Preliminary activity

1. This pertains to the process by which a writer reveals the

personality of a character.

2. An element of a story that generally refers to the time and place of

the story.

3. An element of the story used to describe the main events of the

story.

4. This is the technical term for someone who writes a story for a
film.

5. This film genre induces strong feelings of excitement, tension,

suspense and other similar emotions.
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Preliminary activity
Choose the most likely author’s purpose from the given film plot
descriptions.

6. Sonita, a determined Afghan teenager who overcomes living as a refugee in

Iran (where female singers are banned from singing solo) and her family’s plan
to sell her into marriage o follow her dreams of becoming a rapper. (Sonita)

7. This documentary infuses empathy and ardor to our world’s oceans and their
vibrant ecosystems, as well as those working hard to save what’s left of it.
(Chasing Coral) 2
Preliminary activity
Choose the most likely author’s purpose from the given film plot
descriptions.

8. Goyo, one of the youngest generals during the Philippine-American war, led
key battles but made key tactical mistakes. (Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral)

9. During World War II, an escaped prisoner-of-war man makes his way to
Tibet, where he meets Dalai Lama, whose friendship ultimately transforms his
outlook on life. (Seven Years in Tibet)
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Preliminary activity
Choose the most likely author’s purpose from the given film plot
descriptions.

10. Riley’s mother praises her “brave and happy girl” for
keeping a smile on her face through the family’s difficult
transition. As the months go on, Riley struggles with the
adjustment and her parents told her it’s normal to be sad.
(Inside Out) 4
5 Important Elements of a
Short Story

The 5 key elements that make up a short story are:

Characters
Setting
Conflict
Theme
Plot
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 Character
 A character is a person, or sometimes an animal, who takes part in the
action of a short story or other literary work.
 Characters and how we get to know them:
 Through the author’s physical description of them
 Through their actions
 Through their words (dialogue)
 Through their inner thoughts
 Through what other characters say and think about them

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 Types of Character
 PROTAGONIST
 The main character that the story is focused on
 Often realistic, complicated human beings with just
enough strengths, weaknesses and contradictions to
remind us of ourselves.
 Propels of a story’s plot by wanting something and setting
out to get it done.

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ANTAGONIST
Character or force that blocks the
protagonist from achieving his/her goal.
Not necessarily evil.

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 Protagonist and Antagonist do not make up
the whole story. A story will contain other
subordinate characters ( neighbors, family
members, or passing strangers) may help
reveal the character of the protagonist and
antagonist and may help develop story’s
conflict.
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 Characterization
Characterization is a writer’s tool, or “literary
device” that occurs any time the author uses
details to teach us about a person. This is used
over the course of a story in order to tell the
tale.
Method used by a writer to develop a character

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 In the Harry Potter series, Dobby refers to
Potter as “the noble Harry Potter,” or
“good Harry Potter,” which shows us how
the house elf adores the young wizard. It
might also be a hint of how Dobby would
show affection for other people he admires.
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 CREATING A CHARACTERS
 How do writers create characters?
 Writers must decide upon the traits (special qualities)
they want their characters to posses.
 Writers reveal the character traits directly and indirectly.
 Direct characterization – a writer simply tells us directly
what a character is like.
 “Ericka was the most serious person in the school. She longed for
fun but was afraid of disappointing her very serious aunt.

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 Indirect characterization – a writer does not reveal traits
directly. The reader may have to infer based on
evidence. The writer reveals a character’s traits in five
unique ways:
 Appearance

 Dialogue

 Private Thoughts

 Actions

 Effects

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 Setting
 Setting is the time and place
that a story occurs.
 Authors often use
descriptions of landscape,
scenery, buildings, seasons
or weather to provide a
strong sense of setting.
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Multiple aspects to consider:
 Place - Geographical location; where is
the action of the story taking place?
Time - Historical period, time of day,

year, etc.; when is the story taking place?

Weather Conditions - Is it rainy, sunny,
stormy, etc.?
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
Social Conditions - What is the daily life
of the character's like? Does the story
contain local color (writing that focuses on
the speech, dress, mannerisms, customs,
etc. of a particular place)?
 Mood or atmosphere - What feeling is
created at the beginning of the story?
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 Theme
 Theme is the meaning behind events and characters’
actions in a story.
 The theme is the central idea, message, or purpose in
a short story.
 A theme can be expressed as a general statement
about people or life.
 It is NOT plot summary.
 It can be either directly or indirectly stated by the
author. Most likely indirectly. 23
 Conflict
 Conflict is any of the problems that a character encounters in a story.
 The conflict is a struggle between two people or things in a short story.
 The main character is on one side of the main conflict.
 Conflicts can be:
 1. External – conflict with others and with nature
 2. Internal – conflict within themselves
 The main character may struggle:
 against another important character
 against the forces of nature
 against society
 against something inside himself or herself (feelings, emotions, illness).

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 Plot
 Plot is a pattern of events that develop from the interactions
between characters.
 A plot is a series of events and character actions that relate to
the central conflict.
 There are 5 elements of plot:
 Exposition
 Rising Action
 Climax
 Falling Action
 Conclusion

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 Plot Diagram
5 Elements of Plot

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 Exposition
 The start or introduction of the story.

 The background information that the reader must

have in order to understand the story.
 This is where characters and setting are introduced.

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 Rising Action
 All of the events that take place leading up to the
climax.
 This is where the reader is introduced to the
conflict.

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 Climax
 The most exciting part of the story.

 The turning point in the story.

 Here the story is turned in a different direction,

toward the conclusion.

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 Falling Action
 The immediate reaction to the climax.

 All the actions that occur after the climax and

before the conclusion of the story.

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 Resolution

 The conclusion of the plot.

 Loose ends are tied up.
 There might not be a clear resolution. This is
called a cliffhanger ending.

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 The General Purposes of the Author

 to inform
writer’s purpose is directly and explicitly known from its
genre or its theme. For example, documentary films often
feature biographies of well-known personalities like civil-
rights leaders, president of a nation or even an ordinary
individual who made an extra- ordinary contribution to the
welfare of society.

 to entertain
does not necessarily mean to create a pleasant feeling such as
when watching those ‘feel-good’ type of movies like
comedies or those ‘happily ever after’ films.
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 A look at a movie scene

 a writer might want to evoke a certain emotion

 Setting plays an important role in communicating the
writer’s purpose.
 evaluate the characterizations of the characters such as the
emotions they portray and the delivery of their dialogues.
Through characterization, the writer lets you discover the
personality of the characters and why it matters in the plot of
the story. You also consider the settings, including the
physical set up, time of the event, and the musical
background played as these cements the mood and tone of
scenes. Lastly, the plot provides you with the storyline that
gives you the overall picture of the story.
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 A look at a movie scene

A subtext is an underlying message,

theme, or metaphor being conveyed
through the dialogues, images, background
music, or even the whole film itself. These
are not directly stated but rather realized
by the audience as they appraise the
characterizations, the settings, and the
story plot.
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