of the winding
streets and visit more interesting places while riding a bike.

Cycling transport is very popular in Western Europe. Locals prefer riding bikes
to driving cars. There are cycle tracks everywhere, and you can easily find bicycle
parking. Moreover, the self-service bike rental Velo’V has more than 300 stations in
Lyon, where you can rent a bike and not say a word in French! All you need is your
credit card and 150 euros as a deposit.

Don’t forget to walk along the Rhône river bank. It is an amazing location and
a favorite place in Lyon both for tourists and locals. The river crosses the whole city,
so you don’t have to spend much time searching. The river bank serves as a place for
picnics and jogging. At night, you can enjoy a beautiful view: the banks of Rhône shine
with the multicolored lights, and their shine reflects on the water surface. During the
daytime, you can simply sit on one of the numerous benches and meditate. Although
the stone benches are not very comfortable in winter, their cool surface is utterly
attractive in summer. During the warm season, a boat tour is also highly
recommended. In such manner, you will be able to see another side of Lyon.

In general, I recommend you to visit Lyon in the summer. As for me, green hills
and flowing water look much better than ice and white snow. Moreover, a cold won’t
let you have long promenades, and Lyon is the most appropriate city for wandering
around aimlessly.

The next point in your to-do-in-Lyon list should be “to try French pastry.” Let
yourself be prodigal when it comes to French cuisine. All these palmiers, tarts,
madeleines, and éclairs are worth their weight in gold. If you have no idea about the
desserts that I’ve named above, don’t worry. The French love talking about food (and
not only about food). Locals will be glad to explain to you the difference between
profiterole and éclair and show the best local “patisserie” (bakery that specializes in
sweets and pastries). You should trust their choice, and don’t forget about croissants!

One more exciting and magnificent thing about Lyon is the graceful
architecture. Of course, the whole city is an architectural masterpiece, especially the
part called “Old Lyon.” You will find no outside advertisement or neon signs here: the
citizens respect their cultural heritage and try to preserve everything in its original form.

A genuine gem of the city is the Lyon Cathedral. This beautiful building perfectly
represents the Gothic architecture style: high towers, ribbed vaults, and pointed
arches. It is listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The internal decoration is

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even more impressive than the façade. Giant stained-glass windows and columns take
the breath away!

In my opinion, Lyon is a perfect place not only for a one-day visit but also for a long
stay. If you need a break from the crowded subway or filthy city air, Lyon should be
number one in your travel list!

Reflection Essay examines a writer’s perspectives in life by allowing the author to

introspect and ponder back if such situation created an impact on his/her life. It
challenges the writer to think critically by exploring personal thoughts, feelings, and
opinions on specific topic and subject.
Sample of a Reflective Essay
My Little Brother
In my short life, there are many experiences that could qualify as life-changing.
Every new experience was, at one time or another, the first experience. For good or
bad, each instance changed the course that my life has taken. But, the most
transformative experience was the birth of my youngest brother.
Joel is someone my parents often call a happy accident. At the time that my
mother became pregnant, I was 13, and my other brother, Jake, was 10. We were
what you would call a well-rounded, perfect family of four. We neatly fit into the perfect
classification in nearly every way. We didn’t realize what we were missing until the
moment that my youngest brother first opened his striking blue eyes.
In truth, I resented the fact that I would be having another sibling. Nothing needed
to be added to our family, and my mother, already 38 at the time, was considered high
risk because of her age. The pregnancy itself was full of complications that sent the
straight course of my life into rollercoaster-like loops that my 13-year-old mind had a
hard time comprehending. But now, I can see how forging through those loops helped
me to roll with the punches that life inevitably brings.
The day Joel was born, my mother took me with her to the hospital rather than my
father. It wasn’t a planned move, but Jake and my father were both feverish; I was the
next best alternative. Sitting with her through every contraction, I gained a new respect
for just how powerful and strong a woman could be in what might be considered their
weakest moment. Holding her hand and feeding her ice chips, I gained a connection
with my mother that I didn’t realize we were lacking.
The moment my new baby brother came into this world, I realized two things nearly
simultaneously. First, you don’t realize how much you need something until it’s sitting
in your lap. Second, my life after this moment would never be the same. The moment
he curled his chubby little finger around mine, I understood the words “happy accident”
completely. There are many different experiences in life that have changed a part of
me as a person. But, nothing so profoundly changed my views and outlook on life like

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the birth of my youngest brother. Joel’s arrival was a life-altering event that caused me
to see the world through new eyes.
Flash Essay also known as flash literature, is brief creative writing, generally on
the order of between 500 and 1500 words. It's also an umbrella term that
encompasses various short format works such as prose poetry, short essays and
other works of creative fiction and nonfiction. The term flash implies fast, impromptu,
and short format. The term flash prose is generally used in the context of writing
competitions or other public exhibitions of creativity or skill with language such
as weblogs or non-journalistic writing in, for example, a daily, a journal or another type
of periodical.
Sample of a Flash Essay:
The “Wild Messenger” by Jennifer Holland
(Take “Wild Messengers” by Jennifer Holland, a post that appeared in
the New York Times “Opinionator” blog last November. “About a decade
ago,” Holland begins, “a brain tumor came to steal my mother away.)”
She recounts leaving the sickroom briefly for a drive on a wintry
Minnesota morning, when she saw “nine bald eagles along that stretch of
road” on “the ninth of February.” Then, almost as soon as Holland r eturned
to the house, her mother died. “I’m not a religious person, not even a
particularly spiritual one,” she writes, adding:
That night, though, I couldn’t help but think that those birds were nature’s
messenger…. I can certainly imagine my mom, a true animal lover, choosing
majestic birds, their number matching the date (a little nudge to see if I was
paying attention), to prepare me and say her goodbye. When I suspended
my disbelief, it made perfect sense.
It’s a first-person story, including a vivid a necdote about the eagles. But
she goes on to weave in references to religious traditions that have
venerated animals as spirit messengers, touching on St. Francis, Native
American totems, even Wild by Cheryl Strayed. From her opening line,
Holland signals she’s looking back, pondering what it all means. She
questions, then whittles away.

