FICTION

- It is a general term used to describe imaginative work of prose, either a novel, short story, or novella.

- comes from a Latin word “ fictum” meaning “created”

CHARACTERISTIC OF LITERARY FICTION

Literary fiction is not a rigidly defined term, but most works of literary fiction include one or more of these facets:

1. Character-focused narratives

2. Ample symbolism, metaphor, and allegory

3. Advanced vocabulary infused with imagery

4. Ambiguous plot points, including even the work’s conclusion

Genre novels tends to be defined by the following characteristics:

1. Adheres to time-honored formulas for plot and character arcs

2. Typically more literal with fewer obscure symbols and allegories

3. Whatever symbolism might exist is typically clear and easily accessible to all readers

4. Often fits specific genres like mystery, horror, science fiction (sci-fi), romance, military thrillers, and spy novels

Literary Fiction Vs. Genre Fiction

1. Most critics define genre fiction as the opposite of literary fiction

2. more popular with large masses of readers

3. The best books are not necessarily literary novels, but such books tend to endure for decades if not centuries

TIM O'BRIEN

( American Novelist)

“That’s what fiction is for. It’s for getting at the truth when the truth isn’t sufficient for the truth.”

“ Fiction is the lie through which we tell the truth.”

Albert Camus 1957 Nobel Prize in literature

( French novelist, essayist and playwright)

“The good ended happily, and the bad unhappily. That is what fiction means.”

- Oscar Wilde

( Irish poet and playwright)

“ Sometimes fiction is more easily understood than true events. Reality is often pathetic.”

-Young-Ha Kim

(Korean Novelist)

“A poet is, before anything else, a person who is passionately in love with language.”

- W. H. Auden

“ Fiction is the truth inside the lie. “

Stephen King

(American Novelist)

“Fiction is the only way to form the formless of life.”

Martin Amis

( British novelist, essayist, memoirist and screenwriter)

FORMS OF FICTION

1. Flash Fiction
- it is also called short-short
- under the umbrella of short story that contain a limited amount of words that runs from 250 to 1, 000.

2. SHORT STORIES -

- written works that usually run from 2,000-6,000 words and is about 8 to 24 pages.
- can be read at a single sitting
- it ought to combine matter-of-fact description with poetic atmosphere
- it ought to present a unified impression of temper, tone, color, and effect
- there is little action, hardly any character development, but we get a snapshot of life

- The plot is very complex ( in contrast to a novel)

- Creates unified impression

- There is a close connection between the short story and the poem and there is both a unique union of idea and structure

NOVELS

- a work of 50,000 words or more (about 170+ pages)

- don’t need limits regarding length

- involve more characters, varied plots, and set up, and has a more open-handed coverage of time.

NOVELLA

- A work of at least 17,500 words but under 50,000 words (60-170 pages)

- considered as the story that plays somewhere between a short story and a novel
TYPES OF MODERN SHORT STORIES

Myths - These are tales involving the gods and goddesses

Examples:
The Trojan War
. Eros and Psyche
. Hermes and Apollo
. Jason and the Golden Fleece

Fables - a short literary literary composition in prose or poetry, conveying a universal or moral truth and generally the characters are animals.

. The First Monkey

. The Ants and the Grasshopper

. The Goose with the Golden Eggs

Legends - It is a traditional narrative or collection of related narratives, popularly regarded as historically factual but actually a mixture of fact and
fiction.

Romances - A literary genre popular in the Middle Ages,

in verse or prose, with legendary, supernatural,
or amorous subjects and characters.

Parables - It is a short, fictitious narrative, designed to illuminate a spiritual truth to convey a moral point

Examples:

-Jesus at a Pharisee’s House

. Parable of the Sower

. Parable of the Talents

. Parable of the Mustard Seed

Flash Fiction – stories with 300 words

Allegories - A fictional literary narrative or artistic expression that conveys a symbolic meaning parallel to but distinct from, and more important
than literal meaning.

Feghoot - An interesting short story type known as a story pun or a poetic story joke or a shaggy dog story.

Folktales - These are various kinds of narrative prose literature found in the oral traditions of the world.

Example:
. The First Monkey

Mini-saga - A short story told in exactly 50 words.

