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Creative
Writing
Quarter 1 – Module 4:
The Elements of Fiction
Creative Writing – Grade 12
Self-Learning Module (SLM)
Quarter 1 – Module 4: The Elements of Fiction
First Edition, 2020

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Every effort has been exerted to locate and seek permission to use these materials from their
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over them.

Development Team of the Module

Writers: Leovelyn Grace C. Alarcon
Editors: Louie Mark Garvida, Imelda C. Martinez, Jerryl Jean L. Salunayan
Reviewers: Helen J. Ranan, Sally A. Palomo
Illustrator: Marlon Jay Bernasor
Layout Artist: Cesar Ian S. Ranan
Cover Art Designer: Ian Caesar E. Frondoza
Streamliner: Carmen C. Leona
Management Team: Allan G. Farnazo, CESO IV – Regional Director
Fiel Y. Almendra, CESO V – Assistant Regional Director
Romelito G. Flores, CESO V - Schools Division Superintendent
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Gilbert B. Barrera – Chief, CLMD
Arturo D. Tingson Jr. – REPS, LRMS
Peter Van C. Ang-ug – REPS, ADM
Gerardo Magno – Subject Area Supervisor
Juliet F. Lastimosa - CID Chief
Sally A. Palomo - Division EPS In- Charge of LRMS
Gregorio O. Ruales - Division ADM Coordinator
Ronnie R. Sunggay / Helen J. Ranan – Subject Area Supervisor /
Coordinator

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Office Address: Regional Center, Brgy. Carpenter Hill, City of Koronadal
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Introductory Message
This Self-Learning Module (SLM) is prepared so that you, our dear learners, can continue
your studies and learn while at home. Activities, questions, directions, exercises, and
discussions are carefully stated for you to understand each lesson.

Each SLM is composed of different parts. Each part shall guide you step by-step as you
discover and understand the lesson prepared for you.

Pre-test are provided to measure your prior knowledge on lessons in each SLM. This will
tell you if you need to proceed on completing this module, or if you need to ask your
facilitator or your teacher’s assistance for better understanding of the lesson. At the end
of each module, you need to answer the post-test to self-check your learning. Answer
keys are provided for each activity and test. We trust that you will be honest in using
these.

In addition to the material in the main text, Notes to the Teachers are also provided to
the facilitators and parents for strategies and reminders on how they can best help you
on your home -based learning.

Please use this module with care. Do not put unnecessary marks on any part of the
SLM. Use a separate sheet of paper in answering the exercises and tests. Read the
instructions carefully before performing each task.

If you have any questions in using the SLM or any difficulty in answering the tasks in
this module, do not hesitate to consult your teacher or facilitator.
Thank you.

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What I Need to Know
This module was designed and written with you in mind. It is here to help you master
the Elements of Fiction. The scope of this module permits it to be used in many
different learning situations. The language used recognizes the diverse vocabulary
level of students. The lessons are arranged to follow the standard sequence of the
course. But the order in which you read them can be changed to correspond with
the textbook you are now using.

In this module, you will be able to:

• Identify the various elements, techniques, and literary devices in various

modes of fiction (HUMSS_CW/MPIg-i-11)

Specifically, you are expected to:

• describe the elements of fiction

• analyze sample texts according to the elements of fiction

This module is self-instructional. You can read, analyze concepts and ideas
presented and reflect on them. The activities will help you assess your progress as
you go through in this module.
Now, let us begin this journey.

What I Know

In this part, let us check your prior knowledge on the elements, techniques
and literary devices of fiction. Encircle the letter of your answer.

1. What element of fiction includes time, period, place, historical milieu, as well
as social, political and perhaps even spiritual realities mirrored in a story?
a. plot
b. setting
c. symbols
d. characters

2. Which of the following refers to an expression of contradiction between the

actual from the expected outcome and to mean the opposite of what one
says?
a. Idiom
b. Irony
c. Metaphor
d. Oxymoron

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3. Which of the following refers to the atmosphere of feeling that the writer
creates for a reader or how the reader feels?
a. tone
b. mood
c. expressive
d. emotional landscape

4. Which of the following refers to the central idea or message in a work of

literature?
a. theme
b. imagery
c. illusion
d. allusion

5. Which of the following is the result of competing desires or the presence of

obstacles that need to overcome; a clash of actions, ideas, desires, or wills?
a. irony
b. theme
c. setting
d. conflict

6. Which of the following refers to the casual relationship between and among
events of a story?
a. plot
b. denouement
c. complication
d. rising action

7. What device allows the writer to present events that happened before the
time of the current narration or the current event in fiction?
a. flashback
b. point-of-view
c. foreshadowing
d. action sequence

8. Which point of view is the least used by writers?

a. First person
b. Third person
c. Second person
d. Third-person Limited

9. After coming home late from a party, Mae’s father questioned her. She
wanted to tell him that she was studying at a friend’s place and lost track of
time, but she told him the truth instead. What character trait does Mae
demonstrate?
a. wise
b. innocent
c. trustworthy
d. inconsiderate

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10. Which statement does NOT describe the nature of figurative language?
a. explicit expression
b. suggestive and attributive
c. use of foreign symbols and images
d. highly artistic means of expression

