Lesson 1: Introduction to Literary Genres
Literature is what accomplishes the act of fiction. Fiction is about
fashioning, devising, inventing, shaping, and forming words. The
reality of literature is formed from one’s imagination. Literature
can make us imagine the possibilities of seemingly impossible
things, people, places, or events.
One of the words created to guide us into the world of words is
genre. A French word, genre means classification of the variety and
diversity of text or writing we encounter every day. There are many
text(varied), but they also differ from one another (diversity). Such
differences enable one to make a classification based on certain
criteria or standards that makes them assume similarity. Without
such classification, we might get confused and lose our way in a
world surrounded by words. If we browse in bookstores, we find
many categories of reading materials for sale like, an Art and
Photography, Biographies and Memoirs, Business and Investing,
Children’s Books, Fiction and Literature, Sports and lot more.
Genre is like a map that helps us navigate a world of words by
helping us to find what we want to read and letting us know what
to expect from what we are reading.
The Genre of Words and Language
There are also two genres or kinds of words, the literal and
figurative. A literal word means exactly as it says. It is factual and
does not involve fashioning or fabricating. Definition of word in
the dictionary are generally literal. The dictionary defines the apple
as a round, yellow or green edible fruit. In figurative words, apple
can lose its fruity character. The saying “An apple a day keeps the
doctor away”, refers not to the fruit itself or of sending the doctors
away, but to the belief that it promotes good health. Figurative is
like a word painted to make us see something that literal language
would not make us see. In this context, you can see the interplay
between the literal and the metaphorical.
Poetry: Forming Pictures through Words
The British-American poet W.H. Auden once said that one cannot
be a poet if one’s reason for writing poetry is “I have important
things I want to say”. But if one’s reason is “I like hanging around
words and listening to what they say”, and he believed that person
could indeed be a poet. Poetry is notable for using a few words to
convey a lot.
Haiku is a form of short poetry that originated in Japan in 9th
century. It follows the 5-7-5 pattern. The first line contains 5
syllables, the second line with 7 syllables and the third line with 5
syllables. It is known for revealing the vastness of nature in an
intimate and microscopic manner. Here’s the example poem by a
famous poet of 15th century from Japan, Basho Matsuo “The Old
Pond”, a snapshot of a particular moment in one small portion of
the environment:
5 - An old silent pond….
7 - A frog jumps into the pond,
5 - Splash! Silence again.
In writing haiku, you can use details that can be seen or grasped by
the five senses.
Some Characteristics of Poetry:
• Lines – the shape of the poem.
• Figure of sounds – words that makes us listen. Listening
to the words of a poem is like listening to music.
• Sound Check – the feel of words in the tongue. The text
of the poem has a texture, how sounds convey message, attitude,
and mood.
• Sound Devices in Poetry – techniques that affect the
sound, but not the meaning of a poem.
• Rhythm – the heartbeat of the arrangement of words. The
general principles when writing sounds;
Rhyming sounds-alike or spell-alike
Repetition – creates a musical pattern to a stanza
Euphony – makes the sound flow harmoniously and pleasant
Cacophony – makes the sound flow harshly and discordantly.
• Imagery – refers to the image produced in the mind by
language. It pertains to words that make us see, hear, touch, move
or feel an internal sensation.
• Figure of Speech – a poetic device that expresses
something that means something else by comparing it with another
word or phrase. It provides emotive character and voice to a work.
Creating Reality through Fiction
In fiction, you bring the readers to a new place, meet new people,
or witness events simply by reading. Here are some examples of
starting points for writing fiction based on facts:
Personal Experience
American novelist, writer and journalist Ernest Hemingway wrote
For Whom the Bells Tolls on his experiences of the Spanish Civil
War. Hemingway used real people as well as fictional ones as his
characters.
History as a source
Filipino novelist Carlos Bulosan set his novel America Is in the
Heart during America’s Great Depression. It was a time of acute
economic hardships for Americans., but more so if one was a
Filipino.
Elements that make up Fiction:
Plot: It is the logical sequence of events that develops a story.
Setting: It refers to the time and place in which a story takes place.
Points of view is the position of the narrator in relationship to the
plot of a piece of literature.
Theme: It is central idea or concept of a story
Protagonist main character of story
Antagonist: It is the character
Lesson 2: Basic Facts About Fiction
Fiction and Literary Elements
On our previous module, we briefly discussed some starting points
for writing fiction and elements that makes up of it.
In most instances, the real world provides the words that constitute
fiction. French author Victor Hugo noticed the Greek word for
“fate” carved on a little nook of the Notre Dame Cathedral. A
tormented soul must have engraved this word, according to his
imagination. That one word found led Hugo to write the
Hunchback of Notre Dame in 1831.
Intentions clarifies the focal point of the writer’s story idea while
purpose clarifies the reasons behind the writer’s intension. Your
stated intention and purpose serve as the compass, in your internal
and mental guide in writing. Next, let us analyze some elements of
fiction.
The character and characterization, the people in fiction.
• Character is an imaginary person
• Characterization is the technique of presenting and
revealing the character.
The short story requires focusing on a single quality of the
character. In a novel, many facets of the character may be explored.
A fictional character must feel authentic and credible. Fictionist
commonly use the following types of character:
Dynamic Character
Changes during the course of the story.
Round Character
Well-developed and can show a variety and even contradictory.
Flat Character
Has only one or two traits.
Static Character
Consistently the same throughout the story.
Character can be sketch by profiling, by knowing character’s form,
social background, physical appearance, emotional traits, likes,
dislikes, interest in life, or problem. As in real life, fictional
characters are known by what the person says, what the person
does and what others are saying about that person.