Fairytales - A simple narrative dealing with supernatural beings that is typically of folk origin and written or told for the amusement of children.

Examples:

. Hansel and Gretel, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty

DRAMA can be defined as a dramatic work that actors present on stage.

- A story is dramatized, which means the characters and events in the story are brought to life through a stage performance by actors who play
roles of the characters in the story and act through its events, taking the story forward.

- In enacting the roles, actors portray the character’s emotions and personalities.

The story progresses through verbal and non-verbal interactions between the characters, and the presentation is suitably supplemented by audio
and visual effects

Elements of Drama

1. PLOT = What

-the series of events that comprise the whole story that is told in a novel, play, movie, TV show, etc.

-The order of events occurring in a play make its plot -The entertainment value of a play depends largely on the sequence of events in the story.

-The connection between the events and the characters in them form an integral part of the plot.

-What the characters do, how they interact, the course of their lives as narrated by the story, and what happens to them in the end, constitutes the
plot.

2. CHARACTER

. the "people" in a novel, play, movie, TV show, etc.

that exhibit characteristics (attributes and experiences that determine or influence moral, ethical, intellectual and emotional actions, reactions and
thought processes)

. It is the characters who move the action or plot forward

The main character in the play who the audience identifies with, is the protagonist. He/she represents the theme of the play. The character that
the protagonist conflicts with, is the antagonist or villain.

3. THOUGHT/ THEME

- It can either be clearly stated through dialog or action, or can be inferred after watching the entire performance.

4. DICTION (Lexis)

- Refers to the dialogues of the characters

- The story is narrated to the audiences through the interaction between the play’s characters, which is in the form of dialogs.

- The contents of the dialogs and the quality of their delivery have a major role to play in the impact that the play has on the audiences.

- It is through the dialogs between characters that the story can be understood.

5. Music/Melody/ Rhythm

- This element includes the use of sounds and rhythm in dialogs as well as music compositions that are used in the plays.

-The background score, the songs, and the sound effects used should complement the situation and the characters in it.

-The right kind of sound effects or music, if placed at the right points in the story, act as a great supplement to the high and low points in the play.

-The music and the lyrics should go well with the play’s theme. If the scenes are accompanied by pieces of music, they become more effective
on the audiences.
6. SPECTACLE (OPSIS)/ Visual element

- the visual element deals with the scenes, costumes, and special effects used in it.

- renders a visual appeal to the stage setup

-The costumes and makeup must suit the characters.

it is important for the scenes to be dramatic enough to hold the audiences to their seats.

- The special effects used in a play should accentuate the portion or character of the story that is being highlighted.

Elements of Drama (Shakespeare)

Exposition

The information brought to the audience explaining the drama’s plot, history, setting, and theme.

(Prologue) It starts with a fight scene of the rival families, showing how the two families have been feuding for a long time and that Romeo and
Juliet will die because of the feud.

Inciting Incident or Conflict

Event or situation that sets the action and motion of the play.

Montague’s vs. Capulet’s; these two families have been rivals from the very beginning and because of it the two lovers cannot be with each other
ending them to commit suicide.

Rising Action – The events that build up tension in the drama causing further conflicts.

The action starts to build up during the balcony scene where Romeo and Juliet confess their love for each other. Both fallen deeply in love, they
decide to get married therefore planning out the wedding. The rising action continues through the marriage and the separation.

Climax – Turning point of the play.

The climax happens when Juliet goes with the plan to pretend to be dead, but because Romeo does not know, he then commits suicide.

Falling Action – Events that follow after the climax.

The action falls when Juliet awakes, finding her Romeo dead beside her, causing her to commit suicide after.

Denouement –Final action that completes the plot of the play.

Friar Laurence arrives seconds too late to prevent the Romeo from committing suicide.

Character – People represented in a play.

Protagonist – main character; character the story revolves around. Romeo and Juliet

Antagonist – character or force that opposes the protagonist.

The feuding family (Montague’s and Capulet’s); Tybalt; the Prince and citizens of Verona; fate

Secondary Characters – Other characters besides the

protagonist and antagonist. Friar Lawrence, Balthasar, Paris

Setting – Where and when the events of the play happen.