Blog belongs to social networking service where it portrays an online

discussion among writers as they engage in an informal diary-method of presenting
their stories. Usually the posts are shown in reverse order so that the recent writings
appear first. Many blogs cover sports, music, art, videos, lifestyle, politics, online
diaries, advertising, photography, cooking and among a multitude of topics. Readers
or followers may also comment and a lively interaction goes on.
Sample of a Blog:

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 A very well designed and slick blog that’s all about being your own boss and
creating your own wealth. It’s a blog with a very active podcast feed. Their podcasts
are insanely popular on iTunes, and no doubt they make a fair bit of money from selling
ad space on those podcasts. Podcasts is something to think about when creating your
blog as it could be a great monetization tool.

Testimonio Essays consist of a person’s written or spoken statement on a product

or experience. It can also be seen as a historical biography.
Different types of testimonials
You know that testimonials are powerful tools, but which type will work best for
sharing your customers’ success? There are so many ways to tell a customer’s
compelling story – deciding which one works best will be based on the collateral you
have to work with, as well as the unique way you want to share the success. Here are
some of the common types of testimonials to consider.

1. Quote testimonials

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 Perhaps the most beloved and common type, quote testimonials are direct words
from a customer who was satisfied with the products or services they received.

2. Peer testimonials
People tend to gravitate toward others who resemble themselves. This is
referred to as implicit egotism, and it’s why testimonials work peer. Basically, the
person giving the testimony is of similar status to the audience. This type usually
includes a visual in the form of a portrait.

• Drill down on your customer persona. Who are you specifically trying to
reach? Make sure it's crystal clear so you know whom to ask for testimonials.

• Ask for testimonials from people within your target market. These people
make up the peers of your customer persona (or maybe they even fit the bill
of your customer persona) and will attract more people like them because of
Implicit Egotism.

• Use customer details. Have the client or customer include personal details
about themselves that will allow the reader of the testimonial to identify with
them.

4 Types of social testimonials

A social testimonial can take various forms:

• Tweets about your products and services.

• Screenshots of your work posted on Instagram.

• Videos published on YouTube.

• Facebook posts on your page, the client’s page or within a group backing
your business.

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 The greatest testimonials are the ones you don’t ask for. This is where social
media testimonials come into play. It’s when customers volunteer to write about their
experience with your company via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or another social
media outlet. This type is ultra-organic and can add another layer of authenticity to
your reputation as a brand, as its social proof of your successes.

3. Video testimonials

Letting your clients speak their truth in a video is one of the most authentic
opportunities for a testimonial. This is something that’s very difficult to fake. Plus, this
type is visually stimulating, attention grabbing and can keep potential customers on
your page for a set amount of time.

Video testimonials are one of the most trustworthy forms of testimonial

because it’s difficult to fake one that looks authentic.

5. Interview testimonials
An interview with your client is another authentic route. It’s almost as if it’s a
hidden testimonial – if everything goes smoothly, nothing will be forced and the
interview will speak for itself. A text interview is an option, but a Q&A via video or audio
is more engaging and credible.

“Oberlo posted interviews on their blog with users who have been successful
while using the service. In the example below, they did a series of interviews with some
of their users about how they started out and how Oberlo paid a part in their success.

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6. Influencer testimonial
Having a celebrity or social media influencer vouch for your brand is an
influencer testimonial, and it works because these individuals have a trusted name
and can help encourage other people to make decisions, thus leveraging them to
consider your products and services. Although, The Federal Trade Commission
requires all formal, paid influencer marketing campaigns to be disclosed.

Sample of a Testimonial Essay:

Testimonials from influencers are so effective because their names are highly
trusted and recognized. When you have a great review from an influencer, it shows
your audience that you too are trustworthy. After all, somebody that they recognize
and admire is endorsing your product, service, or work.

Content in Writing Creative Nonfiction

Writers can craft stories of their own or of others as long as they can provide
evidence of what really happened. This is important in case especially if the work will
be considered for publication. In the case of a personal account, the writer can start
from the beginning to the end of a particular situation or may write random of events
to create suspense at the end of the story.

For stories that are written by another writer, an interview is necessary. Writers
have a keen eye for details and the moments that have been extracted from memory

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must be written down immediately. Conversations and poetry can be included in the
storytelling. Creative nonfiction also depicts showing the plot of the story rather than
telling it through a dramatic, literary context of daily work, making it delightful and
meaningful.

Purpose for Writing Creative Nonfiction

The purpose of good writing is to express your feelings and not to impress,
bring the readers in a word adventure, and make your target audience agree what
you are talking about.

Writer-Based Purposes

Writing helps you shape ideas calve from real life experiences from merely
observing the surrounding events. The best writing exercise is to go outdoor (bus stop,
shopping mall, school, church, farm, airport lobby, and many other busy places) and
observe what is happening. You start to write down in an hour of the things that
transpired. This technique will surely help you to find your writing voice and theme.
Thus, writing is the highest among the other competencies such as listening, speaking,
and reading.

Choosing the Topic

If you have not been assigned a topic, then the whole world lies before you.
Sometimes that seems to make the task of starting even more intimidating. Actually,
this means that you are free to choose a topic of interest to you, which will often make
your essay a stronger one.

Define Your Purpose

The first thing you must do is to think about the purpose of the essay you must
write. Is your purpose to persuade people to believe as you do, to explain to people
how to complete a particular task, to educate people about some person, place, thing
or idea, or something else entirely? Whatever topic you choose must fit that purpose.

Brainstorm Subjects of Interest

Once you have determined the purpose of your essay, write down some
subjects that interest you. No matter what the purpose of your essay is, an endless
number of topics will be suitable.

If you have trouble thinking of subjects, start by looking around you. Is there
anything in your surroundings that interests you? Think about your life. What occupies

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most of your time? That might make for a good topic. Don't evaluate the subjects yet;
just write down anything that springs to mind.

Evaluate Each Potential Topic

If you can think of at least a few topics that would be appropriate, you must
simply consider each one individually. Think about how you feel about that topic. If you
must educate, be sure it is a subject about which you are particularly well informed. If
you must persuade, be sure it is a subject about which you are at least moderately
passionate. Of course, the most important factor in choosing a topic is the number of
ideas you have about that topic.

Even if none of the subjects you thought of seem particularly appealing, try just
choosing one to work with. It may turn out to be a better topic than you at first thought.

Here are a few guidelines to help you through the process:

1. Pick a topic that you are interested in. You will express yourself with more clarity
and insight if you are interested in the topic that you are writing about.
2. You should pick a topic based on the assigned texts that you understood. While
writing your essay, the majority of your energy will be focused on explaining
and supporting your individual perspective and thesis, so it is important that you
understand and feel comfortable talking about the primary (and possibly
secondary) material that will form the basis of your essay.