11. What type of setting can be created in the following sentences?

“Think of a lost child wandering in the woods. The tall trees block out the sun,
animals make eerie sounds in the distance, and the wind rustles the leaves”
a. creepy and nervous
b. happy and romantic
c. dreary and brooding
d. suspense and ominous

12. Which statement below best defines Man vs Nature?

a. When a character disagrees with the values, laws or beliefs of a group
b. When a character has a problem with outside forces like weather or
land
c. When a character has an argument or disagreement with another
character.
d. When a character develops an internal struggle between his thoughts
and ideas

13. Which of the following statements describes point of view?

a. It refers to as how a story is told or narrated.
b. It explains the artistic means of expressions.
c. It describes the tangling series of events in the story.
d. It is the vantage point from which the story unfolds through the
eyes of an authoritative narrator.

14. Which of the following is an example of verbal irony?

a. I see you’ve cleaned you room!
b. When a reporter gets caught in an expected storm
c. When a person exaggerates the character of something
d. Romeo believes Juliet is dead, but the audience knows that she has
only been given a potion to sleep.

15. Which of the following is the best definition for “local color”?
a. Stories must use foreign symbols and images.
b. It is anchored to the idea that literature is an imitation of life.
c. Stories must be written using the native language or dialect to
preserve cultural identity.
d. It refers to the technique of copying the lifestyle, custom, beliefs,
practices and inclusion of local symbols and images peculiar to
region or locale.

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 Lesson

1 The Elements of Fiction

Have you read a story in the past which has stirred your imagination and
brought surges of emotions? Probably, it was a story you read during bedtime or the
one recommended by your English teacher. You may temporarily forget it, but you
cannot entirely deny the sensations you felt as they struggle to resurface to
consciousness from time to time.
This is the effect of fiction. It goes beyond the woven words to become an
experience in itself. Any story has certainly left its traces in the deep alleys of one’s
mind.
In this module, you will be introduced to the dimensions of fiction.
The next activity will let you connect your understanding about our previous
lesson about applying various elements and literary devices exploring innovative
techniques of poetry.

What’s In

For you to have a better grasp of the previous lesson, let us have a short
review about what have you learned.

Activity 1. Be Poetic!
Direction: Read the poem ‘The Rainy Day’ and answer the questions that follow.
Encircle the letter of the correct answer.

The Rainy Day

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The day is cold, and dark, and dreary;

It rains, and the wind is never weary;
The vine still clings to the mouldering wall,
But at every gust the dead leaves fall,
And the day is dark and dreary.
My life is cold, and dark, and dreary;
It rains, and the wind is never weary;
My thoughts still cling to the mouldering Past,
But hopes of youth fall thick in the blast
And the days are dark and dreary

Be still, sad heart! And cease repining;

Behind the clouds is the sun still shining;
They fate is the common fate of all,
Into each life some rain must fall,
Some days must be dark and dreary.

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1. How does the speaker describes the day?
a. sunny b. windy c. rainy d. stormy

2. What does the speaker mean when he says his life is “cold and dark and
dreary.”?
a. sad b. sick c. alone d. happy

3. What does the line “Behind the clouds is the sun still shining,” imply?
a. hope b. regret c. sadness d. happiness

4. What is being implied in the line “Into our life some rain must fall,”?
a. death b. boredom c. troubles d. failures

5. What figurative language is used in rain, vine and mouldering?

a. irony b. simile c. symbol d. personification

6. To which sense does cold, dark, and dreary appeal to?

a. sight b. touch c. taste d. smell

7. To which sense does vine, walls, clouds, seen and dead leaves appeal to?
a. sight b. touch c. taste d. smell

8. The charm of this poem lies in the

a. poetic feet c. figurative language
b. sensory images d. musicality of the sound

9. Who is the speaker in the poem?

a. a boy b. a teenager c. an old man d. a young man

10. The message of the poem makes us bear our troubles with
a. smile b. courage c. humility d. perseverance

Notes to the Teacher

In this module, we will review and further discuss the various
elements, techniques, and literary devices in various modes of
fiction. We will also read and analyze short stories and will identify
the various elements, techniques and literary devices in various
modes of fiction.

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 What’s New

In order for you to gain more understanding about our lesson, let’s see
what you can do in this activity. Have fun!
Activity 2. Let’s HUNT

Direction: Accomplish the word hunt below. Consider the words at the bottom as
your guide. Locate and line the terms below. Then write your answer on the space
provided in each number.

WORD SEARCH

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
1 L W C F D E S C R I P T I O N C R T F
2 A N M E L B O R P R H Y M E A W N O X
3 C W O Y E T S A R T N O C U F C Q E O
4 I W E I V F O T N I O P S N H O B C Z
5 G S E T T I N G L N E E T A J K Q N Z
6 O I D U M I V O X R A R R R N L R E K
7 L J N Q X O S Z I N O A A O I E K U K
8 O M U I V F Q O D T C H I P P R H Q N
9 N M O R D Z P E P T A T P E M L P E O
10 O A P L O T F O E X U R T A B O L S I
11 R I M V F F E R E L E I E F T P C P T
12 H N O B E M I L O T T E F T M E W X I
13 C I C C E Z P S K I R P Z I I A M F S
14 M D T H A M C Z O S G Y S T A L G L N
15 D E T T O W R N X A M I L C C K L R A
16 S A I C R I S I N G A C T I O N U A R
17 N O I T U L O S E R C O S I M I L E T
18 N K E P E R S O N I F I C A T I O N Q
19 R A C E N O I T C A G N I L L A F B E

Theme Setting Characterization Plot

Chronological Exposition Climax Falling Action

Point of View Rising Action

________1. It is the process by which the writer reveals the personality of a

character.

