MODULE 2

PRINCIPLES, ELEMENT, TECHNIQUES, AND

DEVICES OF CREATIVE NONFICTION

Whereas the preceding unit discussed the connections and

commonalities between creative nonfiction and the other older genres,
this unit zeroes in on creative nonfiction itself, in particular the various
elements that work together for the creative nonfiction text to effectively
serve its purpose. The writer should ensure such synergy if the text is to
be made interesting and worth reading. The reader should likewise pay
attention to such details not only to help him/her in comprehension, but
also to develop a sense of appreciation of the text and the human
realities (both good and bad, both our strengths and our frailties) that the
text embodies.
Life is breathed into the text through effective characterization, for
example, allowing the essay or the narrative to assume a human face.
The language of the text is made different from the drab, straightforward
discourse of everyday conversations through figures of speech. Events
are experienced vicariously through a compelling plot, setting, and
atmosphere.
Nonetheless, despite that "creative license," the writer—and also the
reader—should not forget the nonfiction nature of the genre.
Notwithstanding the liberal use of exaggerations and other literary
devices, creative nonfiction is still grounded in human realities and
relations, however complex. Creative nonfiction is actually one, true
enough, creative way by which the human mind addresses them.
Included in this unit is the discussion of some of the elements,
approaches, and techniques used in creative nonfiction. The sample texts
and corresponding activities aim to prepare the learner in applying his/her
knowledge of these basic aspects for the writing of an actual creative
nonfiction text in the succeeding unit.
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LESSON 1

CREATIVE NONFICTION: DEFINITION AND ITS ELEMENTS

“True stories, well told."

LEARNING
OUTCOMES

In this module, you will learn to:

 Identify basic elements of creative nonfiction
 Differentiate fiction and nonfiction

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 ACTIVITY

Based on the previous lesson, write your insights about creative nonfiction.

CREATIVE
NONFICTION

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 Lesson Topics

As the technological and educational trends are becoming more complex, the need of
people to factual information grew. Ronald Weber said: A large and growing public that feels it to
reality should take an interest and is looking for guidance as to what is currently “The Real Thing”
… a liberally educated public that had been through the required surveys of literature, yet, was
caught up by contemporary fascination with the new and the new and the topical.
Thus, the rise of nonfiction little by little crushes the popularity of fiction, and as readers
switch from reading short stories and novels to reading news articles when creative writing is
introduced. According to the literary magazine Creative Nonfiction, this fast-growing and
increasingly popular genre is defined as “true stories, well told.”

Before we proceed to the discussion of Creative Nonfiction, let us differentiate first Fiction
from Nonfiction.

“Fiction” refers to literature created from the imagination. Mysteries, science fiction,
romance, fantasy, chick lit, crime thrillers are all fiction genres. Examples of classic fiction include
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, 1984 by George
Orwell and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Our Fiction Department also has a large selection
of popular movies and television shows on DVD.

“Nonfiction” refers to literature based in fact. It is the broadest category of literature. The
Nonfiction Department has books and videos in many categories including biography, business,
cooking, health and fitness, pets, crafts, home decorating, languages, travel, home improvement,
religion, art and music, history, self-help, true crime, science and humor. We also have a section
of popular and award-winning documentary DVDs.
http://www.hooverlibrary.org/faq/fiction_vs_nonfiction

In simple terms, fiction is something imaginary and non-fiction is something that’s

true. In non-fiction writing, real people and real places are involved. On the other hand, in
fiction stories, everything is from the writer’s imagination. 
http://www.catherineshaffer.com/4-major-differences-fiction-non-fiction-writing/

WHAT IS CREATIVE NONFICTION???

 These are stories that depict real-life events, places, people, and experiences.
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  The best Creative Nonfiction tells a true story in an artistic – or literary – way. This
means that the story has certain elements such as descriptive imagery, setting, plot,
conflict, characters, metaphors and other literary devices.
 Usually, a work of Creative Nonfiction is narrated in the first-person, though sometimes
it can be written in third-person.

If genres are types, classes, or kinds of literature, art, music, etc., what to call the marks, signs or
formulas that identify a genre?

The literary-critical term is “conventions” which everyday speech might describe as: elements,
standard features, expectations, standards, devices, or set pieces.

CREATIVE NONFICTION BASIC ELEMENTS

When reading creative nonfiction, consider the following aspects of the text.

