Creative Non-Fiction G12 Module March
Creative Non-Fiction G12 Module March
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II - PRE-ASSESSMENT
Do you ever wonder the different theme/analysis and techniques used
in particular text, article, narrative, biography, autobiography, memoir,
diary, travelogue, literary journal, chronicle and personal essay?
Well you can write any idea you have inside the box. Choose only one.
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to a new trend called creative nonfiction, which uses the techniques of
fiction to report on true events.
The new term docufiction appeared at the beginning of the 21st century.
It is now commonly used in several languages and widely accepted for
classification by international film festivals. Either in cinema or
television, docufiction is, anyway, a film genre in full development
during the first decade of this century. The word docufiction is also
sometimes used to refer to literary journalism (creative nonfiction).
(https://findwords.info/term/docufiction)
A documentary film is a non-fictional motion-picture intended to
"document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education, or
maintaining a historical record" - compare documentary theatre. Bill
Nichols has characterized the documentary in terms of "a filmmaking
practice, a cinematic tradition, and mode of audience reception [that
remains] a practice without clear boundaries". Documentary films,
originally called "actuality films", lasted one minute, or less. Over time,
documentaries have evolved to become longer in length, and to include
more categories; some examples being: educational, observational, and
docufiction. Documentaries are meant [by whom?] to be informative
works, and are often used within schools, as a resource to teach
various principles.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Documentary_film)
Gonzo journalism is a style of journalism that is written without claims
of objectivity, often including the reporter as part of the story via a first-
person narrative. The word "gonzo" is believed to have been first used
in 1970 to describe an article by Hunter S. Thompson, who later
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popularized the style. It is an energetic first-person participatory writing
style in which the author is a protagonist, and it draws its power from a
combination of social critique and self-satire. It has since been applied
to other subjective artistic endeavors.
Gonzo journalism involves an approach to accuracy that
concerns the reporting of personal experiences and emotions, in
contrast to traditional journalism, which favors a detached style and
relies on facts or quotations that can be verified by third parties. Gonzo
journalism disregards the strictly-edited product favored by newspaper
media and strives for a more personal approach; the personality of a
piece is as important as the event or actual subject of the piece. Use of
sarcasm, humor, exaggeration, and profanity is common.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gonzo_journalism)
The non-fiction novel is a literary genre which, broadly speaking,
depicts real historical figures and actual events woven together with
fictitious conversations and uses the storytelling techniques of fiction.
The non-fiction novel is an otherwise loosely defined and flexible genre.
The genre is sometimes referred to using the slang term "faction", a
portmanteau of the words fact and fiction.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-fiction_novel)
Lesson 3 - ANALYZING FACTUAL/NONFICTIONAL ELEMENTS IN
THE TEXT
Diagram Plotting
Read the given story below and identify the plot according to its
part. Put your answer in the given graphic organizer below and write it
in your notebook.
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Example 2
Scott wants to be on the football team, but he’s worried he won’t make
the team. He spends weeks working out as hard as possible, preparing
for try outs. At try outs, he amazes coaches with his skill as a
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quarterback. They ask him to be their starting quarterback that year and
give him a jersey. Scott leaves the field, ecstatic!
The exposition introduces Scott and his conflict: he wants to be on the
team but he doubts his ability to make it. The rising action consists of
his training and try-out; the climax occurs when the coaches tell him
he‘s been chosen to be quarterback. The falling action is when Scott
takes a jersey and the resolution is him leaving the try-outs as a new,
happy quarterback.
Each of these stories has
an exposition as characters and conflicts are introduced
a rising action which brings the character to the climax as
conflicts are developed and faced, and
a falling action and resolution as the story concludes.
Types of Plot
There are many types of plots in the world! But, realistically, most
of them fit some pattern that we can see in more than one story.
Here are some classic plots that can be seen in numerous stories all
over the world and throughout history.
a. Overcoming the Monster
The protagonist must defeat a monster or force in order to save some
people—usually everybody! Most often, the protagonist is forced into
this conflict, and comes out of it as a hero, or even a king. This is one
version of the world‘s most universal and compelling plot—the
‗monomyth‘ described by the great thinker Joseph Campbell.
Examples:
Beowulf, Harry Potter, and Star Wars.
