CHAPTER 3: READING AND WRITING FICTION

FICTION AND ITS ELEMENTS

What is Fiction?
- is a term used to describe an imaginative work of prose, either a folktale, a myth, a novel, a short story or a
novella. It is the creation of the writer’s imagination, or simply an imagined story – not true.
- Folktales are types of narrative prose literature found in the oral traditions of the world. These are stories
that grew out the lives and imaginations of the people which are passed orally from generations to
generations.
- A work of fiction is written through the use of ordinary and natural language with information or events
that are not factual or real, because it is invented and imaginary – that is made up by the author.
- A myth is a narrative tale involving gods and goddesses, it also describes practices and some explains
certain phenomena.
- A novel is an extended fictitious prose narrative which consists of 50,000 words or more and putting
emphasis on exciting events designed to entertain readers. Novel deals with human character in a social
condition, man as a social being. Novels are usually longer than a short story.
- Short story is fictional narrative that deals with a single incident that can be read at one sitting. While
novella is a prose narrative that is normally longer than a short story but shorter than a novel.

The Elements of Fiction

1. Characters - it refers to a representation of a human being or any other creature in the course of the story. A
character can be any person, a figure, an animate object, or animal usually endowed with human qualities. The
characters are the people or any figures in the story.
Types of Characters
a. Protagonist is the main character in a novel, play or in a story. The protagonist is also referred as the
hero of the work.
b. Antagonist is a character in a story who deceives, frustrates or works against the main character or the
protagonist.
c. Flat Character is a character who is the same kind of person at the end of the story as he/she was at the
beginning.
d. Dynamic Character is a character who undergoes a permanent change in the aspect of his/her
personality or outlook.
e. Tragic hero/Tragic figure is a protagonist who comes to a bad end as a result of his own behavior,
usually caused by personality disorder.
f. Antihero is a protagonist character who has the opposite of most of the traditional attributes of a
hero. This type of character may be bewildered, deluded, or merely pathetic.
Methods of Characterization
1. Direct Characterization -is also known as explicit characterization. This method of
characterization means that the author is directly describing the character to the reader.
2. Indirect Characterization- is a method by which the writer shows the character's personality
through speech, actions and appearance. A fictitious character’s personality is revealed
through the character's speech, actions, appearance, etc. Indirect characterization shows who
a character is based on what he/she does and speaks.

Point-of-View - is the perspective from which the story or work is told. Point –of-view is also
 CHAPTER 3: READING AND WRITING FICTION
defined as the eyes and mind through which the reader views the unfolding of events. It tells
through whose eyes we are seeing the story and as well reveals the attitude of the writer
toward the character.
First Person POV - This is used when the narrator is a character of the story. This point of view
is identifiable by the use of the pronoun “I.” Narrators of first-person fiction are characters in
the story. They can be the protagonist (very common choice), a participant in the action (a
major character), a bystander (a minor character, mainly an observer), or even a frame
narrator.
a. Second Person POV - This is the rarest narrative voice in literature. The narrator refers the
reader as “you” making the reader feel as if he/she is a character or part within the story.
Instructional manuals, how-to-guides and self-help books are usually written using this point-
of-view.
b. Third Person POV - This happens when the narrator does not take part in the story. The
narrator relates events, but is not one of the characters
Objective POV contains no references to thoughts or feelings; it only reports what can be seen
and heard. Third person limited; the narrator can relate to what is in the minds of only a
select few characters.
Third person omniscient, the narrator can render information from anywhere, including the
thoughts and feelings of any characters.
2. Plot - This refers to the series or sequence of e vents that give a story its meaning and effect. It is
built around the events that take place within a definite period. This is what happens to the
characters found in the work. Traditional Parts
This presents the events of a story in a non-chronological order. Gustav Freytag divided the plot
into five essential parts:
• Exposition is the introductory part that creates the tone, gives
the setting, and introduces the character and other necessary
facts in understanding the work.
• Rising Action contains several events to make the story more interesting,
in this part of the story the characters have encountered problems.
• Climax is the suspenseful part of the story. The character needs to face
the problem and the need to make a decision.
• Falling Action is the part of the plot where the character has already
made a decision about handling the problem and the story is coming
closer to the end.
• Resolution/Denouement is the final unravelling of a plot; the living
solution of a mystery; an explanation or outcome. Denouement is the
untying of the knot of intrigue, involving not only a satisfactory outcome
of the main situation but an explanation of all the secrets and
misunderstandings connected with the plot of complication.
Setting and Atmosphere
- is the story’s time and place. Setting is made up of geographical location, its topography,
scenery, physical arrangements, the occupations and the daily living of the characters, the time
or period in which the actions take place.
- Setting tells when and where the events occurred.
- Setting is one of the essential ways that a fiction writer establishes the mood of the story.