Select a topic that is challenging and thought provoking. You want to write about a
topic that is interesting to you. Your essay should reflect your own individual

3. and unique perspective on your chosen topic. It should not be a mere

restatement of the already existing academic ideas on the topic. So, you should
choose a topic that challenges you and allows you room to express yourself in
relation to the primary source text, and the secondary sources (if they are
applicable to your assignment).
4. Your topic should be specific enough that you can form an opinion about it, but
general enough that you can find enough information to support your
perspective and write a comprehensive and substantial essay.

What is a thesis statement?

A thesis statement is the central idea of an essay, around which all other ideas
revolve. It is not just the most important idea; it also controls the essay by determining
what you should or should not include in your work. In one sentence, it reveals and
summarizes the arguments you intend to develop and defend.

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 The thesis statement reflects your purpose for writing. It is a constant reminder
of your main point and your stand, directing the entire flow of your writing.

It should be clear that the thesis statement is not the subject or topic itself, but
an interpretation of the topic. For example, if you were asked, to write an essay on
Noli Me tangere or Martial Law during President Marcos’ time, your thesis statement
would inform the reader of how you understand such a topic and what you deem to be
important or debatable about it.

Formulating a Thesis Statement

The thesis statement comes as a result of pre-writing. It is the product of

thinking about your ideas, seeking evidence, and looking for relationships between
these. At times, a potential thesis statement may become clear to you, especially if an
interesting angle on an issue catches your attention. Other times, you may ask the
following questions to help you find out a thesis statement:

• What main idea does most of my pre-writing support?

• What are the relationships that exist among my ideas?
• Which aspect of the topic seems to be given the most detail?
• Where does my stand seem to be the most consistent?
• What is the focus of the most interesting and significant points of my pre-
writing?

HERE ARE FIVE WAYS YOU CAN ORGANIZE IDEAS IN

YOUR WRITING AND BE CERTAIN THAT YOUR
READERS WILL GET IT:

1. Chronological Order

• What it is: This is a very common way to organize ideas as a writer or storyteller
that basically involves dishing out ideas or details in order of time, first to last.
• When to use it: It is often used in expository writing (narrative that informs or
explains) – particularly when describing an event or series of events.
• Example: Think about when you were a kid and trying to explain to the principal
why you shouldn’t be left in detention until the end of time. Yup! You described
the events carefully and in order, because that’s how you make sure your
listener/reader understands the context and details of a narrative.
• Transition words are important with every framework you use, to help your
readers navigate the process smoothly. In the chronological framework, some
commonly used transitional word and phrases are: first, then, next, last, finally,
etc.

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2. Logical Order

• What it is: exactly what it sounds like. This framework is used to avoid
confusion in the reader.
• When to use it: You should organize ideas in this framework if your reader
needs to understand one point before being capable of understanding the next.
• Example: Before talking to my students about Robert Frost’s famous poem
about decisions – The Road Not Taken – I told them a story about the biggest
decision I had made thus far in my life. They were able to take the logical leap
to understanding the true nature of the poem after hearing about my process of
decision making.

• Transition words and phrases: first you should understand, keep that in mind
while I explain, remember when I said.

3. Climactic Order

• What it is: In this framework, you generally keep the most important or exciting
point until the last of the piece.
• When to use it: Use this framework when you want to build excitement in a
piece or really emphasize one point as the pinnacle of the piece. It is often used
in persuasive essays (argument-winners, as my high school students would
have said), rankings or lists of things or illustration of a major problem or usable
solution.
• Example: When you are proving that your landlords need to fix the plumbing in
the bathroom, you may start with the incessant dripping tap, to the waste of hot
water in the leaking shower, and then landing on the punchline of the toilet
being blocked up (because we all know that is the WORST). Leaving that final
– and awful – point to resonate with your reader or listener will add more weight
to the other points, and keep the most important one at the forefront of their
mind.
• Transition Words: first of all, more importantly, just as importantly, finally.

4. Random Order

• What it is: Just as it seems, this un-framework allows you to order your ideas
based on whim and whimsy more than any specific or logical progression.
• When to use it: Organize ideas in this way when your points all have equal
value or importance and can sit independently of one another in understanding.
• Example: This one doesn’t happen often, but I’m using it today. All of these
ways to organize ideas have the same value and need no chronological or
logical order to make them clear, so TA DA! Random!

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 • Transition Words: Use association of ideas between points to transition from
one to the next, rather than stock transition terms.

5. Spatial Order

• What it is: Describing a scene as things are arranged in a physical space –

either by moving from one detail to the next, or as viewed from one stationary
vantage point.
• When to use it: This one is so cool! You can use it whenever you want your
readers to visualize a space, or if you want to evoke a scene using the senses.
• Example: Use this arrangement to organize ideas when you are describing
your workspace, a product use or place description. It’s also a great way to slow
down a story when it’s getting extremely intense and you want to add a little
pacing for suspense: take a page to do a point-of-view description of the setting
in the moment.
• Transition words: just to the left/right, behind, between, across from, rising out
of, to the North/South etc., a little further, a few cm/inches/metres/feet (basically
all prepositions).

Developing the Theme Effectively

A theme in writing is the underlying idea behind an article or story that unifies
its words into a coherent whole. The theme has been called the “muscle” or the
"vehicle" of a story. A theme can be stated in one of two ways. It can be made explicitly,
usually in business correspondence, technical writing, and editorials. It can also be
made implicitly, usually in short stories, novels, and movie scripts. In this case, the
theme often emerges as the moral of the story. A strong, well-defined theme enables
the reader to see the deeper meaning in your story and the intention behind your own
motivation for writing it.

Techniques common to both forms of writing

1. Understand the difference between "subject" and "theme." "Subject" is a

more general term than "theme." In non-fiction, the subject is a general topic of
interest, while in fiction, the subject is some aspect of the human condition
explored within the work. A theme is an explicit or implicit statement about the
subject.

2. Identify the purpose of your writing. The purpose behind your writing will
shape how you develop your theme in the piece. There are numerous purposes
as to why someone writes. Your writing may serve any of these purposes (or
any combination thereof):

3. Identify your audience. Understanding who your audience is lets you

determine which themes are appropriate to your audience. This will also help

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 you identify how best to present those themes to your audience. You can
determine what themes are appropriate to your audience by realistically
assessing how much knowledge and experience the audience has.