________2. The turning point of a narrative work is its point of highest tension and
drama, or it is the time when the action starts during which the solution
is given.

________3. It is the arrangement of events by time.

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_________4. It is the time and geographic location within a narrative story.

_________5. It is a literary device used to introduce background information about

events, settings, characters, or other elements of a work to the audience
or readers.

_________6. It is what happens near the end of a story after the climax and
resolution of the major conflict.

_________7. It refers to who is telling or narrating a story.

_________8. It is the sequence of events where each affects the next one through
the principle of cause-and-effect.

_________9. The part of the plot that is the point of greatest tension in a work
of literature and the turning point in the action or plot.

_________10. The underlying message that a writer wants to get across in the story

What is It
Man is gifted with a powerful mind. Our mind has the ability to create and
construct experience beyond reality. Thus, these imagined experiences are best
depicted and manifested through the creative use of language which gives birth to
one interesting form of literature which is fiction.

What is Fiction?
Fiction generally includes works which are purely products of the writer’s
imagination. It pertains to any account involving people and events that are perceived
to be unreal for they are just invented by a writer’s creative mind.

Elements of Fiction

1. Setting
This element includes the place and the time of the actions that transpire in
a story. The environment may be real or invented. The time may be in previous years
or decades, in the present period, or even some time in the future. Aside from time
and place the setting also highlights various conditions and milieus which are not
always perceived to be physical. It may also involve social norms, tradition, social
set-up, political atmosphere etc. the setting may or may not be directly stated by the
writer. In cases of no explicitly stated setting, some words may serve as clues to
determine where and when an action happens. Thus, readers need to be aware as to
how the words work in the text.

2. Character/s
A person or any entity presented in a narrative or dramatic work. Characters
are the ones mainly involved in the circumstances and actions of a story. In a story,

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characters can be classified as major and minor character depending on their roles
and importance in the development of the story. Hereunder are the other types of
characters.

Types of Characters According to Involvement

➢ Protagonist
o Principal or lead character; commonly referred to as the “hero”
➢ Antagonist
o Known as the villain; the role is mainly to oppose or to challenge the
main character; it can also be in other forms like death, defeat,
illness etc.

Types of Character According to Development

➢ Static/Flat Character
o A character that does not change the course of the story. The
qualities and characteristics of a certain character remain as is.
➢ Dynamic Character
o This character undergoes significant changes in personality,
behaviour, perspective etc. as the story develops.
➢ Round Character
o Known as complex and multidimensional. A character that people
can relate the most. This also appears to be lifelike.
3. Plot
This refers to the flow and sequence of events in a story. This also shows the
causal relationship between and among events. The plot has several composites
including exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and the denouement or
resolution.

Plot Patterns and Techniques

There are numerous concepts in literature which are helpful to deepen
one’s understanding and appreciation of a fictional work. Below are some
important concepts that one has to bear in mind:
➢ en media res
The term means “in the middle things” or in the middle of the action”.
Aside from the classic chronological pattern, most stories exhibit this as to
how events in a story are set and initiated.
➢ Flashback
This is a technique which utilizes the inclusion of episodes or prior events
to the base time of the plot.
➢ Prolepsis or Plash-forward
This involves the provision of a quick look or glimpse into what may
transpire in the future.
➢ Foreshadowing
This is mainly a technique to provide clues or hints as to some events or
circumstances that may come soon in the flow of the story.
➢ Frame Story
This refers to a larger work having separate narrations found within or to
say it simply, a story within a story. Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales is a good
example of this.

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4. Point of View
It refers to the vantage point as to how the story unfolds. Thus, it mainly
relates as to the way how the story is told or narrated. This has several kinds like:

➢ First Person
o The narrator is also a character within the story, so that the narrator
reveals the plot by referring to this viewpoint character with forms of “I”
or, when plural, “we”. Often, the first person narrative is used as a way
to convey directly the deeply internal, but unspoken thoughts of the
narrator. Frequently, the narrator is the protagonist, whose inner
thoughts are expressed to the audience/reader, even if not to any of the
other characters.
➢ Second Person
o The story is revealed through a narrator who refers to the protagonist
by using the second-person personal pronoun, “you”. It may also be the
narrator who refers to himself/herself, using “you” in a way that
suggest alienation from the events described or emotional/ironic
distance. It is the less common narrative technique in fiction than the
first person and the third person.
➢ Third Person
o The narrator refers to every character as “he”, “she”, “it”, or “they”, but
never as “I” or “we” (first person), or “you” (second person). In the third-
person narrative, it is clear that the narrator is an unspecified entity or
uninvolved person who conveys the story from outside.