 Setting – where does the story takes place? What do we know about this location? How is
it describe, and to what effect?
 Plot – what happens in the story and in what order? How does the order of the events
impact their meaning?
 Characters – who are the people (or sometimes animals or other entities) in the story?
What kinds of characters are they? How are they characterized?

Types of Characters Description

1. Protagonist The main character of a literary piece.
2. Antagonist The one who opposes the protagonist.
Dynamic The one who undergoes an important, internal
change because of the action in the plot.
Flat The one who opposed to represent a stereotype
or generalization. They also do not change
during the course of the story.
Static The one whose personality doesn’t change
throughout the events in the story’s plot.
Round The major characters in a story, who encounter
contradictory situations and undergo
transformation.

 Theme – A topic of discussion or writing; a major idea broad enough to cover the entire
scope of a literary work.
 Technique and Figurative Language – how does the author effectively use language
as an artistic tool to render the story? What metaphor, similes, or descriptive imagery
does the author use to make the story immersive and why?

EXERCISE

Identify the following literary elements being described in each sentence.

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 ________________________1. The major or central idea of a literary piece
________________________2. The main character in the story.
________________________3. A form of literature which means real or factual stories.
________________________4. The protagonist goes on an epic journey, either personally or
geographically.
________________________5. This is where the story takes place.

LESSON 2

CREATIVE NONFICTION:PLOT AND CHARACTERIZATION

"Plot is no more than footprints left in the snow after

your characters have run by on their way to incredible
destinations."
—Ray Bradbury

LEARNING
OUTCOMES

In this module, you will learn to:

 describe plot and characterization as elements of creative nonfiction;

 describe the interplay between plot and characterization;

 analyze a sample text according to plot and characterization; and

 interview a person as a possible subject for creative nonfiction.

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 ACTIVITY

For 15 minutes, converse with your favorite friend through video call and ask him/her about
details from his/her life that you wish to know. Just be sure not to be offensive. When your friend
would not answer your question, respect his/her decision. The following are the questions that you
may ask:

1. Where do you live? Do you like the place where you live in?
2. What are the occupations of your parents?
3. How many are your siblings? Are you the eldest or the youngest? How do you feel about it?
4. What is your favorite food? Why?
5. What is your hobby? Why?
6. What do you like most or do you like least in a person?
7. What is your ambition? Why?

After conversing with your friend, write a paragraph describing your seatmate. Do not forget to
include his/her physical description—like body built, color of the skin, color and style of hair,
among others. You may use a separate sheet for this.

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Lesson Topics

PLOT
In the book Discovering Literature, plot is defined as "the story line, the sequence of actions
or events that gives direction to the story as a whole. When you study the plot, you focus
on what drives, motivates, or shapes the story. Plot maps out the itinerary that takes the
reader to the conclusion: Plot can be divided into the following:

 Beginning—initiating event
 Exposition - background information
 Rising action with conflict—the tension or problem experienced by the character
 Climax-the most intense part of the story
 Falling action or resolution—how the tension or problem is resolved
 Ending—completes the story

Sometimes, the ending is open-ended in which case the narrative lacks a clear closure. Let it
also be said that in some stories, the events are not arranged chronologically. Flashback is one
particular literary device that circumvents the principle of chronological arrangement of events.
A good plot will define a good character. The logical arrangement of events in the story will
give the character proper motivation. The reader will understand why a character behaves in such

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a way. "Know your characters as well as you know your best friend (Parra, 2011, 13)," as stated in
the book Playwriting for Dummies. Although this book is essentially for playwriting, the guidelines
of creating good characters are very useful in creative nonfiction. The book further says, "The key
to creating complete, lifelike, and believable characters are, the more readily audiences (or
readers) will empathize and sympathize with them" (ibid).

How to Begin?
 Catchy and clever titles have an advantage.

Examples:

“The Wild Man of Green Swamp” by Maxine Hong Kingston

“The Courage of Turtles” by Edward Hoagland

 Titles should give the reader a quick idea of what to expect, without giving away the whole
story (Hidalgo, 56-57)

Ways of Writing your First Paragraph for Creative Nonfiction:

 Passage of Vivid Description
 Quotation
 List
 Dialogue
 Little Scene
 Anecdote
 Question
 Striking Statement
 Reference to a current event which serves as the context of the action

How to End?
It is expected that the ending of a creative nonfiction piece is the logical conclusion of the flow of
your narrative or the development of your ideas. You must constantly bear in mind that the reader
should be left with a sense of completion. However, satisfying the ending does not mean that you
need to answer or resolve the issues that you raised in the essay you may even wish to end by
suggesting new problems or asking other questions. (Hidalgo, 109)

https://www.slideshare.net/MarrianneLedesma1/principles-elements-techniques-and-
devices#:~:text=Setting%20and%20Atmosphere%20Setting%20refers,evokes%20certain
%20feelings%20or%20emotions.