4. Consider the length of what you're writing. Longer works, such as novels or
memoirs, permit the inclusion of other themes subordinate to the primary theme
of your work. In contrast, shorter works, such as short stories or editorials,
usually have room to address only a single theme, although they may give
passing reference to supporting ideas.

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 Let’s Practice!

In the table below, examples of a general subject, specific topic, and thesis
statement are provided. Fill in the blanks by deriving other a general subject, specific
topic, or thesis statement depending on the given details.

General subject Specific topic Thesis statement

Being part of a high school

basketball team is a good
1.Sports training ground for an
athlete who wants to play
for a college basketball
team.

Facebook interactions Face- to- face

conversations are more
2. meaningful than
Facebook interactions
because they are more
personal.

3.Music Original Pilipino Music

(OPM)

4.Education The K to 12 program

The Metro Rail Transit 3

(MRT-3) fare hike is a
reasonable measure
5.Transportation because the additional
revenue generated can go
to the much- needed
improvement of the train’s
coaches.

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 Let’s Answer This!

Multiple Choice. Choose the letter that best answers the given question. Write the
letter of your answer in your notebook.

1. Autobiography is _____.
a. writer tells someone else's story c. writing that is not true
b. writer tells his own story d. gives a description of a topic

2. Nonfiction is ________.
a. reason for which the author writes c. writer tells his own story
b. writing that is true d. writer gives an explanation of ideas

3. When and where a story takes place is the ______ of a story.

a. Characters c. Point of View
b. Setting d. Climax

4. When and where a story takes place is the ______ of a story.

a. Characters c. Point of View
b. Setting d. Climax

5. Autobiography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is a _________.

a.Fiction b. Non-Fiction

6. A story that is not true or is made up

a. nonfiction c. fiction
b. biography d. autobiography

7. Which of the following summaries could describe an autobiography?

a. famous writer's life told by another author
b. a famous basketball player's wife sharing memories of her late husband
c. Michael Jackson's mother describing his childhood
d. Helen Keller writing about her difficulties of being blind all her life

8. To support a main idea, writers often use __________________

a. persuasion to prove their point.
b. facts and details to help prove their point.
c. opinions and details to help prove their point.
d.. summaries of details to help prove their point

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9. Which of the following is NOT a question you should ask to find the main idea?
a. What is the author's purpose?
b. What point is the author trying to make?
c. What is the selection mainly about?
d. When did the write the selection?

10. Who is the narrator of an autobiography?

a. another author
b. unknown admirer
c. a relative
d. the author

Let’s Remember This!

Complete the paragraph with the necessary words or sentences that best describe
what you have learned from the discussion. Write your paragraph in your notebook.
Follow the format below.
I have learned that writing in Creative non-fiction

Congratulations!

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References:
Books
Sygaco, Sonia B. (2017). Writing Techniques in Creative Nonfiction. Great Books
Trading, 7B Cavite St. West Avenue, Quezon City, Phil.
Tiongson, Marella A., et.al (2017). Reading and Writing. First ed. published by Rex
Book store

Internet

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonfiction
https://www.masterclass.com/articles/learn-about-nonfiction#what-is-the-difference-
between-fiction-and-nonfiction
https://davehood59.wordpress.com/2010/02/17/writing-creative-nonfiction/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_Garc%C3%ADa_Villa
http://pinoylit.webmanila.com/filipinowriters/garvilla.htm
https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-literary-journalism-1691132
https://thebookcorps.wordpress.com/2017/03/21/9-amazing-literary-journal-articles/
https://www.scribd.com/doc/82835597/Tarlac-Dike-with-the-biography-of-Kerima-
Polotan-Tuvera
https://answershark.com/writing/creative-writing/travelogue/travelogue-sample-lyon-
the-city-of-two-rivers.html
https://examples.yourdictionary.com/reflective-essay-examples.html
http://talkingwriting.com/whats-flash-essay
https://makeawebsitehub.com/examples-of-blogs/
https://sumo.com/stories/testimonial-examples
https://stories-in-the-sand.blogspot.com/2007/04/tambuli-by-alvaro-l-martinez.html

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 LESSON 5

EVALUATING AND REVISING VARIOUS CREATIVE

NONFICTION TEXTS

Learning Objectives: At the end of this lesson, the learners are expected to:
1. Evaluate other’s draft based on:
a. clarity of idea
b. appropriate choice of literary element
c. appropriate use of the element
d. effective combination of the idea and the chosen literary element
2. Revise the draft of a short piece using any of the literary conventions of a
genre

Let’s Answer This!

Instruction: Write T if the statement is true and F if it is false. Write your answer in your
notebook.
1. What differentiates memoir from autobiography is that it deals with only a
slice, a portion or event in your life, rather than your whole life.
2. Diary follows a 3rd Person Point of View.
3. Memoir follows a 3rd Person Point of View.
4. An autobiography/biography most of the time is logically sequenced and
contains sequence words such as first, later, next, and finally.
5. An anecdote is an important part of a diary.
6. In writing a memoir, collapsing characters or events that are not important to
your stories theme will help you concentrate on the people and events that are
important.
7. Biography follows a 3rd Person Point of View.
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 8. Autobiography follows a 1st Person Point of View.
9. Diary writing should focus on a specific theme or lesson, and every
compelling story included in a good memoir should support that theme.
10. Memoir should include comparatives and superlatives to make writing
clearer.

After learning how to evaluate a nonfiction text through various literary

conventions or elements, it is just right that you start revising faulty or vague nonfiction
text considering the ways of evaluating a nonfiction text such as clarity of idea,
appropriate choice of literary element, appropriate use of the element and effective
combination of the idea and the chosen literary element.

In evaluating a nonfiction piece, the following are considered: clarity of idea,

appropriate choice of literary element, appropriate use of the element and effective
combination of the idea and the chosen literary element. The following are common
nonfiction texts (autobiography, biography, memoir and diary) and the ways of creating
and evaluating them.
Autobiography/Biography

A. Clarity of Idea
• The autobiography/biography should be logically sequenced and contains
sequence words such as first, later, next, and finally.
• It should begin with a strong lead that grabs readers’ attention, such as
something unexpected, a quote, dialogue, or a question.
• Should include comparatives and superlatives to make writing clearer
particularly for biographies.
• It should use descriptive words to tell about people, places, events, and
ideas.
• Should have strong ending that makes the reader think about the subject’s
life.