The Elements of Setting

1. Locale - This includes country, region, province or city, this as well includes specific locales,
 CHAPTER 3: READING AND WRITING FICTION
like neighborhood, street, house, farms, school, etc.
2. Time of year - The time of year is evocative and influential.
Time of year includes the seasons, together with holidays,
as well as significant dates.
3. Mood and atmosphere - Characters and events are influenced by weather, temperature
and other tangible factors, which in turn affects the mood and atmosphere of a scene.
4. Social, political, cultural environment- its influence can affect the characters in many ways.
The social era of a story often influences character’s values, social and family roles and
sensibilities which in turn describes and affect the setting of the story.

3. Conflict - A story without conflict or problem is lifeless. Every good story must have a conflict. Conflict is a
problem or obstacle encountered by the character within the story. Conflict creates tension and interest in a
story by adding doubt as to the outcome.
Types of Conflict
- Man vs. Man
- Man vs. Self
- Man vs. Nature
- Man vs. Society
- Man vs. Supernatural
- Man vs. Technology/machinery
-
4. Theme - Theme is the meaning or concept left to the readers after reading a piece of fiction. A
theme usually depicts and unifies the central topic of the story. It gives the reader a deeper
significance of the work to people’s day to day lives. Theme is the author’s way of sharing ideas,
perceptions, and feelings with readers, and it may be directly stated or it may only be implied.
Moral/lesson of the story is not the theme of the story.

5. Techniques and Literary Devices

Mode/Tone - Mood pertains to the atmosphere of a literary piece, as it creates an emotional
setting that surrounds the readers. Mood is developed in a literary piece through various
methods, including setting, theme, tone, and diction. It is a feeling that the readers get from
reading the work and it can be joyful, gloomy, frightening or mysterious.
While tone on the other hand, is the attitude of the author toward the writing and readers. It is
achieved through word choice, sentence construction and word order. A tone can be serious,
satirical, sarcastic or solemn.

Foreshadowing - A literary device used by authors to hint certain plot development that
perhaps will come to be later in the story. It is the presentation of material in a work in such a
way that later/future events are prepared for.

Symbolism and Motif - A literary device that contains several layers of meaning, usually
concealed or hidden at first sight. Symbol comes from the Greek word SYMBOLOM. Symbol is
any word or any object that stands for another word or object. This object or word can be seen
with the eye or not visible. For example: a dove stands for peace. The dove can be seen and
peace cannot. Motif is any element, subject, idea, or concept that is always present through the
entire body of work. Motifs are very noticeable and play a significant role in defining the nature
of the story, the course of events and the very fabric of the literary piece. A motif may also be
two contradictory elements in a work, such as good and evil. A motif is important for it allows
 CHAPTER 3: READING AND WRITING FICTION
one to see main points and themes that the author is trying to express.

Irony - is a literary device referring to how a person, situation, statement, or

circumstance is not as it would seem to be. It is the exact opposite of what appears to be. Irony
is discrepancy between expectation and reality.

Forms of Irony
Verbal irony - This is when one states one thing while meaning another. Verbal irony is often sarcastic.
Situational irony - It refers to a situation features a discrepancy between what is expected and what
is being actualized.
Dramatic irony - This happens when a character is unaware of crucial information already
revealed to the audience or to simply say that the reader is aware of something important,
which characters in the story are not aware of.

The Modes of Fiction- Narrative modes in fiction are the methods or ways that writers use in telling their
stories.

The Five Narrative Modes

1. Dialogue
2. Thought
3. Action
4. Description
5. Exposition