The third-person perspective is categorized according to the knowledge

available to the narrator:
a. Third-Person Omniscient
The narrator has knowledge of all times, people, places and
events, including all characters’ thoughts.
b. Third Person Limited
The narrator may know absolutely everything about a single
character and every piece of knowledge in that character’s mind,
but the narrator’s knowledge is “limited” to that character—that
is, the narrator cannot describe things unknown to the focal
character.

5. Conflict
This is the element of fiction which refers to the opposition of forces that may
set forth the problems, issues, and challenges of various forms and sources that the
main character needs to face and to deal with. Examples of this are man vs. himself,
man vs. man, man vs. society, man vs. culture, and man vs. nature.

6. Symbols
An object is used to represent ideas aside from its literal meaning. For
example, a crown represents power and authority, the apple for disobedience,
temptation, and sin.

7. Theme
This is the significant truth about life which a story attempts to communicate
to its readers. In addition, this is mainly the idea, realization, reflections, or simply,
the lesson that readers may extract from the work.

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 8. Irony
The difference between what is said and what is shown, reality and
appearance, expectation and result, or meaning and intention. It has some types like
verbal irony, situational irony and installation irony.

What’s More

Hooray! You have gleaned into the essential concepts and ideas about the
elements of fiction. This time let us check your understanding by doing the activities
independently and enthusiastically.
Activity 3. Story Map!
Direction: Read the short story entitled “Love in the Cornhusks” then accomplish
the Story Map that follows.

LOVE IN THE CORNHUSKS

By: Aida L. Rivera-Ford

Tinang stopped and waited before the Seňora’s gate. The dog’s came to bark at her
and her baby cried out loud. Not so long, Tito, the young master, had seen and approached
her while calling to his mother. Tito warded the dogs and let Tinang to enter.
Tinang passed quickly up the veranda stairs lined with ferns and many-colored
bougainville. On the landing, she paused to wipe her shoes carefully. About her, the Seňora’s
white and lavender butterfly orchids fluttered delicately in sunshine. She noticed through
that the purple waling-waling that had once been her task to shade from the hot sun.

“Is no one covering the waling-waling now?" Tinang asked. “It will die.”

“Oh, the maid will come to cover the orchids later.” your baby. Is it a boy?”
“Yes, Ma,” Tito shouted from downstairs.” And the ears are huge!”

“What do you expect,” replied his mother; “the father is a Bagobo. Even Tinang looks like a
Bagobo now.”

Tinang laughed and felt warmness for her former mistress and the boy Tito. She sat
self-consciously on the sofa, for the first time a visitor. Her eyes clouded. The sight of the
Seňora’s flaccidly plump figure and she sighed thinking of the long walk home through the
mud, the baby’s legs straddled to her waist, and Inggo, her husband waiting for her, his body
stinking of Tuba and sweat, squatting on the floor, clad only in his foul undergarments.

“Ano, Tinang, is it not a good thing to be married?” the Seňora asked, pitying Tinang
because her dress gave way at the placket and pressed at her swollen breasts. It was, as a
matter a fact, a dress she had given Tinang a long time ago. The Seňora commented and
concerned on Tinang’s situation. They went into a cluttered room to sort out some stuff to

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be donated to Tinang. Tinang asked,” How is Seňor?” “Ay, he is always losing his temper over
the tractor drivers. It is not the way it was when Amado was here. You remember what a
good driver he was. The tractors were always kept in working condition. But now…I wonder
why he left all of a sudden. He said he would be gone for only two days…”

Then the baby began to cry and Tinang tried shushed him. The Seňora told her to go
to the kitchen. The maid set down milk for the baby and served her coffee and cake. The
Seňora drank coffee with her and lectured about infancy care. Finally, Tinang brought up,
haltingly, her purpose, to invite the Seňora to be a madrina in baptism. And the latter
assented and would provide the baptismal clothes and the fee for the priest. It was time to
go.
Bidding good bye to Tinang, the Seňora recalled and told Tinang she had a letter in
the drugstore (post office at the same time). A letter! Tinang’s heart beat violently. She
worried that someone might be dead. She hurried to the barrio’s drugstore. The man turned
to her and asked if what she needs. She told him of her letter. The asked her name and it
was “Constantina Tirol”, he scanned through the box of letters and pulled out one. Upon
seeing the letter, her first suspicion was that something bad had happened to her sister. The
man offered to read the letter for her. Thinking that she was illiterate for how she looks like.
But she refrained and immediately departed on way toward home.

The rains had made her a deep slough of clay road and Tinang followed the prints left
by the men and the carabaos that had gone before her to keep from sinking in mud up to
her knees. She was deep in the road before she became conscious of her shoes. In horror,
she saw that they were coated with thick, black clay. Gingerly, she pulled off one shoe after
the other with the hand still clutching the letter. When she had tied the shoes together with
the laces and had slung them on an arm, the baby, the bundle, and the letter were all
smeared with mud.

There must be a place to put the baby down, she thought, desperate now about the
letter. She walked on until she spotted a corner of a field where cornhusks were scattered
under a kamansi tree. She shoved together a pile of husks with her foot and laid the baby
down upon it. With a sigh, she drew the letter from the envelope. She stared at the letter
which was written in English.

My dearest Tinay,

Hello, how is life getting along? Are you still in good condition? As for myself, the same as
usual. But you’re far from my side. It is not easy to be far from our lover.

