Creative Nonfiction q1 m1
Creative Nonfiction q1 m1
Creative Nonfiction q1 m1
12
Creative Nonfiction
Quarter 1 – Module 1:
Introduction to Literary Genres
Republic Act 8293, section 176 states that: No copyright shall subsist in any work
of the Government of the Philippines. However, prior approval of the government agency or
office wherein the work is created shall be necessary for exploitation of such work for profit.
Such agency or office may, among other things, impose as a condition the payment of
royalties.
Borrowed materials (i.e., songs, stories, poems, pictures, photos, brand names,
trademarks, etc.) included in this module are owned by their respective copyright holders.
Every effort has been exerted to locate and seek permission to use these materials from
their respective copyright owners. The publisher and authors do not represent nor claim
ownership over them.
Office Address: Corner Lapu-Lapu Plaridel Streets, Zone 3, Digos City, Davao del Sur
Telefax: ___________________________
12
Creative Nonfiction
Quarter 1 – Module 1:
Introduction to Literary Genres
Introductory Message
For the facilitator:
As the facilitator, you are tasked to guide the learners in navigating the
various activities crafted in this module in the pursuit of holistic learning. In addition,
please be reminded that the activities of this module shall be answered in a separate
sheet.
In this module, you will deal with different discussions and activities that will
help you deepen your understanding about Creative Nonfiction. You are expected to
hone your creative nonfiction skills as you explore the developed multifaceted tasks
included in this learning material.
ii
Let Us Learn!
Let Us Try!
1. What element in fiction or drama shows the overall message of the story?
a. plot b. setting c. character d. theme
2. What part of a plot introduces the conflict in the story or play?
a. exposition b. rising action c. climax d. falling action
3. What narrative device uses the past event to better understand the
present?
a. Flashback b. conflict c. Deus Ex Machina d. Irony
4. What narrative device provides a hint on what will happen next in the
story?
iii
Let Us Study
According to Leo Gutkind, “Creative Nonfiction heightens the whole
concept of essay writing. 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.”
Carolyn Force and Philip Gerard states that the literariness of Creative
Nonfiction distinguishes it from deadline reportage, daily journalism,
academic criticism, and critical biography. It is story telling of a very high
order through the revelation of character and 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)
While the said news is factual and true, it appears dull and lacks
interesting details. By using the genre of creative nonfiction, this new can be
transformed into a more interesting piece of information.
(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, says this one concert she would rather die
for than miss. Judging from tickets sales so far, at least 10,000 other people
agree with her.
Because of the addition of some fascinating details, the second
example is a more interesting paragraph than the first. Another example is
given below.
Example 1 Example 2
Now that we understand more Global warming is a reality.
about global warming, we need to And it is here. Now that we have
make our children realize how finally understood this, we have no
important it is for them to do their more excuses for inaction. Let us
part in protecting the environment. begin with our children. Let us
Examples are saving electricity and make them aware that the
water, using paper bags, and environment is also their
recycling paper. responsibility.
You already have learned about fiction and drama in your creative
writing class, however, as a form of review, let’s refresh our memory with
some terms.
Drama also employs point of view but this is not apparent and evident in
a play. What is visible is the interplay of dialogue between and among
the characters. This component that moves the action of the play. A
dialogue is what the viewers see and hear in a performance and these
are the words uttered by the characters in a dramatic play.
3. The development of plot in both fiction and drama has a pattern.
Generally, it contains the following:
More popular and modern types of fiction and drama divides the plot
into three general parts: the beginning, the middle, and the end.
Narrative Devices
Poetry is categorized into different forms- from the ancient epic to the
specific limerick-but generally there are about three major categories of
poetry: narrative, lyric, and dramatic.
Short and simple while others are long and complex. Epics
Narrative like Iliad, ballads like Lord Randall, and prose poems like the
poems metrical romance of King Arthur fall under this category.
The theme refers to the central idea, the thesis, the message a story
conveys, or a generalization or an abstraction from it. Theme is not
necessarily the moral or message of the story; it may be simply what the
story is all about.
An article co-authored by Grant Faulkner (2020) states that a theme
in writing is the underlying idea behind an article or story that unifies its
words into a coherent whole. The theme has been called the “muscle” or the
"vehicle" of a story.