CHARACTERS AND CHARACTERIZATION

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CHARACTER is usually an imagined person who inhabits a story. In creative nonfiction, the
characters are actual people including the writer himself. However, the devices utilized by the
nonfiction writer in creating, developing and revealing characters are the same ones familiar to the
fictionist.

APPROACHES USED IN CHARACTERIZATION

1. Direct description- the characters are directly described by the author based on how his/her
appearance.

Example:

“There are photographs of him. The largest is of an officer in the 1914-1918 war. A new uniform-
buttoned, badged, strapped, tapped- confines a handsome, dark young man…”
“My Father,” Doris Lessing

2. Action and reaction- the character’s personality is revealed through their actions and how they
react to the events in the text.

Example: (Action)

“…He approached my seat, and I drew a deep breath of resolution. “Conductor,” I began with a
considerable edge to my voice… Instantly the doleful eyes of my seatmate turned tiredly from his
newspaper to fix me with a resentful stare…”

Example: (Reaction)

“I myself can occasionally summon the courage to complain, but I cannot, as I have intimated,
complain softly. My own instinct is so strong to let the thing ride, to forget about it…”
“Why Don’t We Complain,” William F. Buckley, Jr.

3. Other characters’ opinion- other characters in the text describe a certain character to reveal
the latter’s personality and/or behavior.

Example:

“My Aunt told me that when you were saved you saw a light, and something happened to you
inside! And Jesus came into your life! And God was with you from then on! She said you could see
and hear and feel Jesus in your soul.
“Salvation,” Langston Hughes
4. Dialogue- the character’s personality and behavior is revealed through his/her conversation
with the other characters in the text.

Example:

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“He would wander around the laboratory pleased with the progress all the students were making in
drawing the involved and, so I am told, interesting structure of flower cells, until he came to me. I
would just be standing there. “I can’t see anything,” I would say…”
“University Days,” James Thurber

5. Monologue- the character reveals his/her own personality and behavior

Example:

“…I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia sons of former slaves and the sons of
former slave-owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood…”
“I Have a Dream,” Martin Luther King, Jr.

6. Focusing on a character’s distinct behavior- the character will be known by the readers
because of a unique characteristic that he/she possesses

Example:

“…The interpreter asked how he lived in the swamp. He said he ate snakes, turtles, armadillos,
and alligators. The captors could tell how he lived when they opened up his bag…”
“The Wild Man of the Green Swamp,” Maxinne Hong Kingston

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 READER’S CORNER

The following selection is an introspective, even heart-rending, text about how a patient
touched lives while confined in the hospital.

MOMMY J. AT SAN VICENTE WARD

Alice M. Sun-Cua

“...it must be that / want life to go on living..."