Tinay, do you still love me? I hope your kind and generous heart will never fade. Somebody
or somehow I’ll be there again to fulfill our promise.

Many weeks and months have elapsed. Still I remember our bygone days. Especially when I
was suffering with the heat of the tractor under the heat of the sun. I was always in despair
until I imagine your personal appearance coming forward bearing the sweetest smile that
enabled me to view the distant horizon.

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 Tinay, I could not return because I found that my mother was very ill. That I was not able
to take you as a partner of life. Please respond to my missive at once so that I know whether
you still love me or not. I hope you did not love anybody except myself.
I think I am going beyond the limit of your leisure hour, so I close with best wishes to you,
my friends Gonding, Serafin, Bondio, etc.
Yours forever,
Amado
P.S. My mother died last month.
Address your letter:
Mr. Amado Galauran
Binalunan, Cotabato

It was Tinang’s first love letter. A flush spread over her face and crept into her body.
She read the letter again. “It is not easy to be far from our lover…Somebody or somehow I’ll
be there again to fulfill our promise…” Tinang was intoxicated. She pressed herself against
the kamansi tree.

And she cried, remembering the young girl she was less than two years ago when she
would take food to the Seňor in the field and the laborers would eye her furtively. Before she
went away to work, she had gone to school and had reached the sixth grade. Her skin too,
was not as dark as those of the girls who worked in the fields weeding around the clumps of
abaca. Her lower lip jutted out disdainfully when the farm hands spoke to her with many
flattering words. She laughed when a Bagobo with two hectares of land asked her to marry
him. It was only Amado, the tractor driver who could look to at her and make her lower her
eyes. He was very dark and wore filthy and torn clothes on the farm but on Saturdays when
he came up to the house for his week’s salary, his hair was slicked down and he would be
dressed as well as Mr. Jacinto, the schoolteacher. Once he told her that he would study in
the city night schools and take up mechanical engineering someday. He had not said much
more to her but one afternoon when she was bidden to take some bolts and tools to him in
the field, a great excitement came over her. The shadows moved fitfully in the bamboo
grooves she passed and the cool November air edged into her nostrils sharply. He stood
unmoving beside the tractor with tools and parts scattered on the ground around him. His
eyes a black glow as he watched her draw near. When she held out the bolts, he seized her
wrist and said: “Come,” pulling her to the screen of trees beyond. She resisted but his arms
were strong. He embraced her roughly and awkwardly, and she trembled and gasped and
clung to him….

A little green snake slithered languidly into the tall grass a few yards from the kamansi
tree. Tinang started violently and remembered her child. It lay motionless on the mat of
husk. With a shriek she grabbed it wildly and hugged it close. The baby awoke from its sleep
and cried lustily. Ave Maria Santisima. Do not punish me, she prayed searching the baby’s
skin for marks. Among the cornhusks, the letter fell unnoticed.

-https://ischoolsericsonalieto.wordpress.com/2011/01/07/love-in-the-cornhusks-by-aida-l-rivera/

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 STORY MAP (You may use a separate sheet if necessary.)

Plot
-The story’s sequence of
events (Exposition, Rising
Action, Climax, Falling Action,
Resolution [see boxes]) (4) Falling Action

- Conflict outcome _____

Flashbacks__________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
____________________________
(1) Exposition
Setting
Place_____________________
__________________________
Time_____________________
__________________________
Characters
Main_____________________
__________________________
Secondary________________
__________________________
Point of View
__________________________
__________________________
(3) Climax
Point of greatest
tension
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
(2) Rising Action
Character Roles
Protagonist(s)___________
________________________
Antagonist(s)___________
________________________
Conflict
________________________
________________________
________________________
_______________________
_____________________
Resulting Events _____
_______________________
_____________________
(5) Resolution
Final outcome ______________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
Theme
Story’s meaning ____________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________

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 What I Have Learned

It is time to check what you have learned in our lesson. Do the activity
below.
Activity 4. Arrange and Match!
Direction: Arrange the jumbled letters to determine the concepts in column A, then
match these constructs with their respective meanings or descriptions in column B.
Write the target concept below each jumbled letters while the letter of the definition
before each number.

Column A Column B

_________1. HETME a. the most interesting and exciting

moment in a story
______________
b. the casual relationship between and
_________2. TITSEGN
among events
______________
c. the introductory part of a story
_________3. ARACTHECSR
d. the lesson about life implied by a
______________ story

_________4. YSSMOLB e. can be classified as either major or

minor
_______________
f. objects or words which embody ideas
_________5. LTPO and virtues and are interpreted beyond
_______________ literal sense

_________6. ARAOTNRR g. opposition of forces

_______________ h. clues or hints to future events

_________7. POXETISINO i. the one who tells or recounts the

events and circumstances in a story
_______________
j. knows what is on the mind of the
_________8. MOINCESITN characters; aware of the total
circumstances of a story
________________
k. the untying of events; presents how
_________9. TCILFNOC
the story closes or ends
________________
l. the background environment of the
________10. XMCALI actions or events transpiring in a story.