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 B. Appropriate Choice of Literary Element
• Elements of autobiography/biography includes: Characters, Setting, Details,
Chronological Order, Point of View (POV) and Author’s purpose.

C. Appropriate Use of the Element

• Characters should be well developed in detail and are true-to-life.
• Setting should be described vividly/clearly.
• Writers use objective details, subjective details and anecdotes.
o Objective details can be proved.
o Subjective details are based on personal feeling and opinions and
cannot be proved.
o Anecdotes are short, often humorous, stories that enliven writing and
illustrate a point.
• POV should be 1st Person (I, me, my, mine, us, we, our & ours) for
autobiography and 3rd Person (he, him, his, she, her, they, their & them) for
biography.
• Author’s purpose is the author’s reason for writing may it be to credit people
who influenced the subject, to explain or to justify the actions of the subject,
to give sense of the events in the lives of the subject and to communicate
an important personal statement about life.

D. Effective Combination of the Idea and the Chosen Literary Element

• Sequence words should be adhered with the chronology of the
autobiography/biography.
• Characters are given necessary descriptions as to their role on the subject’s
life and not their personal details irrelevant to the autobiography/biography
of the subject.
• Setting is given a thorough description on how it played an important role or
influence to the subject.
• Author’s purpose is well crafted based on the conditions mentioned above.
Memoir

A. Clarity of Idea
• What differentiates memoir from autobiography is that it deals with only a
slice, a portion or event in your life, rather than your whole life. Memoir is a
story within the story of your life. Stay focused on your chosen topic. Avoid
meandering off in another direction.
• Collapsing characters or events that are not important to your stories theme
will help you concentrate on the people and events that are important.
• Who are you writing for? If it is family and friends then inside jokes and
vaguer references can be used. But, if you want anyone to be able to read

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 • your memoir don’t refer to something they have no record of and will not
understand.

B. Appropriate Choice of Literary Element

• Elements of memoir includes: Theme, POV, Emotional beats, Supporting
stories, Personal style & Honesty.

C. Appropriate Use of the Element

• Theme - There must be one overall key point that is being conveyed to the
reader. Memoir writing should focus on a specific theme or lesson, and
every compelling story included in a good memoir should support that
theme.
• POV – Memoirs are in 1st person POV (I, me, my, mine, us, we, our & ours).
• Emotional beats – The best memoirs take the reader on an emotional
journey. Writing in the first-person point of view allows you to not only tell
your story but to relay the emotional impact of each specific memory.
Readers want to experience your emotional arc alongside your narrative
arc.
• Supporting stories - Writing memoirs involves plumbing the depths of your
real-life story and presenting those key events with honesty and
transparency. That’s why one of the essential elements of a memoir is
gathering supporting stories from other sources. If your memoir is a coming
of age story about your youth, it may be helpful to interview your friends or
family members who were around you at the time. You may find that they
remember events differently than you do or have additional stories that can
help flesh out your manuscript.
• Personal style - Writing memoirs is an opportunity to tell a story from your
life, but it’s also a chance to tell that story in a way that nobody else can.
That’s where your personal writing style comes in. Each page should be
filled with your own personality and point of view. Your style might be tonal:
When people read a David Sedaris memoir, they can be sure to expect
some of his signature humor. Your writing style might be more formalistic in
nature. Perhaps you present the events of your memoir out of chronological
order, relying on flashbacks and flash-forwards to destabilize the reader.
Only you know your personal style, and it should be present in every line.
• Honesty - One of the defining characteristics of a memoir is brutal honesty.
Remember, readers pick up a memoir expecting a true story. Readers are
smart. They can tell if something in your memoir feels untrue. If they suspect
that the events in the memoir are false, it can permanently damage the
relationship between author and reader. That’s why you must be willing to
tell your story in an unflinching and honest way.

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 D. Effective Combination of the Idea and the Chosen Literary Element
• Theme should be well founded by providing details that will lead the readers
to what the theme really is.
• A good memoir could cause a contagion of feelings, from writer to reader,
when it is well-written.
• Readers would know when something seems off in a memoir so it’s better
to be honest and be straight to the point from start to finish to avoid your
memoir from being vague.
• Consistency of personal style throughout the entire memoir would leave a
good mark to a reader.

Diary

A. Clarity of Idea
• The entry should be inviting, thoroughly states the main events that have
been encountered by the character and includes several interesting details.
• Details should be effectively placed in a logical order and the way they
should be presented follows 1st person point of view.

B. Appropriate Choice of Literary Element

• Elements/features of a diary includes: Heading, Body, Interference, POV,
Figure of Speech & Signature.

C. Appropriate Use of the Element

• Heading – date on which the diary entry is made.
• Body – should be detailed and comprehensive content.
• Interference – logical guess based on information from the text.
• POV – should be 1st POV, shown by the use of pronouns such as I and me
express the personal thoughts feelings of the writer.
• Figure of Speech – may include simile, ellipse or personification.
• Signature – needed for authenticity.

D. Effective Combination of the Idea and the Chosen Literary Element

• Date (heading) and signature should not be forgotten at all times to verify
the time period and authenticity of your diary.
• Using figure of speech is quite tricky so it should be well-thought of before
using it in a diary.
• A detailed and comprehensive content means free from vague and
irrelevant statements.

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 Let’s Do It!
Activity 5.1. AUTOBIOGRAPHY
Example:

Autobiography of a Student

My name is Elizabeth Austen. I was born on May 2, 2002 in Marseille, France. I was raised as
a child of two cultures: American and French. Although my parents were born in the USA,
they left for Marseille after their wedding because of career goals. My father is a translator,
and my mother is an art consultant, so the atmosphere of our house was creative and
artistic.

It was difficult for me to make friends with French peers. That’s why I have always
communicated with adults who were my parents’ friends or colleagues. Since childhood, I
have had a thirst for knowledge and new discoveries, and elder friends were happy to
share their memories and life experiences with a little, curious girl.

I have a talent for learning languages and studying art. That’s not surprising taking into
account my environment. When I was a teenager, I dreamed of becoming a writer. I still
store my notebooks as a memory about my first drafts.

