Creative Non-fiction

According to Leo Gutkind

- It allows a writer to employ the
diligence of a reporter, the shifting
voices and viewpoints of a novelist,
the refined wordplay of a poet and
the analytical modes of an essayist.
 According to Carolyn Force and Philip Gerard
- revelation of character
- the suspense of plot
- the subtle braiding of themes and resonance
- Memory and imaginative research
- Precise and original language
 This definition certainly
makes creative nonfiction
the most exciting and the
most widespread genre in
the literary world today.
 Example

1. On July 15, Rivermaya will have a

concert at the Araneta Coliseum.
The band has just arrived from a
successful tour in China and
Indonesia. Tickets for the concert
are selling quickly. (Ordinary News)
2. fans of Philippine musical band
Rivermaya are in for a real thrill. On July
15, their idol, fresh from their sold-out
tour in China and Indonesia, will be at the
Araneta Coliseum for a single concert.
Marie Andrada, 18, a communication Arts
major in UST, sayst his one concert she
would rather die for than miss. Judging
from tickets sales so far , at least 10,000
other people agree with her
 Example 1
Example 2
Now that we understand
Global warming is a reality.
more about global warming,
And it is here. Now that we
we need to make our children
have finally understood this,
realize how important it is for
we have no more excuses or
them to do their part in
inaction. Let us begin with our
protecting the environment.
children. Let us make them
Examples are saving electricity
aware that the environment is
and water, using paper bags,
also their responsibilities.
and recycling paper.
 Creative

Use of Literary craft in

the writing nonfiction
 Creative Non-fiction

The writer “Communicate

information just like a
reporter, but shape in a way
that reads like fiction”
Understanding the Genres of Fiction and
Drama
 Fiction

Defined as a “series of imagined

facts which illustrates truths about
human life”. It is commonly called
“stories,” and can either be short
(short story) or rather long (novella
or novel).
 Drama

also uses the traditional

conventions of fiction but has
additional distinctive
characteristics of being
performed and mounted on
stage.
 Comparison and Contrast of the
Conventions and Devices between Fiction
and Drama
FICTION- is generally classified as a short story
or novel.
2 types of FICTION
a. Short Story
b. novel
 Short Story

A brief artistic prose form

that centers on a single main
incident and intends to
produce a single dominant
impression.
 Novel

an extensive prose or
narratives that contains
chapters and interludes.
 Plays
Are generally classified into acts or
major divisions
2 types of Plays
a. One-act play
b. Three act play
 One act Play

It has one unit of time, one

unit of place, and one unit of
action and play
 Three act play

It showcases a long
exposition of the theme
and conflict.
 Point of View
The vantage point or the angle from
which the readers can see how the story
unfolds.
It can be told from the perspective of a
narrator, a main supporting character, or an
observer.
It can also come from an omniscient (all-
knowing) being.
 Drama also employs point
of view but this is not
apparent and evident in a
play
 In drama, it is the interplay of dialogue
between and among the characters that is
visible.
This component that moves the action of the
play.
 Dialogue

A dialogue is what the viewers

see and hear in a performance
and there are words uttered by
the characters in a dramatic
play.
 ELEMENTS OF PLOT
EXPOSITION
RISING ACTION
CLIMAX
FALLING ACTION
RESOLUTION/DENOUEMENT
Expostion – Introduces the characters and
dramatic situation of the story or play.
Rising action – Introduces the conflict of
the story or play
Climax – Introduces the central movement
of crisis that defines the conflict
Falling Action – Introduces the aftermath
of conflict (whether it is resolved or not)
Resolution/Denouement – Introduces the
moment of insight, discovery, or revelation
of the character after falling action.
 Three General Pars

The Beginning
The Middle
The End
 Narrative Devices

Foreshadowing
Irony
Flashback
Conflict
Deus ex machina
 Foreshadowing

It is used in fiction and

drama as a guide or hint at
what is to happen next in
the story
 Irony

Also used both in fiction and

drama when words that are
uttered, either by the author or
characters in the story, are
opposite of what they really
mean.
 Flashback

Is employed by the author or

playwright through the use of
past events that will help the
readers understand the present.
 Conflict

It is both present in fiction and

drama. It provides and
showcases the opposing
objectives of the protagonist
and the antagonist, or inside the
protagonist.
 Deus ex machina

In both fiction and drama was

once a noble strategy. Today, it
is a sign of weakness in the
written work. Today it refers to a
contrived element in the plot to
solve a problem.
 Genre of Poetry

Poetry uses a more

intensified, focused, and
intricate language than prose.
Poetry was the language of
People
1. Poetry attempts to achieve beauty.
2. Poetry is imaginative, or makes use of
strength of imagination.
3. Poetry is musical, melodic, and
rhythmical
4. Poetry makes use of language that is
metaphorical or symbolic, not direct.
5. Poetry is more concentrated than prose.
6. Poetry makes use of brevity and conciseness.
 3 Major categories of poetry

1. Narrative
2. Lyric
3. Dramatic
 Narrative Poems

Short and simple while others

are long and complex. Epics like
Iliad, ballads like Lord Randall, and
prose poems like the metrical
romance of King Arthur fall under
this category.
 Dramatic Poems