________________

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 What I Can Do

The activity below will make your learning experience productive and
meaningful. A picture speaks a thousand words which can create a beautiful story.
Let us check your creative imagination by doing the next activity.

Activity 5. Create a STORY!

Direction: Analyze the picture below and compose a two-paragraph story using the
elements of fiction. See rubric in the next page for your guide in writing your story.
Write your story on a separate sheet of paper.

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SHORT STORY 4-Excellent 3-Good 2-Progressing 1-Not Yet
CRITERIA
CHARACTERS The main The main characters The main It is hard to tell
characters are are named and characters are who the main
named and clearly clearly described. named. The reader characters are.
described. Most Most readers would knows very little
readers could have some idea of about the
describe the what the characters characters.
characters looked like.
accurately.
SETTING Many vivid, Some vivid, The reader can The reader has
descriptive words descriptive words are figure out when and trouble figuring out
are sued to tell used to tell the where the story tool when and where
when and where audience when and place, but the the story took
the story took where the story took author didn’t supply place.
place. place. much detail.
ENGAGING Beginning of story Beginning of story Catchy beginning No attempt was
BEGINNING has a very creative has some type of was attempted but made to catch the
“grabber”. The “grabber”. The did not grab the reader’s attention
reader is pulled reader is pulled into reader’s attention. in the beginning of
into the story. the story. the story. Story
begins abruptly or
awkwardly.
INCITING It is very easy for It is fairly easy for It is fairly easy for It is not clear what
INCIDENT/RISIN the reader to the reader to the reader to problem the main
G ACTIONS understand the understand the understand the characters face.
problem the main problem the main problem the main
characters face and characters face and characters face but
why it is a problem. why it is a problem. it is not clear why it
is a problem.
ORGANIZATION The story is very The story is pretty The story is little Ideas and scenes
well organized. One well organized. One hard to follow. The seem to be
idea or scene idea or scene may transitions are randomly arranged.
follows another in a seem out of place. sometimes not
logical sequence Clear transitions are clear.
with clear used.
transitions.
CREATIVITY The story contains The story contains a The story contains a There is a little
many creative few creative details few creative details evidence of
details and/or and/or descriptions and/or descriptions creativity in the
descriptions that that contribute to but they distract story. The author
contribute to the the reader’s from the story. The does not seem to
reader’s enjoyment. enjoyment. The author has tried to have used much
The author has author has really use his/her imagination.
really used his/her used his/her imagination.
imagination. imagination.
ELEMENTS OF A The story reflects The story reflects a The story reflects The story reflects a
SHORT an advanced thorough some understanding little understanding
STORYPLOT understanding of: understanding of: of: plot, Elements of of: Plot, Setting
plot, Elements of a plot, Elements of a a Shorty Story Plot (place, time, mood),
Shorty Story Plot Shorty Story Plot (Introduction, rising Characters (reader
(Introduction, rising (Introduction, rising action, climax, relates to them,
action, climax, action, climax, falling action, used to drive plot
falling action, falling action, resolution). Reader and create mood)
resolution) resolution) relates to them, and conflict.
used to drive plot
and create mood)
and conflict
TITLE Title is creative, Title is related to the Title is present, but No title
sparks interest and story and topic. does not appear to
is related to the be related to the
story and topic. story and topic.

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 Assessment

Hooray! You made it this far. In this part, let us evaluate what you have
learned in our lesson.
A. Multiple Choice
Direction: Write the letter of your answer on the space provided before the number.

_______1. What element of fiction describe the underlying meaning or main idea of a
story?
a. plot b. mood c. theme d. setting

_______2. What element of fiction tells the angle from which the story is told?
a. camera view c. point of view
b. character view d. none of the above

_______3. What element refers to a person or animal which takes part in the action
of a story
called?
a. setting b. conflict c. character d. narrator

_______4) What element refers to the sequence of events involving characters and a
central conflict?
a. plot b. setting c. conflict d. character

_______ 5. What element is responsible for evoking complex ideas without having to
resort to painstaking explanations?
a. style b. theme c. symbolism d. mood

B. Treat Your Character Trait!

Direction: Read the short passages below. Answer the question by identifying an
implied character trait. Explain your answer by referencing the text.

1. Eric’s car broke down in the woods and his phone wasn’t getting signal. He used
his car antenna as a spear and caught fresh catfish. He started fire with sparks from
his car battery, and he ate the cooked catfish while waiting for help.
What character trait does Eric demonstrate?_______________________________

2. Jason is an excellent accountant who works full-time for his best friend’s
company. A larger accounting firm contacts Jason and offers to pay him twice if he
will work for them. Jason thanks the company for their offer but declines. He doesn’t
even tell his friend that he received the offer
What character trait does Eric demonstrate?_______________________________

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C. Identifying Narrative Perspective!
Direction: Read the following passages and determine the point of view: first person,
second person, third-person objective, third-person limited, third-person omniscient.

1. The Scarlet Letter (1850) by Nathaniel Hawthorne

“When he found the eyes of Hester Prynne fastened on his own and saw that
she appeared to recognize him, he slowly and calmly raised his finger, made a gesture
with it in the air, and laid it on his lips.”