Place or location of the action

· Provides historical period, the moment, day and season the events take place.

These can be visually seen or eve heard from sound effects and music.

the setting of the play “Romeo and Juliet,” is during the Renaissance (14th – 15th century) and is located in Verona and Mantua (cities in Italy)

Theme – Words and actions of the characters in the play that make up the plot and dramatized idea of the play.

- The theme to the play “Romeo and Juliet,” is love as a cause of violence; the certainty of fate; forcefulness of love

Style – Expression or presentation of the play.

- The style of the play “Romeo and

Juliet,” is epic, passionate, and poetic.

Genre – Category of the play or drama. - The genre of the play “Romeo and Juliet,” is a tragic drama (tragedy).

Script/Dialogue – Text written with dialogue and instructions of the play.

Music/Sound - The sound effects and music that builds the play, gives the play a little more feel.

“Conflict is drama, and how people deal with conflict shows you the kind of people they are.”

- Stephen Moyer

Different Types of Literary Drama

Comedy - usually humorous play

The elements of a comedy include:

. Lighthearted tone

. Clever wordplay or turns of phrase

. Serious topics addressed in a humorous way

. Comical misunderstandings

. Happy ending

. Silly, offbeat characters

. Often ends with a wedding, especially in romantic comedies

• One of the most famous examples of a comedy is William

Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. Beatrice and Benedick transition from foes to lovers with clever banter and more than a few silly
misunderstandings. And, like all proper

DRAMATIC CONVENTIONS
A convention is a technique employed regularly in the drama so that the audience come to attach specific meaning to it.

When a technique is used repeatedly in a drama the audience recognise its significance.

They buy into it as an established way of telling the story.

Allusion - This is a reference to a person, place, event, usually without explicit identification.

Allusions can be references to mythology, the bible, historical events, geography, legends, or other literary works.

Authors often use allusion to establish a tone, create an implied association, contrast two objects or people, make an unusual juxtaposition of
references, or bring the reader into a world of experience outside the limitations of the story itself

- Shakespeare’s plots are frequently based on legends and historical events, which are also merely referred to in other plays.

- Shakespeare was fond of alluding to mythology and one of his most effective uses of that is in Antony and Cleopatra.

where the earthly lovers are frequently described in terms of Roman gods. In that play, the lovers transcend the limits of ordinary earthly romantic
love, and the imagery reflects and illuminates that idea.

Dramatic Device

Shakespeare’s plays are so gripping and suspenseful is that he was a master of the dramatic device.

A dramatic device is anything that drives the action.

In Macbeth, for example, the witches plant the idea of becoming king in Macbeth’s mind, which leads him to raise it with his wife, who encourages
him to kill Duncan, which he does.

Dramatic Irony is a situation in which the reader knows something about present or future circumstances that the character does not know.

For example, in Macbeth, when Duncan’s murdered body is found Macbeth behaves as though he’s angry with the supposed murderers but the
audience knows that he is, in fact, the murderer. That’s dramatic irony.

Monologue

Shakespeare’s plays are strewn with monologues – a long, uninterrupted speech that is spoken in the presence of other characters.

Unlike a soliloquy a monologue is heard by other characters.

Soliloquy

A speech in which a character, who is usually alone on the stage, expresses his or her thoughts aloud. It is a very useful device, as it allows the
writer to convey a character’s most intimate thoughts and feelings directly to the audience.

The convention is that the audience is allowed to hear the character’s thoughts. He or she is not talking, but thinking.

Shakespeare uses soliloquies liberally, and some of his finest pieces of writing are in this form, for example, the ‘To be or not to be’- (Hamlet)

ASIDE

- Allows a character to address a brief remarks to the audience or to another character which the other characters do not hear.

Symbolism

Shakespeare’s used of symbolism is one of his strongest, most distinguishing characteristic.

It is the frequent use of words, places, characters, or objects that mean something beyond what they are on a literal level.
If, for example, a writer uses the word ‘blood’ once its meaning will be confined to that instance in which it is used.

ACT

FOURTH WALL

- imaginary wall of the box theater setting, supposedly removed to allow the audience to see the action.

- it is common in modern and contemporary plays.