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.
Examples:
The Count of Monte Cristo, Cinderella, and Jane Eyre.
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c. The Quest:
The protagonist embarks on a quest involving travel and
dangerous adventures in order to find treasure or solve a huge problem.
Usually, the protagonist is forced to begin the quest but makes friends
that help face the many tests and obstacles along the way. This is also
a version of Campbell‘s monomyth.
Examples:
The Iliad, The Lord of the Rings, and Eragon
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As these seven examples show, many stories follow a common pattern.
In fact, according to many thinkers, such as the great novelist Kurt
Vonnegut, and Joseph Campbell, there are only a few basic patterns,
which are mixed and combined to form all stories.
The Importance of Using Plot
The plot is what makes a story a story. It gives the story character
development, suspense, energy, and emotional release (also known as
‗catharsis‘). It allows an author to develop themes and most importantly,
conflict that makes a story emotionally engaging; everybody knows how
hard it is to stop watching a movie before the conflict is resolved.
Plots can be found in all kinds of fiction. Here are a few examples.
Example 1
The Razor’s Edge by Somerset Maugham
In The Razor’s Edge, Larry Darrell returns from World War I
disillusioned. His fiancée, friends, and family urge him to find work, but
he does not want to. He embarks on a voyage through Europe and Asia
seeking higher truth. Finally, in Asia, he finds a more meaningful way of
life.
In this novel, the plot follows the protagonist Larry as he seeks
meaningful experiences. The story begins with the exposition of a
disillusioned young man who does not want to work. The rising action
occurs as he travels seeking an education. The story climaxes when he
becomes a man perfectly at peace in meditation.
Example 2
The Road not Taken’ by Robert Frost
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
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And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
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Theme pertains to the idea that philosophers deeply think or it is simply
the subject of the story.
Character
A character is an individual (could be an object or animal but
usually as a person) in a narrative in a work of fiction or creative
nonfiction. The act or method of creating a character in writing is known
as characterization.
Characters perform actions, create dialogues, and can be seen
through their physical appearance. ―A character may provide
background information, description, or an assessment of another
character‘s life or personality. However, be sure to filter out character‘s
bias (woods, 2013, p.142).
Types of Characterization
1. Direct (Explicit) Characterization- informs the readers of what
the character is like which can be deciphered through the narrator,
or through how the characters behave, act, or speak.
2. Indirect (Implicit) Characterization – allows the readers to infer
about the character‘s thoughts, actions, conversations, physical
appearance, idiosyncrasies, and workmanship or team play with
other characters.
The Character‘s conversations will reflect his or her personality,
determining whether the character is educated or not, the formality and
informality of the situation.
In just a few simple steps you can make a big change in your life!
To make a great chili is you must season it early and often.
Management is very happy with the progress you are all making.
You gotta fight for your right to party! - "Fight for Your Right," Beastie
Boys
Third-person point of view has an external narrator telling the story. The
words "he," "she," "it," or "they" are used in this point of view. This point
of view can either be omniscient where the reader knows what all the
characters are doing in the story or it can be limited to having the reader
only know what is happening to one specific character. Third person
can also be gender specific or neutral, singular or plural.
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She heard a loud crash in the middle of the night. She was so scared
that she didn't know what she should do next.
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Irony is a storytelling tool used to create a contrast between how
things seem and how they really are beneath the surface. The term
comes from the Latin word ironia, which means ―feigned ignorance.‖
The three main types used in literature are dramatic, situational, and
verbal, as mentioned above.
So for example, if you run to catch the bus and miss it by two
seconds, that’s not ironic — unless the reason you‘re late is that you
were bragging about how you wouldn‘t miss the bus. This creates an
unexpected and comic contrast to what would otherwise just be an
unfortunate situation.
Figures of Speech
A figure of speech is a word or phrase that possesses a separate
meaning from its literal definition. It can be metaphor or simile, designed
to make a comparison. It can be the repetition of alliteration or the
exaggeration of hyperbole to provide a dramatic effect.