Point of View__________________________________________________

2. Invitation to the Game by Monica Hughes

And we scrounged. Next to survival, scrounged was probably the most
important word in our new vocabulary. We found a store that was throwing out
water-damaged mattresses. Getting them home was a problem, since we had to make
two trips, leaving Brad and Katie, armed with sticks to guard over the remained. I
truly expected them to be challenged by some gang boss, but they said that the only
person who came by was a scrawny little rat of a girl living alone. We let her have
one of the mattresses.

Point of View__________________________________________________

D. Set the Setting!

Direction: Read the passage and look for clues that reveal the setting. Then explain
your answer. Remember the setting is the time and place that a story happens.

1. Alex shut the lid to his laptop with a loud clap. Some of the people sitting at the
tables near him looked up from their books and gave him annoyed looks. Alex
realized that he had disturbed them and held up his hand apologetically. The
librarian turned toward him and shushed him loudly, perhaps louder than the noise
that he had made. Alex put the laptop in his bag and began walking toward the door.
He held his head down low.

Where is the story taking place? ___________________________

What are the Clues? _______________________________________
How did you know? _______________________________________

E. Realizing Conflict!
Direction: Read the description of the story below. Determine the protagonist
(central character) and antagonist (opposing force). Then describe the type of conflict
(example: man vs nature).

1. It’s the year 3030 and society is completely dependent on computers and robots.
A young boy named Domino is flying his hover board to school when all of the
machines start acting up and attacking people due to a powerful computer virus.
What will Domino do now that the machines that are supposed to help him have
turned against him?
Protagonist:_________________________________________________
Antagonist:_________________________________________________
Type of Conflict:____________________________________________

21
 Additional Activities

Great job! You are finally done with your Assessment. This time let’s
reinforce your understanding of the lesson by accomplishing the given task
below.

Activity 7. Time Warriors

Direction: Read and comprehend the story then answer the following questions.
Encircle the letter of the correct answer.

“Mom, I’m going outside!” Alex shouted up the stairs. Even though he put it like a
statement, he was really asking her for permission. His mother replied, “OK, Alex, but you
have to bring Mikey.” Alex didn’t want to bring his little brother Mikey, who sucked on his
fingers and got Alex’s toys covered with drool, but he did want to go outside. He sighed and
then pleaded, “But Mom, I’m going to the woods with A.J.” His mother replied in a practiced
manner, “A.J. or not, you will bring Mikey with you or you will not go.” Alex huffed and
then got Mikey’s coat.

As the brothers walked down the empty street on the cool autumn day, the younger
brother extended his hand to the older and said, “Hold my hand, Alex.” Alex sneered at
Mikey and said, “Your hand is covered with spit and holding hands is for babies.” Mikey
wiped his hand on his pants and shot back, “Is not. Mom and Dad hold hands and they
aren’t babies.” Alex considered his brother’s words for a moment and then decide to step
up the debate, “Look, don’t do this baby stuff when we get to A.J’s. Just keep your mouth
shut and mind your business and I won’t clobber you.”

When they go to A.J.’s house, the three boys dispensed with the introductions and
ran immediately to the woods. A.J. carried a thin stick as though it were a sword, and he
swiped off the tops of weeds as they ran through the trails. Alex held a stick as though it
were a machine gun, and he shot imaginary round after round deep into the woods with
great bravado. Mikey held his hand in his mouth as though it were a pacifier, and he
struggled to keep up with the other boys.

Taking his hand from his mouth Mikey shouted, “Wait up, Alex,” but Alex did not
wait. Alex and A.J. were fighting a battle to save the universe, which required them to pass
over creeks and logs, jump deep trenches, and climb over thick brush. Alex was having so
much fun playing time warriors with A.J. that he forgotten about Mikey. The two boys
played until A.J. defeated Alex in a dramatic duel on a log. After suffering this crushing
defeat, Alex called for his brother, whom he thought that he could beat in a duel, but there
was no response to his call. Alex scanned around the forest for Mikey. “Mikey???” he
shouted again. Alex’s heart dropped as he realized that Mikey was gone.

Panic swept over Alex’s face. He shared the problem with A.J., who confirmed his
worst fears by saying, “Uh-oh.. My dad says that there are wolves in these woods, “and the
two boys began a frantic search through the forest, backtracking and shouting for Mikey
while imagining a roving pack of grey wolves waiting around every turn. Alex thought back
to all the good times and that he had shared with his brother. He realized that he loved
him and he wanted nothing more than Mikey to come back.

22
 The boys looked by the thick brush, the deep trenches, and creeks and logs, but
there was no sign of Mikey, so Alex and A.J. decide that it was time to tell an adult. As the
boys approached the back door of A.J.’s house, they heard a scuttle coming from behind
the shed. Much to their surprise, Mikey came rolling out and poked Alex in the belly with
a stick. In the joy of the moment, Alex did not mind that he had lost another duel, or that
he had been poked with a spit covered stick. He was just happy to see his brother again.
Alex laughed das he picked up Mikey and gave him a great big. Alex would go back to
beating on his little brother Mikey and calling him “slobber paw” the next day, but for the
rest of that day Alex treated Mikey like a king.

-Jose, L. & Larioque, R. (2017). Creative writing for senior high school.