Later on, I understood that my heart belongs to art. I spent much time in my mother’s office
listening to her impromptu lectures about famous paintings. Her lessons along with her
stories about the USA have inspired me to go to the United States and attend the California
College of the Arts to get a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art History.

My main belief in life is that everything should be in harmony. People have to keep balance
in all spheres of life: society, family, work, friendship, and others. Studying art is my personal
way to keep balance. I’m driven by my passion to visit all cities with a rich artistic history:
Venice, Rome, London, San-Francisco, Tokyo, and so many others. These journeys will not
only improve my professional skills but also will help to learn more about myself and people.

I believe that studying at the California College of the Arts will allow me to become a real
professional with a mature art taste and extensive knowledge of art history. In the future, I
will follow my mother’s footsteps in order to help people discover the beautiful world of art.
If my career as an art consultant isn’t successful, I will dedicate my life to teaching future
generations of students and cultivating their love of fine arts.

1. Who are the characters?

Elizabeth Austen (subject), her father, her mother, elder friends

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2. Where is the setting?

Marseille, France

Details:
Objective details (at least 2)

(1) Although my parents were born in the USA, they left for Marseille after their
wedding because of career goals. (2) My father is a translator, and my mother
is an art consultant.

Subjective details (at least 2)

(1) My main belief in life is that everything should be in harmony. (2) I believe
that studying at the California College of the Arts will allow me to become a real
professional with a mature art taste and extensive knowledge of art history.

Anecdote:

None

3. Is the autobiography in chronological order? Show a brief chronology of the

subject’s life.

Yes. (1) Birth on May 2, 2002 (2) Childhood: a thirst for knowledge and new
discoveries (3) Teenage: dreamed of becoming a writer (4) pursuing California
College of the Arts.

4. What Point of View (POV) was used? Give the pronouns used in the autobiography.

1st person. Pronouns used: my, I & me

5. Author’s purpose:

✓ Credited people who influenced the subject

✓ Explained or to justify the actions of the subject
✓ Gave sense of the events in the lives of the subject
✓ Communicated an important personal statement about life.

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Do this

My name is Maria Angelina Bacarella. I was born on March 7, 1995, in Tawas City,
Michigan. My parents are James and Michelle Bacarella, and I have three younger
siblings, Sophia, Alex, and Samuel. I attended Holy Family Catholic School in East
Tawas from kindergarten until sixth grade. While there I participated in band, choir,
Girl Scouts, Council of Catholic Girls, volleyball, softball, and basketball. I was on
honor roll and received an academic achievement award. Attending a catholic
school helped me to grow academically, in my faith, and as a person, giving me high
moral standards. In seventh and eighth grade I attended Tawas Junior High. I was
involved in volleyball, basketball, softball, and Club PRIDE. I was on honor roll every
semester, and received the presidential academic award.

I currently attend Tawas High School. I am involved in Iosco Pride, Spanish club,
liturgical dance, youth group, Student Senate, volleyball, soccer, and National Honor
Society. I currently have a 3.88 cumulative G.P.A. and am 8th in my class of 117.
Though my school, I go to coop every day for two hours in the 81st District court. While
there I have learned many school that pertain to a future career in law. I file papers,
type bonds, and observe court. This has given me first-hand experience identifying
legal documents and understanding how to proceed in court.

I am very motivated to create the best possible future for myself, and have worked
very hard to set that up. I have been on the honor roll every marking period thus far
in my high school career. I received my academics and athletics varsity letters, an
honors pass, the hustle award for volleyball, and an academic achievement award.
Some of my strengths include being a hard worker, dedicated, self-motivated, and
organized. My weaknesses are that sometimes I am overly ambitious and take on too
much at once, and that I tend to expect too much of others.

I have volunteered at local nursing homes, and for local churches. My favorite
volunteer experience has been helping out with vacation bible school through my
church. Through this I am able to help kids grow in their faith. Through Iosco PRIDE I
am able to send a positive message in a fun way. I love these because they allow
me to be a positive role model for kids. I currently work at Chick’n Dots Tiny Tots
Boutique. My favorite thing about my job is that I get to work with children. I also
babysit on the weekends and in the summer.

Next year, I plan to attend Michigan State University. I hope to be involved in their
college of social sciences, James Madison College to gain my bachelor’s degree in
International relations. During college I hope to study abroad to assist in my learning
other languages. After college I would like to attend Michigan State University
College of law. I hope to become an international lawyer someday, working for a
company like USAID. With this line of work, I would be able to travel and work on
projects to help people in other countries.

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1. Who are the characters?

2. Where is the setting?

Details:
Objective details (at least 2)

Subjective details (at least 2)

Anecdote:

3. Is the autobiography in chronological order? Show a brief chronology of the

subject’s life.

4. What Point of View (POV) was used? Give the pronouns used in the autobiography.

5. Author’s purpose:

Credited people who influenced the subject

Explained or to justify the actions of the subject
Gave sense of the events in the lives of the subject
Communicated an important personal statement about life.

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Activity 5.2. MEMOIR
Example

JUST SWINGING - September 12, 2009 by 9CatsPerLife101

There’s something strange and magical about a swing set. As a child, I always loved
to swing. Nothing on the playground ever compared to the swings. Sometimes I
would close my eyes and let the cool breeze be my friend, seemingly helping me
rise off the ground. And when I opened my eyes, I would see that the swing had
carried me far beyond the playground, far beyond the grove of trees along the
edge of the field, but I was never afraid. It was the only thing that could truly make
me forget life and simultaneously make me alive.
With time, though, I outgrew elementary school and moved on. By then swinging
was a mere ghost of a memory and was almost forgotten. Almost. The summer
before high school, I revisited my old playground. Like an abandoned house, it had
all the nostalgic memories of a previous home, and yet, I was drawn to only the
swings. If there’s something strange and magical about a swing set, it’s because it’s
never empty for long. The air was still as I got on, the metal chains never made a
sound. Slowly, as I swung, I remembered, no, embraced. I embraced the cool wind
on my face, the thrill of being weightless, the knowledge of being too high for any
trouble to reach. And I embraced what it was like to be a child again. Sometimes I
can still see that teenage girl on the deserted playground. Just swinging.

1. What is the theme?

The comfort a simple swing can bring throughout a lifetime.

2. What Point of View (POV) was used? Give pronouns used in the autobiography.

1st Person POV. Pronouns: I, my, & me.