There are countless figures of speech in every language, and they fall
into hundreds of categories. Here, though, is a short list of some of the
most common types of figure of speech:
A. Metaphor
Many common figures of speech are metaphors. That is, they use
words in a manner other than their literal meaning. However, metaphors
use figurative language to make comparisons between unrelated things
or ideas. The ―peak of her career,‖ for example, is a metaphor, since a
career is not a literal mountain with a peak, but the metaphor represents
the idea of arriving at the highest point of one‘s career.
B. Idiom
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An idiom is a common phrase with a figurative meaning. Idioms are
different from other figures of speech in that their figurative meanings
are mostly known within a particular language, culture, or group of
people. In fact, the English language alone has about 25,000 idioms.
Some examples include ―it‘s raining cats and dogs‖ when it is raining
hard, or ―break a leg‖ when wishing someone good luck.
Example
This sentence uses an idiom to make it more interesting:
There‘s a supermarket and a pharmacy in the mall, so if we go there,
we can kill two birds with one stone.
The idiom is a common way of saying that two tasks can be completed
in the same amount of time or same place.
C. Proverb
A proverb is a short, commonplace saying that is universally understood
in today‘s language and used to express general truths. ―Don‘t cry over
spilt milk‖ is a popular example. Most proverbs employ metaphors (e.g.
the proverb about milk isn‘t literally about milk).
Example
This example uses a proverb to emphasize the situation:
I know you think you‘re going to sell all of those cookies, but don‘t count
your chickens before they hatch!
Here, ―don‘t count your chickens before they hatch‖ means that you
shouldn‘t act like something has happened before it actually does.
D. Simile
A simile is a very common figure of speech that uses the words ―like‖
and ―as‖ to compare two things that are not related by definition. For
example, ―he is as tall as a mountain,‖ doesn‘t mean he was actually
1,000 feet tall, it just means he was really tall.
Example
This example uses a simile for comparison:
The internet is like a window to the world—you can learn about
everything online!
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The common phrase ―window to the world‖ refers to a hypothetical
window that lets you see the whole world from it. So, saying the internet
is like a window to the world implies that it lets you see anything and
everything.
E. Oxymoron
An oxymoron is when you use two words together that have
contradictory meanings. Some common examples include small crowd,
definitely possible, old news, little giant, and so on.
F. Metonym
A metonym is a word or phrase that is used to represent something
related to bigger meaning. For example, fleets are sometimes described
as being ―thirty sails strong,‖ meaning thirty (curiously, this metonym
survives in some places, even when the ships in question are not sail-
powered!) Similarly, the crew on board those ships may be described
as ―hands‖ rather than people.
G. Irony
Irony is when a word or phrase‘s literal meaning is the opposite of its
figurative meaning. Many times (but not always), irony is expressed with
sarcasm (see Related Terms). For example, maybe you eat a really bad
cookie, and then say ―Wow, that was the best cookie I ever had‖—of
course, what you really mean is that it‘s the worst cookie you ever had,
but being ironic actually emphasizes just how bad it was
Dialogue
Dialogue is a written or spoken conversational exchange between two
or more people, and a literary and theatrical form that depicts such an
exchange.
Dialogue, when used as a literary technique, helps to advance the
plot of a narrative, as characters engage in dialogue to reveal plans of
action and their inner thoughts and emotions. Sometimes, authors show
us a character's inner dialogue where thoughts and feelings are
revealed as the character has a conversation with him or herself. Often,
we read outer dialogue, which occurs between two characters as
spoken language.
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(1) Hyperbole is a term for overstatement or exaggeration.
(2) Understatement is exactly the opposite of hyperbole, when
the writer tries to play down the significance, magnitude, or
intensity of a situation or event.
(3) Incongruity is a circumstance when something is out of
proportion or strange situations knit together.
(4) Irony is a position when there is ―a gap between what is said
and what is meant‖ (woods, 2013).
Examples of Dialogue:
"Lisa," said Kyle, "I need help moving this box of toys for the garage
sale. Will you help me?"
"Sure!" Lisa put her book down and moved to lift one end of the box for
her brother. She glanced down into the box. "Hey!" she exclaimed. "You
can't give away your Harry Potter collection!"
"Well, I am not taking them to college with me." Kyle smiled at his little
sister. "Do you want them?"
"Yes!" Lisa smiled back. "I will read them all again, and it will remind me
of how we used to pretend to be Harry and Hermione."