Plot, the arrangement of events in a story and known as the
storyline. It provides the story a sense of continuity, speed or pace
and thematic focus.
 It usually begins with exposition
 The conflict intensifies as the character attempts to deal
with complications.
 Reaches a climax or a turning point where the resolution
of the conflict is located.
 Tensions falls as the complications are straightened out
and conflict is finally resolved.
 The ending of the story reveals the outcome of the action
on the character.
Setting can be explicit or implicit. You can show or you can tell.
Clothes can set up the setting. If a character wears shorts and a
sleeveless shirt, readers can infer that one is in a warm place.
Object too, if a character makes a call on the telephone with a long
curly cord and a rotary dial, readers can suppose that a story is set
in the past.
In Point of view, the narrator of the story defines the angle from
which the story unfolds. It direct or sways the reader’s
understanding of the story.
Theme, every story strived to entertain the readers. It helps the
readers understand life and human condition in the story. It usually
implied or unstated. In a story the character who undergo some
experiences. These experiences affect the thoughts and behaviors
of the characters, that will instigate the readers to conclude
something about life or people. The theme varies as readers
interpret its meaning differently.
Describing or picturing using words. Feed the five senses of your
readers with concrete and specific detail.
Tone, mood and style, used interchangeably but create different
effects in the story.
• Tone refers to the attitude of the narrator toward the
characters and reaches the reader’s connection with the characters
and events in the story.
• Mood makes the reader feel something while reading the
story. (exciting, sad, comical, spooky, or gloomy)
• Style refers to the manner which the writer uses words in
characterizing a person or describing an event in the story. Personal
signature, write elegantly, relaxed style, humorously or scholarly
writing.
Drama: Words in Action
When we say, “it’s is dull and boring,” we are looking for
something that has vim and vigor, excitement and energy, passion,
and pleasure. In other words, we want some action. Action is a
drama. It is primarily written for acting.
Speech as actions:
• Locutionary – the act of saying something
• Illocutionary – what one does in saying it
• Periocutionary – what one does by saying it
The playwright draws on plot, character, setting and dialogue to
stage a performance that deals with particular issues or to
illuminate an idea. An idea is a product of the mind, an abstract or
intangible and subject to differing interpretations or
misinterpretations. Good or evil, freedom or oppression are
examples of ideas often explored in a drama. Plot, character,
setting and dialogue and theme are the formal element of drama, all
of these are become unified when the drama is finally performed.
Character:
In drama, characters are the fictional people who is in actions in
pursuit of objectives show their essence or nature. Through the
character’s action we can judge if they are greedy or generous,
aware, or oblivious, courage or cowardly, devious, or honest, bold,
or faint-hearted, firm, or indecisive. These are examples of
descriptive terms that define the essence or nature of a character.
As leading character, the protagonist must satisfy the following
criteria:
• Able to make decisions and act upon them
• Endowed with options, physical or mental strength
• Able to deal with the inciting incident
• Serves to demonstrate the writer’s point of view
• Conveys the idea of reversal of fortune on the part of the
protagonist
The resolution
• Provides a decisive conclusion on the conflict or crisis
not generally seen in real life
• Gives the audience an idea of the positive or negative
impact of the climax on the characters
• Provides the audience to compose their thoughts and
feelings after witnessing an intense fight or struggle during the
climax and sense of closure or completion
A dramatic story is told entirely in dialogue; the characters
speaking to each other, to themselves, or to the audience. It is an
action-driven and goal oriented as shaped by conflict or problem.
Use dialogue to strengthen the persona of the characters and to
broaden audience’s understanding of their desires, problems, and
the obstacles they encounter. Let the dialogue flow freely and
spontaneously from the characters themselves. Review and
evaluate them according to the following properties:
• Character distinctive voice – the characters are defined
by their speech (educated person speak differently from a street
smart one; a foreigner from the locals; boy from a girl)
• Active and engaging dialogue – characters speak to each
other to convince, persuade, and influence one another.
• Clarity of meaning – convey clearness of on they want to
say. The audience should be able to figure out what is going on
from what the characters says.
• Telling more and less – what the audience can figure out
for themselves will engage their attention. The more character talk,
the less interest for them to listen.
• Telling and reacting – what the character says should
make the other character react accordingly. One word can speak a
thousand different reactions based on the listener’s emotion.
• Saying the obvious – narrating an event that the
characters both remember or giving information that should already
be obvious to them.
• Only the necessary information – focus the dialogue only
to those that are relevant to the characters and their action.

The inciting incident:

• Defines the leading character’s objective or goal that will
restore stability of life
• Reveal some background information and
characterization
• Defines the beginning, middle and the end of the story

Objectives in drama must:

• Concrete, specific and tangible for the audience’s
comprehension and the actor’s competent performance
• Convey a sense of urgency, which means the character
must act now without delay
• Constructed in a way that allows the leading characters to
experience obstacles

Two kinds of obstacle in drama:

a. the internal obstacle – arises from the character’s heart, mind, or
body
b. the external obstacle – arises from forces outside or beyond
leading character’s control
The crisis decisions:
• Are immediately acted upon by the leading character
• Lead to climatic confrontation with the other obstacle
• Are conveyed through the combined use of mental and
physical action

The climax
• Only needs brief description and minimal explanation
• The story’s grand finale and ultimately depends on
strength of the characterization, clarity of the inciting incident,
obstacle, and crisis