3. What is/are the emotion(s) portrayed by in the memoir?

Nostalgic feeling of carefree by forgetting everything and just immersing oneself

to the joy and comfort of just swinging.

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4. Any supporting stories? None

5. Any personal style? How?

Yes. The authors way of writing makes the readers feel the nostalgia and
depth feelings of her memory.

6. Does the author show honesty? How?

Yes. The memoir is convincing and relatable.

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Do This

Wall of Memories - August 1, 2012 by jmac1780

As I walk through the halls of where we used to play together, I see the old markings
on the walls. They remind me of how I would draw our family with a crayon on our
wall of memories. I took a different color each time, and everyday add something,
like a family member we just found out about, or a new picture I drew. The wall soon
filled up over time, as I dipped your paw in paint and my hand as well, and pressed
them together, at the same time, right next to each other, on our wall of memories.
Mine was purple, yours was green.

I don’t recall what made me think you liked the color green. After all, weren’t cats
colorblind? I wasn’t sure, but I guess green was sort of your color. You had a green
collar, a green toy, green this, green that. And it was all by accident. Although, I’m
sure there are no accidents when it comes to that. But ever since that hand-printing
day, I can’t remember a time when those two colors never looked so perfect
together. And the wall kept filling up, and filling up, with more memories to look back
on, and more promises to keep.

Promises? I don’t remember making any promises. But the promises we made were
in each other’s eyes, and in each other’s hearts. I looked at you, and you looked at
me with those green, peaceful eyes, and it seemed as though we promised to be
together forever. The promises we made in our hearts were for us only, to stay best
friends. But after you left, those promises seemed to do nothing but fade.

I remember the day you left very clearly. And boy, it was not pretty. I remember
collapsing in tears, screaming that they couldn’t take you away from me. Sobbing
my heart out, only to face the reality that there was nothing I could do. Time passed
and I didn’t get any better. I hid my pain behind a fake smile and shining eyes. Shining
from tears. I wanted to die. I couldn’t imagine life without you, and I wished for you
to come back to me. I missed you terribly, and I couldn’t get you off my mind. I
wanted the best for you, but I wanted you with me. I saw you everywhere after that
day. Everywhere I went, there was a memory we shared on that couch, in that room,
next to that wall, everywhere, and anywhere. You were everywhere, and all I kept
thinking of was what I had and lost. I kept walking by our wall of memories, only to
softly touch the markings, and break down in tears again. Every time. I wanted you
to come back. My sweetie. My first pet. My best friend.

I could spend hours and hours gazing at our wall of memories, like they were the stars
in the night sky. I could get lost in the thousands of memories we left there, until I finally
rested my gaze on the two small hand and paw prints, purple and green, and right
next to each other. No matter what the future held, that was one thing that could
never be changed. Our promises on our wall of memories.

I love you Cricket <3 93

1. What is the theme?

2. What Point of View (POV) was used? Give pronouns used in the autobiography.

3. What is/are the emotion(s) portrayed by in the memoir?

4. Any supporting stories? Give Brief details.

5. Any personal style? How?

6. Does the author show honesty? How?

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Activity 5.3. DIARY
Example

Friday – March 25, 2011, 10:00 AM

Dear Diary,
After I woke up this morning, I made the regrettable decision of waking up. I tried to
go back to sleep, but I could not even relax. Today was one of those days where
either I get up, or I get up. I then decided to go outside, but because it was raining, I
got wet. I went back inside, felt tired enough to go back to bed, but I still had to
change out of my wet clothes. Then I got a phone call from you know who. I got so
excited that I didn’t care that I was naked, tired, and there was a puddle on the floor.
We are going on a date this Friday. I don’t know how I’m going to sleep. What am I
going to wear? :naked dance: :singing in the rain: oh diary, one day I’ll look back on
this and say remember when I didn’t pay attention to anything but the phone ringing.
FINALLY!

1. Heading: Friday – March 25, 2011, 10:00 AM

2. Is the body detailed and comprehensive? Yes

3. Is there an interference made by the author? None

4. What Point of View (POV) was used? Give pronouns used in the autobiography.
1st Person POV. Pronouns: I & my.

5. Is there figure of speech used in the diary? None

6. Is there a signature? Yes

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Do This

Saturday, May 26, 2007

Dear Diary,

I woke up very late again because today is weekend. I ate lunch at home.
Then I had to go to Min Buri city. The reason I have to go there is my dad is building
our new house and he wanted to check something and prepared for the next step.
He wanted me to drive my care (actually, it's my mom's car, but she gives it to my
brother and me but my brother is in Bangkok for studying Thammasatt University. It's
my chance to practice and use this car but someone parked a care behind my car
and I couldn't take it out of my parking lot. So I have to drive my dad's car. It's a Camry
and too big for me. I was very excited and everyone, too. It's not only my dad and
me but also my mom and Meet. (Can you remember her from the first page?) When
we reached there I ask Meet that did you scared of me driving? She answered "a
little bit scared." Hahaha. I didn't tell her that if my mom allows me to drive a car to
school, she has to go with me. Ha!

After my dad finished checking the house, I drove home. And I asked my dad to
comment on my driving. He said good. I am very happy. I've been practicing driving
for 6 months. And it's getting better every month. YEAH!

Ps. I chat with my brother and I order him to buy me CD for me. Ha Ha!

1. Heading:

2. Is the body detailed and comprehensive?

3. Is there an interference made by the author?

4. What Point of View (POV) was used? Give pronouns used in the autobiography.

5. Is there figure of speech used in the diary?

6. Is there a signature?

96
Activity 5.4. REVISE A FAULTY AUTOBIOGRAPHY. Write your entry on your
notebook.

Me was born on a warm, sunny day in June 8 in Manila, Philippines. I still live in Manila,
Philippines and I go to school at Amparo High School. I live with my mom, Kate; my
brother, Jake; and my Aunt Molly. When I was born, my bother was fifteen-months-
old and hid under the table from me. Jake is a sweet kid and he would do anything
for me, but like all brothers and sisters we fight like cats and dogs. Sometimes when
no one was around, Jake would come up to me and bite my toes for no reason. I
still love him but only because he is my brother.

I attended Amparo Elementary School, and there I also won a couple of awards:
one for perfect attendance and two for being named Student of the Year--one in
sixth grade and the other in eighth grade. I am now a senior at AmparoHigh School.
I plan on finishing school and maybe going to a community college. My name is
Sally Friday. I started school when I was six-years-old. Then, I went to kindergarten
through fifth grade at Booker Elementary and while I was there, I won an award for
perfect attendance. I also won an award for honor roll all four terms.