"They are yours, Squirt." As Kyle smiled as his sister, he realized how
much things would change in the next few days.
Scene
A scene is where the place and time where the action of the literary
and factual narrative takes place.
The word ‗scene‘ has multiple literary definitions. On one hand, it is
‗A place or setting regarded as having a particular character or making
a particular impression.‘ (OED). When we talk of a scene as a unit of
story structure, a scene is ‗A sequence of continuous action in a play,
film, opera, or book‘ (OED). It‘s also ‗A representation of an incident, or
the incident itself.‘ (OED)
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Scenes (in short fiction and novels, plays and films) serve several
functions. They:
It probably was a small house, but size throws off a child. What
seems modest to an adult is extravagance to a little one. It was the
world to me.
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dressing area. It was the room of my parents, which is why the new
Sony color TV and Betamax were there. The old TV was in the living
room downstairs, a Zenith in a large cabinet with doors that slid open. In
front of it was a coffee table and the blue sofa where Tito Bing, when he
was visiting, would sit shirtless, leaving a deep, sweaty impression on
the vinyl.
San Juan seemed pretty much the whole city then, because even my
relatives were there. On M. Paterno Street, adjacent to Ledesma, lived
Tito Pepot with my father‘s parents. Tito Tito and the Litonjuas lived in
another part of Greenhills, with Tita Letty and the Mendozas nearby on
Mariano Marcos Street. Sundays we heard mass in Mary the Queen,
where I would marry my wife years later.
The big round dining table was new, and I suppose like a lot of families,
we experienced that moment of bliss when, having changed from a long
table to this round one with a novelty called the lazy Susan, we were
liberated from the forced courtesies of asking people to pass this or that
dish. I wonder though if something was lost, if the convenience of just
turning an inner platform set on marbles until what you wanted was right
in front of you did away with the learned cordiality, the togetherness
with one‘s table mates that taught you the give and take of community.
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Type of mansion
Plot (synopsis)
(2) Theme
(4) Setting
IV - ASSESSMENT
A – Multiple Choice. Choose the letter that best answers the given
question. Write the letter of your answer in your notebook.
1. Nonfiction is
a. true c. a combination of True and Made up
b. made up d. written only by adults
2. The best description of how caption are used is
a. add additional information like names or descriptive
b. add facts to a graph or pie chart
c. provide a title for a passage
d. list the author of passage
3. The following are examples of non-fiction
a. auto-biographies, biographies, articles, science fiction
b. auto-biographies, biographies, articles and brochures
c. auto-biographies, biographies, brochures and poetry
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d. auto-biographies, biographies, docufiction and memoir
4. Why it is important to get facts in nonfiction writing?
a. It isles important than we might think, many non-fiction books
are published with factual errors
b. It is important because the credibility of the author and the
publisher are reflected in the reliability of factual claims
made in the book
c. It is less important than we might think; the work may contain a
mixture of verifiable facts and approximate facts or grassword by
the author
d. It is important because sales will be higher if there is more
fictional context, even in a nonfiction book
5. It is a descriptive writing focused on a subject and provides a detailed
information on it.
a. Narrative essay c. memoir
b. Journal article d. profile writing
6. Which of the following is not true about biography?
a. A written history of a person‘s life
b. An account or the story of a real person‘s life written by another
person
c. It is about the life of a person narrates by himself or herself
d. None of the above
7. It is the most popular form of literature which is classified as a prose
composition and attempts to explain or clear up an idea, perception or
point of view
a. Editorial c. fiction
b. Modern essay d. research report
8. This is the part of the introduction that grabs the reader‘s attention
a. Reasons c. leading statement/hook
b. Conflict d. claim
9. Quote, statement, story and a statement about life are all examples
of a
a. Conflict b. Text evidence c. resolution d. leading statement
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10. In analysis of creative nonfiction, what is the purpose of concluding
sentence?
a. To end a paragraph
b. To tie together the answer and evidence
c. To confuse the reader
d. To make sure the reader understood
B. Based on the 5 words below, create five sentences as an
introduction in creating a storyline. Share your output by writing on the
space provided.
Place: Circus
Character: Grandfather
Time: Morning
Activity: Walking
Mood: Sad
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V - FEEDBACK
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