Creative Nonfiction - SHS

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Elements as Techniques to Develop Themes

Module 003 Elements as Techniques to Develop

Themes

Many times, you have been told to create a story with a theme. The theme
can vary greatly, from nature and environmental ruin to apocalyptic,
religious arcs. Sometimes, however, it is easier to step back and examine the
different elements of literature and create themes out of those. This is what
we will be focusing on this week.
At the end of this module, you will be able to:
1. Write a draft of a short piece using any of the literary conventions of
genre following these pointers:
a. Choosing a topic
b. Formulating a thesis statement
c. Organizing and developing ideas
d. Using any literary conventions of a genre
e. Ensuring that theme and technique are effectively developed
2. Compare and contrast literary elements, such as theme, premise and plot.
3. Infer the element highlighted in a premise or thesis statement.

What is a Theme, Anyway?

Before we talk about how we can develop themes, what is a theme, anyway? Here are just a
couple of meanings:
 “The main subject that is being discussed or described in a piece of writing, a movie,
etc.
 A particular subject or issue that is discussed often or repeatedly” (Letorneau, Why
is a Theme Important, 2014)
Sometimes, when a writer is able to zero in on the theme, he is more able to plot the events
that will happen in his short fiction or novel. A theme can also be important to nonfiction.
While there may be a lot of events in a person’s life, the biographer can pinpoint the most
important details. For example, Queen Elizabeth I’s life story has been told and retold
several times. Some may have a larger lens, including the life of her father Henry VIII before
her. On the other hand, some may merely focus on her rule, others on her rumored
romance, and yet others may try to pry on her childhood. The same can be done for some
contemporary popular figures.
A theme can be very obvious. If it is advertised as a war story, for example, then the war
may be the theme itself or it can be anything that is close to that particular main issue.
Possible themes in a war scenario are racism, religion, oppression, and the life of refugees,
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 among others. It may also be unrelenting, even with the author’s attempts to be subtle. An
example of this would be the phallic symbols that populate Henry James’ “The Turn of the
Screw”, with its towers, sticks and erect, handsome men. Of course, this interpretation of
this is based on a vaguely presented but captivating gothic tale.

What is then a Premise?

After you have zeroed in on a theme, you may write your one-sentence premise. A premise
is basically your pitch. How would you sell your story to a publisher?
Obviously, you cannot just say, my story is about war and be done with it.
It is better to say, “It is a story about an old man who survived the holocaust while the rest
of his young family has died.”
Here are examples based on real books:

“A 16-year-old girl in post-apocalyptic America fights for survival and rebels against her
government in a televised battle to the death. (Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games)
A young Slovenian woman who appears happy with her life attempts suicide, then wakes up in
a mental institution and is told she only has days to live. (Paolo Coelho’s Veronika Decides to
Die)
A young musician struggles to keep a dangerous secret as she assists with a murder
investigation and uncovers a plot to destroy the peace between humans and dragons. (Rachel
Hartman’s Seraphina) (Letorneau, Developing Themes in Your Stories, Part 2 - The Premise,
2015)”

Character
An element that you will find in drama, nonfiction, fiction, and poetry is character. Even in
poetry, there can be a character, albeit not the type that you may expect. Sometimes a leaf
is the subject, for example. If the feelings of the narrator or poet are very strongly revealed,
then one could say that the persona that is projected is that of the narrator’s or even the
poet’s himself (Prudchenko). By focusing on the character, you can list some possible
themes.
For example, you have a foreigner as a main character. What kinds of challenges would he
meet? How would he handle being a fish out of water? Is he just a representative of the
country he is from or the country he is currently living in?
How about a soldier character? Is he a typical soldier? Has he been sent to fight in troubled
lands (e. Iraq, Marawi, Afghanistan, etc.)? Did he desert, thus causing his family and friends
to shun him?
If your character is a little girl, is she delicate – a stereotype? Is she girly, and does she love
dolls and the color pink? On the other hand, she may like toy cars. She may have been
abducted, diagnosed with cancer, and other events that could make her story gripping to
the readers.
Even in the visual arts, the designers are prompted to create not just visual designs but also
character backgrounds. This helps them fully visualize what kind of person the character is.
This is also true for animal or hybrid characters. There is a difference in stance between a
confident character and a shy one, for example.
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Elements as Techniques to Develop Themes

Setting
While brainstorming, you might try to imagine the place and time you want to put your
characters in. For example, you may love the Victorian period and wanted to recreate the
world not only as you imagined it but also according to research. No matter how much you
think you know about a setting, you should still need to conduct a lot of research to create
authenticity. Even science fiction settings need logical world building.
Others may zero in on the place, rather than the period or year. Many places provide you
with creativity. Just what happens in Iloilo? Cebu during the Spanish colonization may
provide you with a few possible themes. You can, of course, always go beyond what is right
there in front of you. Salem, Massachusetts will always be associated with the witch trials,
but it can also be used as a setting for something else – maybe the unjust trial of a person
declared guilty by society.
The setting does not always have to be grandiose. A story can occur in the confines of your
home or in a classroom. With creative nonfiction, you have no choice but to pick a setting
that the events really did happen. The place can even be the deciding factor for a memoir.
For example, if you are born in the Philippines and you lived in Africa for a couple of years.
The focus of your memoir may be on the two years that you lived in Africa. It is different
from what other writers from your country may be able to offer.