Employ dramatic form or

elements of dramatic technique as
dialogues or characters, instead of
just a single speaker or persona.
Eliot’s the Long Song of J. Alfred
Prufrock is a typical example of this
 Lyric Poems
Brief in structure and subjective in
expressing the thoughts and emotions
of the persona, the speaker of the
poem. Originally written to be sung to
the accompaniment of a lyre, the
words in these poems could be lyrics
which are strongly melodic
Identifying the purpose of your writing

The purpose behind your

writing will shape how you
develop your theme in the piece
• Documenting or recording and event or
information
• Reflection on an idea
• Demonstration of knowledge
• Summary of information
• Explanation of an idea
• Analysis of a Problem
• Persuasion
• Theorization that speculates or seeks to
explain an issue.
 Identifying your audience
Understanding who your
audience helps you determine
which themes are appropriate
to your audience.
Consider the length of what you’re writing

Longer works, such as novels

or memoirs, permit the
inclusion of other themes
subordinate to the primary
theme of your work.
Preparing to develop Your theme
 Fiction Or Non-Fiction?

A book about a
cat that talks
 A book about
animal life cycle
 A documentary
on TV
 Kuruko’s
Basketball
 Romeo And
Juliet
 Theory of
Everything by
Stephen Hawking
 A documentary of
the Covid 19
 Defining your theme
• Make an outline of your story –
Most stories start with a kernel of
an idea. This may hint at the
theme of your story, or the
theme may emerge through the
development of the story.
• Brainstorm ideas that can
represent your theme – Once
you’ve identified a theme for
your story, you can start to think
about ways in which to represent
that theme. Start with a free
association exercise.
 Try out of the technique of mind-
mapping
• Look into your character’s
motivation – Your story’s
characters are tasked with goals
and aspirations. These
motivations drive your character
to act certain ways.
 For example, if your character is
passionate about becoming a
vegan, you might start to examine
themes whether humans have the
right to control over the natural
world.
• Think about your story’s
conflict – The characters in
your story are faced with a
conflict that drives the plot.
This may be an event or an
antagonist.
 For example, your character’s
parent committed a crime. Your
character, a police officer, is
faced with a moral dilemma
whether to arrest the parent or
not.
• Research to support your theme
– Research is important in both
non-fiction and fiction. In non-
fiction, you are primarily looking
for facts to support your theme
and the points supporting it.
In fiction, research also feeds
into making your characters
and the environment which
they interact as realistic as
possible.
• Realize that you can have more
than one theme – there isn’t any
rule that says you can only have
one theme.
Weaving Your Theme into Your Writing

• Choose ways to present your

theme to your reader. – A
solidly presented theme will
emerge through many
different facets of your story.
 Ways to present facts and details
• Through character’s actions, thoughts
and speech
• Through symbolic use of the
environment
• Through repeating ideas
• Through highlighting symbols or
landmarks
• Through contrasting values
• Use narration to present facts
and details – Narration means to
present facts and details in an
organized, usually chronological
fashion to tell what happened
and who it happened to.
• Use description to build an
image in the reader’s mind –
Description Is the use of words
that invoke the senses to build
and image in the reader’s mind of
the item being described.
- you describe the character as
having bulging eyes, flared
nostrils and a beet-red face
- Use “thundered,” “shouted,” or
“screamed” in place of “said” to
describe the character’s voice.
• Use the tool of comparison and
contrast – Comparison is showing
the similarities of two ore more
things. Contrast is showing the
differences between two or more
things. Comparison and contrast can
be used in both fiction and non-
fiction.
 For example, comparison and
contrast was used to describe the
lifestyles of the protagonist in Mark
Twain’s “The Prince and the Pauper.”
It can also be used for a side-by-side
comparison of laptop and computer
features
• Try an Analogy – A form of
comparison and contrast, the
analogy compares something
familiar to something
unfamiliar to explain the
unfamiliar item.
 An example of an analogy is
comparing Earth’s size in the
universe as a grain of sand.
• Incorporate symbolism into your
story – Symbolism is using something
to represent something else, such as
the storm gathering around Roderick
Usher’s house in Poe’s “ The Fall of
the House of Usher.”
 Finalizing your theme
• Get Feedback - allow lots of
people read your writing. It is
helpful to get other eyes on a
piece of writing so that you know
whether your ideas are conveyed
clearly. Ask these readers about
their impressions.
• Put away your writing for a
few days – Get some distance
from your writing by putting it
away for a bit.
• Make changes to your theme –
Based on your own evaluation of
the piece, as well as the feedback
you’ve solicited from others,
make alterations to your theme.
 For example, perhaps you have
been focusing your theme on a
firefighter’s triumph over her
parents’ disapproval. But then you
realize that your story is really
about the firefighter’s struggle in a
male-dominated profession.
 Common Themes in Literature
1. The individual in Nature
2. The individual in Society
3. An individual’s Relation to the gods.
4. Human Relations
5. Growth and Initiation
6. Time
7. Death
Example:
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
Themes: Good Vs. Evil, Courage
Thematic Statement: With courage,
even the smallest among us can play a
powerful role in defeating darkness
Example:
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Theme: Love, Class
Thematic Statement: Class divisions
breed prejudices that can blind us to
happy possibilities.
 Task
• Write a four line stanza using this
title, I am.
• In this short poem write about your
thoughts about yourself-your
character, fears, and virtues. You can
also write about your dreams and
aspirations