1. Which of the following is best described as the inciting incident of the story?
a. Mikey loses Alex in the woods c. Alex loses a duel to AJ
b. All three boys run into the woods d. Mom makes Alex take Mikey with him

2. Which of the following is best described as part of the climax of the story?
a. Alex realizes that he lost Mikey c. Mom makes Alex take Mikey with him
b. Mikey pokes Alex with the stick d. Alex goes back to being mean to Mikey

3. Which of the following is best described as part of the exposition of the story?
a. Alex loses a duel to AJ c. Alex goes back to being mean to Mikey
b. Alex realizes that he lost Mikey d. Alex tells Mom that he’s going outside

4. Which of the following is best described as part of the rising action of the story?
a. Alex and AJ look for Mikey c. Mikey struggles to keep up with Alex
b. Mikey pokes Alex with the stick d. Alex goes back to being mean to Mikey

5. Which of the following is best described as part of the resolution of the story?
a. Alex loses a duel to AJ c. Mom makes Alex take Mikey with him
b. Alex and AJ look for Mikey d. Alex goes back to being mean to Mikey

6. Which of the following is best described as part of the falling action of the story?
a. Alex loses a duel to AJ c. Mikey struggles to keep up with Alex
b. Alex and AJ look for Mikey d. Mom makes Alex take Mikey with him

7. how does Alex feel about his brother Mikey at the beginning of the story?
a. Alex is different c. Alex thinks that he is cool
b. Alex finds him annoying d. Alex wants to be just like him

8. During the falling action of the story, how does Alex feel about his brother Mikey?
a. Alex ignores him c. Alex finds him annoying
b. Alex loves and appreciated him d. Alex wants to be just like Mikey

9. Which element is best exemplified by the following phrases: modern day, on an

empty road, and in the woods?
a. setting b. conflict c. climax d. direct trait

10. Which element is best exemplified by the phrase, ‘boy is forced to hang out with
his younger brother’?
a. setting b. conflict c. climax d. direct trait

23
 24
What’s New
1. characterization 4. setting 7. Point of view 10. theme
2. climax 5. Exposition 8. plot
3. chronological 6. Falling action 9. Rising action
E B F A L L I N G C A T I O N E C A R 19
Q N O I T A C I F N I O S R E P E K N 18
T E L I M I S O C E R S O L U T I O N 17
R A U N O I T C A N G I S I R C I A S 16
A R L K C C L I M X A N R W O T T E D 15
N L G L A T S Y G O S Z C M A H T D M 14
S F M A I I Z P R K I S P Z E C C I C 13
I X W E M T F E T O T L I M E B O N H 12
T P C P T F E I E E L R E F F V M I R 11
I S L O B A T R U E X O F T O L P A O 10
O E P L M E P T A P T E P Z D R O M N 9
N Q H R P P I H C D T O Q F V I U M O 8
K U K E I O A A O I N Z S O X Q N J L 7
K E R L N R R R A X R O V I M U D I O 6
Z N Q K J A T E E L N G N I T T E S G 5
Z C B O H N S P O N I T O F V I E W I 4
O E Q C F U C O N R T A S T E Y O W C 3
X O N W A E M Y H P R R O B L E M N A 2
F T R C N O I T P R I C S E D F C W L 1
19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 9 10 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
Additional
What I Have Activities
Learned What’s What I Asses
1. A
In 2. A Know smen
1. Theme (D) 3. D
2. Setting (L) 1. C 4. C 1. B
t
3. Character 2. A 5. D 2. B
(E) 3. A 6. B 1. B
7. B 3. B 2. C
4. Symbol (F) 4. C 4. A
8. B 3. B
5. Plot (K) 5. C 9. A 5. D
6. Narrator (I) 6. B 4. C
10. B 6. A
7. Exposition 7. A 5. B
7. A
(C) 8. B 8. C
8. Omniscien 9. C 9. C
t (J) 10. D 10.D
9. Conflict (G) 11.A
10.Climax (A) 12.B
13.D
14.A
15.D
Answer Key
References

Baronda, A.J. (2016). 21st century literature from the Philippines and the world.
Pasay City: JFS Publishing Services
Jose, L. & Larioque, R. (2017). Creative writing for senior high school.
Mandaluyong City: Books Atbp. Publishing Corp.
Ramos, J.O & Talisay, J. M. (2017). Fundamentals of creative writing. Quezon City:
Brilliant Creations Publishing Inc.
Online Source
https://ischoolsericsonalieto.wordpress.com/2011/01/07/love-in-the-cornhusks-
by-aida-l-rivera/

25
 DISCLAIMER
This Self-learning Module (SLM) was developed by DepEd
SOCCSKSARGEN with the primary objective of preparing for and addressing
the new normal. Contents of this module were based on DepEd’s Most
Essential Learning Competencies (MELC). This is a supplementary material
to be used by all learners of Region XII in all public schools beginning SY
2020-2021. The process of LR development was observed in the production of
this module. This is version 1.0. We highly encourage feedback, comments,
and recommendations.

For inquiries or feedback, please write or call:

Department of Education – SOCCSKSARGEN

Learning Resource Management System (LRMS)

Regional Center, Brgy. Carpenter Hill, City of Koronadal

Telefax No.: (083) 2288825/ (083) 2281893

Email Address: region12@deped.gov.ph

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