Elements of Creative

Nonfiction
 Plot
◉ The sequence of events that make up a story, whether it’s told, written, filmed, or
sung
◉ The plot is the story, and more specifically, how the story develops, unfolds, and
moves in time.
◉ It is made up of exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, denouement/
resolution
 Types of Plot
a. Overcoming the Monster
◉ The protagonist must defeat a monster or force in order to save some people—
usually everybody!
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.
 Types of Plot
c. The Quest
◉ The protagonist embarks on a quest involving travel and dangerous adventures in
order to find treasure or solve a huge problem
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.
 Types of Plot
e. Comedy
◉ A happy and fun character finds a happy ending after triumphing over
difficulties and adversities.
f. Tragedy
◉ The protagonist experiences a conflict which leads to very bad ending, typically
death.
 Types of Plot
g. Rebirth
◉ The protagonist is a villain who becomes a good person through the experience of
the story’s conflict.
 Characters
◉ character can be any person, a figure, an inanimate object, or animal

Types of Characters
A. Confidante
◉ A confidante is someone in whom the main character confides. He reveals the
central character’s thoughts, intentions, and personality traits. However, a
confidante need not necessarily be a person. An animal can also be a confidante.
 Types of Characters
B. Dynamic Character
◉ A dynamic character changes during the course of a novel or a story. This change in
character or his/her outlook is permanent. That is why sometimes a dynamic
character is also called a “developing character.”
C. Static Character
◉ A static character remains the same throughout the whole story. Even the events in
a story or novel do not change character’s outlook, perceptions, habits, personality,
or motivations.
 Types of Characters
D. Antagonist
◉ An antagonist is a bad guy, or an opponent of the protagonist or the main
character. The action in the story arises from a conflict between the protagonist and
the antagonist. The antagonist can be a person, an inanimate object, an animal, or
nature itself.
E. Protagonist
◉ Every story has a protagonist, the main character, who creates the action of the plot
and engages readers, arousing their empathy and interest. The protagonist is often
a hero or heroine of the story, as the whole plot moves around him or her.
 Types of Characters
F. Round Character
◉ The round characters are well-developed and complex figures in a story. They are
more realistic, and demonstrate more depth in their personalities. They can make
surprising or puzzling decisions, and attract readers’ attention. There are many
factors that may affect them, and round characters react to such factors realistically.

G. Flat Character
◉ A flat character does not change during a story. Also, he or she usually only reveals
one or two personality traits.
 Characterization
◉ writer’s tool, or “literary device” that occurs any time the author uses details to teach us
about a person

Types of Characterization
a. Direct/Explicit
◉ This is clearly informative, and often uses the narrator, the protagonist, or the
character themselves.
◉ Ex: “Clara had always been a smug, wicked little princess,”
 Types of Characterization
b. Indirect/Implicit
◉ This more subtle method of characterization relies on you, the reader, to decide for
yourself what it means.
 Point of View
◉ point of view is the mode of narration that an author employs to let the readers
“hear” and “see” what takes place in a story, poem, or essay.
◉ First, Second, Third Person Point of View (objective, limited omniscient, omniscient)
 Setting and Atmosphere
Atmosphere
◉ Atmosphere is the overall mood of a story or poem. It’s usually something readers
can’t quite put their finger on – not a motif or a theme, but a “feel” that readers get
as they read.

Setting
◉ This refers to the time and place of the story
 Symbols and Symbolism
Symbolism
◉ Symbolism is often used by writers to enhance their writing. Symbolism can give a
literary work more richness and color and can make the meaning of the work
deeper
◉ Ex.: Black is used to represent death or evil.
 Dialogue
◉ A dialogue is a literary technique in which writers employ two or more characters to
be engaged in conversation with one another.

Types of Dialogue
Inner Dialogue
◉ In inner dialogue, the characters speak to themselves and reveal their personalities.
To use inner dialogue, writers employ literary techniques like stream of
consciousness or dramatic monologue.
 Types of Dialogue
Outer Dialogue
◉ Outer dialogue is a simple conversation between two characters, used in almost all
types of fictional works.
 Scenes
◉ the place where events in real life, drama, or fiction occur