—Robert Frost

I clutched the small stuffed teddy bear and walked briskly along the hospital corridors. I had
just done my morning rounds, discharging two patients who delivered normally two days ago, and
looked in on another that was operated on for a ruptured ectopic pregnancy the night before. I was
on my way to Room 314 at the San Vicente Ward in our hospital, to pay Mrs. J. a social visit. It
was Valentine's Day.
Mrs. J., a 58-year-old teacher, was diagnosed to have advanced ovarian cancer two
months ago, and was referred to me by a physician friend from a southern city because of
abdominal enlargement. She was operated on in the province with removal of all pelvic organs
when the ovarian malignancy was discovered. but the disease had already involved other parts of
her body. causing ascites (edema fluid) in the abdominal cavity to accumulate
The first time I saw her, she had extreme difficulty of breathing. She looked young to be 58,
her thick lustrous hair secured at the nape by a clip surrounded by fresh sampaguita flowers. I
later learned that she always had someone pick fresh sampaguitas in the morning then fashion
these flowers into a fragrant bunch to be attached to her hair clip. In spite of her breathlessness,
she managed to smile and greet me when I introduced myself, her Tagalog bearing an
unmistakable, lilting Hiligaynon accent. Taking salient points of her history, I realized that she had
full knowledge of what was happening. Two of her children, Rowena and Roberto, both in their
twenties, updated me with lab work-ups and medications from the previous hospital. Their father
will be flying in tomorrow, as the family business needed his close supervision.
After a formal referral to Dr. M., a gynecologic oncologist, (a gynecology specialist who
deals with cancer of the pelvic organs) I became a frequent visitor at Room 314, not so much as
an attending physician, for I had transferred Mrs. J. to the service of Dr. M., but as a friend.
She was sitting up on bed when I went in, holding what looked like a card. It was sent by a
friend from Iloilo City, she said, greeting her on Valentine's Day. Looking around, I discovered that
the room was festooned with red balloons, and a large computer printout tacked on the wall
opposite her bed with the words "Happy Valentine's Day, Mommy!" strewn across it. There were
numerous cards taped on the wall, too, under the "streamer", colorful patches they were, which
obviously made Mrs. J. very happy.
When I gave her the teddy bear she giggled, not unlike a teenager, and said I was indeed
spoiling her. "Mommy J.", as we learned to call her, had her long hair freed from the usual clips
she wore, and her hair was framing her beaming face in a dark brown halo. She scrutinized the
stuffed toy and giggled some more when she saw the cross-stitched message I sewed on the
apron: "For A Beautiful Lady" She held out her right hand and I caught it, as she pointed out the
cards on the wall. One was from a school friend in high school, another from a neighbor, and still
another from a close friend who was also a member of the Catholic Women's League. All around
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the room were tangible proofs of love for this woman whose spirit was untouched by the disease
that was ravaging her. She found time to write to relatives and friends, and one day I found her on
her wheelchair looking at newborn babies through the huge visitors' viewing glass in the Nursery.
She was talking to one of the new mothers, apparently a first timer, as I heard her talk about of all
things, breastfeeding, could almost see her now, talking animatedly with that younger woman,
relating her experiences as a mother herself.
But it was not all smiles and laughter for Mommy J. One morning while doing my usual call
on her, I opened the door to her room found it in half-darkness. The only halo of light found in the
patient’s bed, on Mommy J’s pallid face now heaving in spurts. The hiss of the oxygen valve
seemed unduly loud; it was the only thing one heard. It was not a large room, and the shadowy
outlines of the small bedside table and settee seemed to have made it look smaller. Rowena stood
in the shadows, her face burrowed in a white handkerchief, her shoulders heaving with
suppressed sobs. A nurse was adjusting the valve of the oxygen delivery system. It was another
bout of her living nightmare these days, those episodes of what the doctors told her to expect: her
lungs could no longer expand well because of the large amount of fluid accumulating in her
abdomen, compressing the lungs. An immediate drainage of the liquid relieved her temporarily.
Two days before, a suggestion for chemotherapy was made by Dr. M., and Mrs. J. and the family
were still considering it, as the patient had already expressed her desire to go back to the
province. "The fresh air would do me good," she said. After long discussions with the oncologist, it
was decided that she be brought home, in a week's time. The nurses in her ward took it upon
themselves to organize a send-off party for her, and it seemed that after staying for almost three
weeks in the hospital, Mommy J. had made a lot of friends.
The "party" was held in the corridor of the left wing of the ward, towards a cul-de-sac at the
far end of the hall. The nurses set up two long tables, and using clean white bed linens as table
cloths, prepared a filling merienda of sandwiches, pansit, ensaimada, barbecue, and cold drinks.
Someone ingeniously rounded up some red paper, cut them into ribbons and fashioned huge
bows, attaching them to the tables' sides. The affair was to be at four in the afternoon, but as early
as 2 p.m., the ward was already a-bustle with activity. Mommy J. came out of her room in a
wheelchair a little before 4 p.m., a smile on her lips, her eyes shining in anticipation. She was in a
brown printed batik caftan, her hair done up in a bun, with the bunch of sampaguitas adorning her
simple hair style. On her feet that day were her signature footwear: what looked like Lucero brand
leather slippers apparently bought from Iloilo City, the upper portion with exquisite multi-colored
beaded embroidery against a background of plush maroon velvet called peluz. Everyone crowded
around her, talking at the same time: nurses, student nurses, interns, resident physicians, and
even a handful of consultants who came early.
The afternoon held many surprises. First of all was the appearance Of Miss Elizabeth T.,
the hospital's head pharmacist, who had a reputation for being stern and Unapproachable. Miss T.
was over 50, thin and angular single, was often cranky and who seemingly never smiled. She
ruled the pharmacy like a monarch, and her steely eyes brought many young resident Physicians'
knees quivering when their written prescriptions did not come up to "her standards" (no chicken
scrawls for her, please; a doctor's handwriting Should be as clear as his/her thoughts, she always
said emphatically). That afternoon Miss T. surprised everyone by greeting Mommy J., offering her
a spray of white lilies, and mingling with the crowd easily. Most of the younger ones were quite
awed —or even afraid —of Miss T., but most of us consultants knew her quite well, having spent
most of our practicing days in the same hospital.
We found out then that Mommy J. became known to Miss T. because of frequent
prescriptions for pain killers, needed often because the disease had reached her bones: the pain
had become excruciating at times. So, it came to be that Miss T. lost her aura of mystery that