Life to me means friends and family who can trust and who trusts you. I am pretty
much on the happy side of life, but like all teens I do I have my "days off." That means
I do have some sad days or depressed days. I have a few frinds here that sort of look
out for me and when I am having a bad day, I have someone here at school to talk
to. I make my school days go by thinking of either the next hour or what I will do
when I get home or on the weekend. I'm not seeing anyone now but when I did
have a boyfriend, our favorite places to go were the movies and out to dinner.
Sometimes we went to the beach. Only once we went to an amusement park:
Universal Studios. We were together for twenty-nine days and then we broke-up; so
no, I don't think it was forever.

The 2018 will make twenty years since me graduated from high school. I think I will
probably be still living here in Manila. I’m will be quite comfortable with my living
situation, meaning that I will be married to Paul Smith. We will have one child: Linda
Treasa Smith, who at that point will be three-years-old and a little devil. Paul is a
As I said in the beginning, I was born here in Florida and I've lived here my whole
sweet guy; he will do anything for anyone. He is six feet tall and built well. He has
life. I would like to see more of the Philippines but unfortunatly, I don't have any
baby blue eyes and blond hair. We will have been together for five years and will
money to leave Florida to go anywhere right now. I hope you have enjoyed reading
be happy together--this is forever.
my life story as much as I have enjoyed writing it for you. Try to get as much as you
can out of school; you're only there for twelve years and when you graduate, you're
97
home free. Here's a tip for you to live or try to live by: If you think it, it can be done.

Conclusion
 Activity 556. REVISE THIS MEMOIR. Write additional details that will support
this memoir. Write your entry on your notebook.

As I ate the oysters with their strong taste of the sea and their faint metallic taste that
the cold white wine washed away, leaving only the sea taste and the succulent
texture, and as I drank their cold liquid from each shell and washed it down with the
crisp taste of the wine, I lost the empty feeling and began to be happy and to make
plans.
Activity 5.6. REVISE A VAGUE DIARY. Write your entry on your notebook.

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

When I went upstairs to class, Neat said to me "Mr. Robert is gone! Dead." I said
"What!?" It's really, really sad. I really don't want him going. He had not been to school
for a long time and in hospital sick or something like that. I'm very sad.

In last year, he liked to talk with I. I can remember one thing that he told mine. He
asked how old I am? And I said 15. Why you asked me? He said you are very young.
Do you have any boyfriend and I said no! I never want to. He said it's a good idea.
You're right. Now, is the time for study and have some fun with your friends. When you
are grow up, you can do whatever you want, but remember you cannot trust in every
boy. And I can remember it clearly.

In the morning, all of the EP students and EP teachers were downstairs in front of the
building and Mr. Naha announced about Mr. Robert's profile and in that moment, he
cried. WHAT!? Yeah! He cried like he feel very sorry about that. I understand but he
cried very hard and it's very funny (about Mr. Naha) I laugh and I can't control
laughing at Mr. Naha. Every student were very surprised and me, too. Because we're
never seen that before. One student said we forgot to record Mr. Naha crying. I know
it's very bad that I laughed at him when he fell very bad. But I can't control. I'M SORRY!

Ps. God bless Mr. Robert

Ps. And Mr. Evan, I hope you get well and come back soon!

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 Let’s Answer This!

ASSESSMENT
Instruction: Write T if the statement is true and F if it is false. Write your answer
in your notebook.
1. What differentiates autobiography from memoir is that it deals with only a slice,
a portion or event in your life, rather than your whole life.
2. Diary follows a 1st Person Point of View.
3. Memoir follows a 1st Person Point of View.
4. A memoir most of the time is logically sequenced and contains sequence words
such as first, later, next, and finally.
5. An anecdote can be a part of an autobiography.
6. In writing a diary, collapsing characters or events that are not important to your
stories theme will help you concentrate on the people and events that are
important.
7. Biography follows a 1st Person Point of View.
8. Autobiography follows a 3rd Person Point of View.
9. Memoir writing should focus on a specific theme or lesson, and every
compelling story included in a good memoir should support that theme.
10. Autobiography should include comparatives and superlatives to make writing
clearer.

99
REFERENCES:
http://sumreena.tripod.com/autobiography.htm
https://targetstudy.com/languages/english/diary-writing.html
https://www.rcampus.com/rubricshowc.cfm?sp=yes&code=Q55AB8&
https://www.masterclass.com/articles/breaking-down-the-key-elements-of-a-
memoir#6-key-elements-of-a-memoir
https://networlding.com/elements-of-a-memoir/
https://www.5staressays.com/blog/autobiography-examples
https://www.freelancewriting.com/top10tips/10-tips-for-writing-a-memoir/
https://www.teenink.com/nonfiction/memoir/article/1039845/Styrofoam-Pills
https://www.teenink.com/nonfiction/memoir/article/132491/Just-Swinging
teenink.com/nonfiction/memoir/article/482610/Wall-Of-Memories
https://www.quora.com/What-are-some-great-examples-of-short-diary-entries
http://www.autobiographyof.me/an_example.html

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Lesson 3
Pre Test Post Test (Assessment)
1. B 1. D 11. A
2. B 2. B 12. C
3. C 3. B 13. B
4. D 4. C 14. B
5. A 5. D 15. B
6. C 6. A
7. C 7. B
8. C 8. A
9. B 9. C
10. B 10. D

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Lesson 4
Let’s Answer This (Pretest) Let’s Move On
1. D 1.Biography
2. C 2.Informational Article
3. B 3.Exposition
4. A 4.Autobiography
5. B 5.Biography
6. C 6.Informational Article
7. A 7.Research your topic
8. D 8.True
9. D 9.Exposition
10. C 10.Autobiography
Let’s Practice
Answers will vary according to students’ opinion and concept
Post Test
1. B
2. B
3. B
4. B
5. B
6. C
7. D
8. B
9. B
10. D

102
Lesson 5

WHAT I KNOW
1. T
2. F
3. F
4. T
5. F
6. T
7. T
8. T
9. F
10. F

103
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Office Address: Masterson Avenue, Upper Balulang, Zone 1, Cagayan de

Oro City, Cagayan de Oro, Lalawigan ng Misamis Oriental
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Email Address:

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