THEATER SPACES

B. THRUST

- The actors will have audience in three sides.

c. IN THE ROUND

- the actors are in a central playing area, and the audience surrounds them all sides.

- actors may have to enter and exit through the aisles

Traverse stage

- A stage where the audience sits on two sides

- This type of stage is good for creating an intimate atmosphere

E. BLACK BOX

- is a performance space that is exactly what it sounds like: a black painted square or rectangle.

“Conflict is drama, and how people deal with conflict shows you the kind of people they are.”

- Stephen Moyer

Different Types of Literary Drama

Comedy

. usually humorous play

The elements of a comedy include:

. Lighthearted tone

. Clever wordplay or turns of phrase

. Serious topics addressed in a humorous way

. Comical misunderstandings

. Happy ending

. Silly, offbeat characters

. Often ends with a wedding, especially in romantic comedies

One of the most famous examples of a comedy is William

Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. Beatrice and Benedick transition from foes to lovers with clever banter and more than a few silly
misunderstandings. And, like all proper Shakespearean comedies, it ends with a wedding!

Farce
. a type of broad comedy.

. It depends less on a narrative storyline and more on physical humor, sight gags, silly jokes.

Here are the parts of a farcical comedy:

. Exaggerated humor

. Slapstick gags

. Nonsensical storyline

. Improbable events

. One or two settings

. Humor is often crude and inappropriate

For a film reference, think of anything by Monty Python or National Lampoon. On the stage, the absurd humor in Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for
Godot is a farcical commentary on life, religion, and human relationships.

Melodrama - tells a serious story in serious ways.

it includes the following:

. Character tropes such as heroes, heroines, villains, mentors, etc.

. Sweeping stories of romance or serious topics

. Larger-than-life plots and circumstances (or very small stories told in big ways)

. Exaggerated character reactions

. Clear literary themes

. Flawed characters who must overcome their faults in order to reach their resolution

. Ending that is sometimes happy, sometimes unhappy

Consider Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House when referring to a melodrama. Nora’s over-the-top reactions place the play right into the definition of
melodrama. The ending is a mix of both happiness and hope for Nora, and sadness and despair for Torvald.

Operas are dramas in which the characters sing each line rather than speaking. The entire production is set to a musical score.

Attributes of Opera

. Musical soliloquies known as arias

. Plot-driving passages that can be non-melodic

. A libretto (text) set to a musical score

. Subject matter that is tragic, comic, or melodramatic

. Can incorporate an element of dance, but typically relies on singing performances

. Elaborate sets, costume design, and production

One of the most famous operas of all time is Giacomo

Puccini’s La Boheme. It tells the tragic story of Rodolfo, Mimi, and the world of French Bohemia. Set to one of opera’s most memorable scores, the
story reveals itself over the course of a year.

Musical Drama

It’s tempting to put opera and musical drama into the same category. However, their production proves that there are significant differences
between the two.

. Periods of standard storyline interrupted by songs

. Characters often singing in unison to express feelings

. Songs as plot-changing devices

. Dramatic or comedic storylines

. Catchy, distinctive musical score

. Often lots of singing and dancing

Many musicals, such as Les Miserables or Phantom of the Opera, are adapted from longer literary works.

Both of these musical dramas express their themes directly through song and progress the plot with musical numbers. They simplify their source
material by putting the most important characters and story elements on the stage.

Tragedy

. A protagonist with a tragic flaw

. Circumstances that quickly get out of control – and not in a funny way

. Darker themes than a melodrama, such as human suffering, hatred, or poverty

. Features the downfall of a previously heroic or wellliked character

. An irredeemable ending that results in one or more characters’ deaths

. Reaches a tragic catharsis

Shakespeare has any number of tragedies to choose from. But few can rival Othello for its cruel villain, its hero’s tragic downfall, and its desperately
sad ending. Othello loses everything he has ever loved or wanted because he can’t trust that he deserves the life he has.

Tragicomedy

A combination of a comedy and a tragedy.

Tragicomedies are more complex than a drama with a few jokes, or a comedy with a serious scene.

. A serious storyline told in a humorous, sardonic, or snide way

. Tragically flawed characters whose actions don’t result in death

. An ambiguous theme

. Broad characters who act in classically comical ways

. Neither a happy nor a comic ending