A theme can be stated in one of two ways. It can be made explicitly,
usually in business correspondence, technical writing, and editorials. It can
also be made implicitly, usually in short stories, novels, and movie scripts.
In this case, the theme often emerges as the moral of the story.
A strong, well-defined theme enables the reader to see the deeper
meaning in your story and the intention behind your own motivation for
writing it. While the structure and purpose of writing fiction and non-fiction
differ, there are techniques common to both forms of writing, as described
by Faulkner (2020) below.
1
Understand the difference between "subject" and "theme." "Subject" is a
more general term than "theme." In non-fiction, the subject is a general topic
of interest, while in fiction, the subject is some aspect of the human
condition explored within the work. A theme is an explicit or implicit
statement about the subject.
2
Identify the purpose of your writing. The purpose behind your writing will
shape how you develop your theme in the piece. There are numerous
purposes as to why someone writes. Your writing may serve any of these
purposes (or any combination thereof):
Documenting or recording an 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
Entertainment
3
Identify your audience. Understanding who your audience is lets you
determine which themes are appropriate to your audience. This will also
help you identify how best to present those themes to your audience. You
can determine what themes are appropriate to your audience by realistically
assessing how much knowledge and experience the audience has.
For example, in a business marketing letter, your audience will be
prospective customers. Your purpose is to inform or persuade them to
buy, and your theme might be to show them how your product will
meet their needs. You may include statements of needs your customer
will identify with, and then follow each statement with a short
paragraph about how your product relates to that need.
Dr. Seuss wrote books for young children, requiring him to use a
limited vocabulary. His "The Star-Bellied Sneetches" had a theme of
learning to accept differences. In the story, the Sneetches learn to
accept differences after applying and removing their belly stars so
many times that they no longer remember their original appearances.
In telling the story, Seuss used short words, made up words, and
wrote in a distinctive rhyming cadence that made his words. This
helps the reader recognize and remember the lessons behind them.
4
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. In contrast, shorter works, such as short stories or
editorials, usually have room to address only a single theme, although they
may give passing reference to supporting ideas.
1
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. If you have an idea for a story, it will be helpful
to sketch out the story. Then you can start to determine the different
directions it can take. This then points to potential themes that you can
focus on. Outline your story, listing the characters and setting out the order
of events that will happen in the story.
2
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. In this exercise,
focus on your theme – either the word or phrase (such as “family” or
“environment” or “corporate greed”). Let your mind wander and observe the
thoughts, people, images and so on that enter into your mind. Write down
these thoughts and images.
Try out the technique of “mind-mapping”. In this technique, you start
with a central idea and begin to map out the ways in which the story
develops. This way, you can also start to identify how the theme
weaves through the story.
3
Look into your character’s motivations. Your story’s characters are
tasked with goals and aspirations. These motivations drive your character to
act certain ways. These actions often feed into your theme.[4]
For example, if your character is passionate about becoming a vegan,
you might start to examine themes of whether humans have the right
to take control over the natural world.
In many non-fiction pieces, such as a letter to the editor, you are the
“character” and your motivation is what will define the theme. For
example, if you are writing a letter to your congressperson about a
recent oil spill in your community, your theme could be something
like the need for environmental cleanup and responsibility.
4
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.
When you figure out the central conflict of your story, you may start to
uncover your theme.[5]
For example, your character’s parent committed a crime. Your
character, a police officer, is faced with a moral dilemma of whether
to arrest the parent or not. Your theme could start to emerge from
this conflict.
5
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 in which they
interact as realistic as possible.
6
Realize that you can have more than one theme. There isn’t any rule that
says you can only have one theme. You may have a dominant theme with
sub-themes that strengthen and deepen your thematic dimension.[6] For
example, perhaps your dominant theme is the human impact on the
environment, and you have sub-themes of corporate greed and the
breakdown of community in modern society.
1
Choose ways to present your theme to your reader. A solidly presented
theme will emerge through many different facets of your story. Start
thinking about how your theme will become apparent to your readers. Some
of these ways include:
Through characters’ actions, thoughts and speech
Through symbolic use of the environment
Through repeating ideas
Through highlighting symbols or landmarks
Through contrasting values
2
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. Narration is used in most newspaper
articles and commonly in stories told in the first person
3
Use description to build an image in the reader’s mind. Description is
the use of words that invoke the senses to build an image in the reader's
mind of the item being described. Description is particularly powerful in
fiction as a substitute for narration. Instead of writing that a character was
angry, you describe the character as having bulging eyes, flared nostrils,
and a beet-red face, and use "thundered," "shouted," or "screamed" in place
of "said" to describe the character's voice.