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afternoon, especially when some dance music started. It must indeed be the spontaneous
camaraderie that sprang from our common love for Mommy J., everyone started dancing. Even
Miss T. needed no further encouragement from us; she did a swing number with Danny, one of
the nurses who organized the affair. And Mommy J. was all the while tapping her feet to the fast
music.
This was the scene that greeted Dr, M., her gynecologic oncologist who was one of the
most revered specialists in Manila. He came in his hospital whites which were soon discarded,
and he even rolled up his long sleeves to ask one of the interns to do—to our surprise—the cha-
cha. Imagine Dr. M., then, a robust 60-year-old white-haired gentleman shuffling on the dance
floor, as we had cleared the space for him when he started dancing, carrying his hefty weight
easily, leading his partner with such grace we couldn't help but applaud after the number. Even
Mommy J. felt the exuberance of the moment: instead of simply shaking the hand of Dr. M. who
approached her after that rousing dance, she enclosed him in a tight hug.
I was not too sure if anyone noticed, but there was another surprise that afternoon: two of
our resident physicians in Internal Medicine, Laura and Marie, who had not been on speaking
terms with each other for almost a year (because of misunderstandings about patient care and
other more private things), were talking animatedly in one corner. I went up to them and casually
mentioned (pulling rank as it were, as a consultant) that it was good to see them together, for were
they not the best of friends before, in medical school. Both of them laughed sheepishly and said it
was the handiwork of Mommy J., who at this time was still entertaining her "guests" in one corner
of the ward. It seemed that Mommy J. got wind of Laura and Marie's situation and talked to them
separately. Whatever it was that transpired, it cleared the air between the two friends.
Danny came up to me later and asked if we could play "Auld Lang syne" as the last tune,
Mommy J. was showing signs of strain. I cautioned him against it, suggesting instead something
lively and "danceable", so he played, to everyone's glee, the "Lambada"
So, it was with this catchy tune, with its hint of playfulness, that we remember Mommy J.
the most. We received her "thank you" card a week after she went home to Iloilo City. When news
reached us about her passing away two months later, no one was surprised. But we still talk about
her often: her cheerfulness, her openness, her sunny disposition. And when we sometimes caught
a whiff of the scent of sampaguitas as we passed through San Vicente Ward, we again felt her
presence, and almost heard her soft voice, we whose lives were touched by her magic.

FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS:

1. Why was Mommy J. in the hospital?

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2. What makes Mommy J. likeable and lovable?

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 ______________________________________________________________________
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3. What is the attitude of the narrator toward Mommy J.?

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4. What are the lessons learned by the other people in the essay from Mommy J.?
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5. Give the plot of the narrative by filling in the story chart below.

Beginning

Exposition

Rising Action with Conflict

Climax

Falling Action

Ending

6. Complete the chart below by giving the names of the characters and their corresponding
description. Use a separate sheet for this.

CHARACTERS DESCRIPTIONS

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 WRITER’S CORNER

Interview (Online Interview) a person that you can have as the subject of a creative
nonfiction text. Ask the interviewee about his/her life, particularly the details he/she wants to
share. Use the story chart above as your guide. Add descriptive details about the character –
his/her physical appearance, traits, and other aspects of his/her personality. You shall be graded
according to the 5Cs of writing (with ten points each): clarity, conciseness, correctness,
completeness, and cohesion.
WRITE YOUR TEXT HERE

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