MODULE: CREATIVE WRITING

ELEMENTS OF FICTION

At the end of this module, learners will be able to:

 Defines the elements of fiction

 Identify the elements of fiction.
 Analyze the elements of fiction.

ELEMENTS OF FICTION
(Poems may contain some or all elements of fiction. For example, a narrative
poem (a poem that tells a story) may contain all elements.)

Setting is the time and place where a story or

poem takes place.Setting is a description of
where and when the story takes place. In a
short story there are fewer settings compared
to a novel. The time is more limited. Ask
yourself the following questions:
 How is the setting created? Consider
geography, weather, time of day, social
conditions, etc.
 What role does setting play in the story? Is
it an important part of the plot or theme? Or
is it just a backdrop against which the action
takes place?
 Does the setting change? If so, how?

 Study the time period, which is also part of the setting, and ask yourself
the following:
 When was the story written?
 Does it take place in the present, the past, or the future?
 MODULE: CREATIVE WRITING

Point of View / Narrative Voice is the

person narrating a story or poem (the
story/poem could be narrated in first
person (I, we), second person (you), or
third person limited or omniscient
(he/she, they).

Characterization is the development

of the characters in a story or poem
(what
they look like, what they say and do,
what their personalities are like, what
they think and feel, and how they are referred to or treated by others).

Dialog or Dialogue is the conversation between the characters in a story or

poem.

Dialect or Colloquial Language is the style of speaking of the

narrator and the characters in a story or poem (according to their region, period,
and social expectations).

Conflict is the problem or situation a

character or characters face in a story or
poem.

Plot is the series of events in a story or poem.

Tone and Voice are the distinctive,

idiosyncratic way a narrator has of telling a
story or poem (tone and voice depend on the
intended audience, the purpose for writing,
and the way the writer or poem feels about
his/her subject).

Style is the way a writer uses words to craft a story or poem.

The author’s style has to do with his or her vocabulary, use of imagery, tone, or
the feeling of the story. It has to do with the author’s attitude toward the subject.
In some short stories the tone can be ironic, humorous, cold, or dramatic.
 Is the author’s language full of figurative language: metaphors, symbols,
personification, etc.?
 What images are used?
 What is the tone or mood of the story?
 MODULE: CREATIVE WRITING

Mood is the feelings and emotions the writer wants the reader to experience.

Theme and Message are the main topic of a story or poem, and the message the
author or poet wants to convey about that topic.

For further reading please refer to the link provided:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWxYDihKiE4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOVMM60Sm2c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5vEfuLS2Qc

References:
 https://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/article-structure-in-
poetry#:~:text=The%20structure%20of%20a%20poem%20refers%20to%20
the%20way%20it,how%20it%20should%20be%20read.
 https://www.aresearchguide.com/poetry-structure.html