Choosing Your Topic

Your topic could be anything under the sun, especially if you are writing fiction. However, if
you are writing nonfiction, you have to consider a few things. Are you writing references?
What kind of references? (science, geography, literature, etc.) Then, you must focus on the
possible subtopics for that particular reference subject.
Are you writing about your life or somebody else’s own? What particular instance do you
want to focus on? Why do you think that topic is important at the very moment? For
example, celebrity biographers clamor to write about a recently wed famous person or
about a person who has recently died. You cannot write all the details from birth to death,
unless it is a textbook type of nonfiction. If you want to draw and keep the attention of your
readers, then you have to highlight the parts that they would be interested in knowing
without being sensationalistic, of course.
Here are some examples of possible themes/topics that you can use based on your
situation:
If you live somewhere else other than your country – patriotism, pride, racism, family ties
If you are a student – struggles, temptations, relationship with parents, favorite teachers
If you are poor – struggles, secrets to success, goals
If you are rich – values, real friendship, hollow living
If you are sick – the disease, effects on family, death

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How Do You Prepare a Thesis Statement?
Basically, the premise that you have prepared earlier is a thesis statement. It is what your
story is all about, packaged in one statement.
You begin with:
1. This is a narrative/story about
2. A character
3. In this situation
4. Who does something about the situation
Example based on the above:
This is a story about a meek accountant who was wrongfully imprisoned but who proved
the system wrong through his and his family’s combined efforts to find more evidence.
It could be simple.
This is a story about a poor boy who likes to share everything he has despite the fact that
he could barely afford school shoes.

Organizing Your Ideas

In this day and age, it is no longer required to write your story from beginning to end or in
chronological order. You can start from the aftermath, going back to explain the most
important events. You can go back and forth, from past to present. If you are writing
something in the science fiction vein, even the future may be included. Of course, in the
creative nonfiction world, you may not be able to do that. You can only play with events
that have already occurred.
Organization is not just about chronology, either. It is also about being able to gather your
thoughts clearly. There are many ways in which you can do this:
1. Sketches and storyboards – If you have visual arts skills then you may consider drawing
what will happen so that you can better visualize the settings and the possibilities of the
actions that you have described in your story or narrative.
2. Lists and outlines – Before embarking on the story proper, write an outline of what will
happen in your narrative. This way, you will not be stuck at a dead end and will only need
to focus on the details.
3. Sticky notes and/or index cards – Write the plot points or subplots onto sticky notes or
index cards. You can inspect each of them in depth this way.
4. Outlining apps – Because we are in the 21st century, you can now take full advantage of
convenient apps that will help you outline your story. There are applications that can help
you write mind maps or plot storyboards. There are paid apps and free apps. Choose what
is right for you.

Glossary
Aftermath: the result of an unpleasant chain of events
Authenticity: state of being genuine
Chronological order: In order of events from beginning to end. Starting from the end to
the beginning is reverse chronological order
Fish out of water: being a character placed or thrust into a place wherein he or she is
new and different
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Elements as Techniques to Develop Themes

Hybrid: combination of features to create a new type

Victorian period: from 1837 to 1901, pertaining to the era of Queen Victoria’s rule
World building: describing a completely new world, as in the case of speculative fiction

References and Supplementary Materials

Books and Journals
Lopate, P. (2013). To Show and to Tell: The Craft of Literary Nonfiction. Wilmington:
University of North Carolina Wilmington.

Online Supplementary Reading Materials

How to Come Up with Great Story Ideas; http://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/5-
ways-to-come-up-with-great-story-ideas; 4th August 2017
Loglines and Premises; http://www.wheresthedrama.com/loglinespremises.htm; 4th
August 2017
Elements of Literature; http://mshogue.com/ce9/Gen_Info/elements_of_literature.htm;
26th July 2017

Online Instructional Videos

How to Find a Theme; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4qME64SkxM; 4th August
2017
Story Elements: Theme; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jl4_o9Kb4RI; 4th August
2017
Coming Up with Story Ideas; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7STtGXGTZwA; 4th
August 2017

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