4
Use the tool of comparison and contrast. Comparison is showing the
similarities of two or 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 protagonists in Mark Twain's "The Prince and
the Pauper." It can also be used for a side-by-side comparison of laptop
computer features.
5
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.
6
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." This represents
Usher's own disquiet after his sister's burial. Symbolism is more common in
fiction than non-fiction and requires the reader to be familiar with the
symbols you use and their intended meaning.
10
1
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. See if they can
identify your theme without prompting.
Be open to the ways that other people respond to your writing. They
might be able to point out errors that you regularly make, which can
help clarify and improve your writing. They might also ask thought-
provoking questions that helps you consider an angle you hadn’t
previously considered.
Remember that this feedback is not intended to be personal; they are
responding to the writing, not to you.
2
Put away your writing for a few days. Get some distance from your writing
by putting it away for a bit. Sometimes when we write, we’re so invested in
the story and shaping the words that we lose sight of the bigger picture.
Take a break from your writing by turning your focus to a different project
for a few days. Then come back to your writing and reread it.
3
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. You may recognize that, while you thought your theme was one
aspect, your readers interpreted it very differently.
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.
A change to your theme might necessitate adding or deleting some
passages that do not strengthen your theme.
11
confidence or identity.
6. Time
a. Enjoy life now, for the present moment, because we all die too soon.
b. By the time we understand life, there is too little left to live.
7. Death
a. Death is part of living, giving life its final meaning.
b. Death is the ultimate absurd joke on life.
c. There is no death, only a different plane or mode of life without
physical decay.
d. Without love, death often appears to be the only alternative to life.
8. Alienation
a. An individual is isolated from fellow human beings and foolishly
tries to bridge the gaps.
b. Through alienation comes self-knowledge.
c. Modern culture is defective because it doesn't provide group ties
which in primitive cultures make alienation virtually impossible.
Example:
Let Us Practice
Task 2. Direction: Read and analyze the poem given below and answer the
questions that follow using your answer sheet.
Finder Loser
Ophelia Alcantara Dimalanta
13
2. In the first few lines of the stanza, the persona admits that s/he
constantly loses and finds objects (papers, receipts, letters, pills, etc.), but
towards the end of the stanza, the persona admits not “finding what I
can’t almost have-one perpetual lifetime probe, of my life’s past disarray.”
What does s/he mean by this?
Task 3. Write a four-line stanza poem 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.
I Am
Let Us Remember
One day, Tungkung Langit told his wife that he would be away from for
some time to put an end to the chaotic disturbances in the flow of time and in
the position of things. However, despite this purpose, Alunsina sent the sea
breeze to spy on Tungkung Langit. This made the latter very angry upon
knowing about it.
Immediately after his return from his trip, he called this act to her
attention, saying it was ungodly of her to be jealous, there being no other
creature living in the world except the two of them. This reproach was
resented by Alunsina and a quarrel between them followed.
Narrative detail:
__________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Tungkung Langit: _________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Alunsina: _________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Tungkung Langit: _________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Alunsina: _________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Tungkung Langit: _________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Alunsina: _________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Tungkung Langit: _________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Alunsina: _________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Let Us Assess
Let Us Enhance
Task V. Read the questions below and write the correct answer on
your answer sheet.
Let Us Reflect
You did a great job in completing our module! Kudos to your hard
work! Let us look back from where we have started and complete the
chart below. Let us reflect towards your journey in our module.
I thought………
I learned that…….
Task I Task V
d 5. b 5.
a 4. vary. a 4.
a 3. Answers may c 3.
b 2. d 2.
d 1.
d 1. 4 Task II to IV
References
Book
Aguila, Augusto, Galan, Ralph and Wigley, John Jack.
Telling the Truth: The Art of Creative Nonfiction for
Senior High School. Quezon City: C & E Publishing,
Inc., 2017
Online Source
http://files-do-not
link.udc.edu/docs/Common_Themes_in_Literature_Literary_Themes.pdf
https://www.wikihow.com/Develop-a-Theme-when-Writing#References