Creacion Literaria

CREACION-LITERARIA.
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Creación Literaria
2º Grado en Estudios Ingleses
Facultad de Humanidades
Universidad de Almería
Reservados todos los derechos.

No se permite la explotación económica ni la transformación de esta obra. Queda permitida la impresión en su totalidad.
CREACIÓN LITERARIA
Characteristics of a written text to be considered literature:
● coherence
● plot
● cohesion
● literary devices/use of language
● genre
● symbols
● feelings: author’s and readers’
● aim: beauty, reaction from the reader, pleasure, education, entertainment
What are the main abilities of a writer? creativity, knowledge of grammar and syntax, being
able to develop their ideas, imagination, experience, critical, identity (style, …), empathy
Concepts related to literature: genre, synopsis, characters, plot, drawings, literary groups,
context, format (paperback, digital…), creativity, imagination/truth (perspective), empathy,
style, culture/knowledge/experience, register/use of language, readers, aim/purpose
WHAT IS WRITING?
● Writing is a response: reaction, response from the author and the reader
● Writing is linear: order
● writing is recursive: writing is not fixed, deleting and creating…, it is alive
● writing is both subject and object: it needs the interpretation of the reader
● writing is decision making: the structure
● writing is a process
● E.L. Doctorov: “Writing is like driving at night in the fog. You can only see as far as
your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way”
● Edmund White: “It feels like building a sand castle or a Lego tower”.
● Hillary Mantel: “It’s like composing a tune”.
● In whatever age, since its inception, writing has served to communicate the thoughts
and feelings of the individual and of that person’s culture, their collective history and
their experiences with the human condition, and to preserve those experiences for
future generations.
The evolution of writing

● it is the physical manifestation of a spoken language
● evolution of writing in the Western world:
○ cave painting: expressing daily life. they are not just images, but “a story”
(50000-30000 BC)
○ Mesopotamian cuneiform writing (3500-3000 BC)
○ Egyptian hieroglyphic writing (3150 BC)
○ phonetic graphic system: Phoenicia, then Greeks and Romans
● writing was first invented as a means of long-distance communication (for trade)

● terms and concepts:
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Reservados todos los derechos. No se permite la explotación económica ni la transformación de esta obra. Queda permitida la impresión en su totalidad.
○ pictographs: symbols which represent objects, impressed onto wet clay.
Records of commerce: agriculture, animals, trade. Items and objects not a
writing system.
○ phonograms: symbols which represented sounds, the first was the spoken
language of the Summerians. They convey precise meaning.
○ earlier writing systems: complex system of word-signs and phonograms to
express ideas
Writing and Literature

● the first written alphabet was created by the Phoenicians: representation of words
and concepts
● Alphabets:
○ Greek and Latin: European scripts
○ Semitic Aramaic script: Hebrew, Arabic, Sanskrit literature: writing as an art
form
● not just communication, but recording the events of the times (religion, traditions, etc)
LITERATURE
● At first, literature was words (not letters): clerical chants of magic charms.
● Stories transmitted from generation to generation
● Rhythm and meter suggested by nature and life
● Tradition
○ Carmina for the Romans: verses and charms
○ Ode for the Greeks: magic spells
○ Rune and lay for the English
● The Epic of Gilgamesh: the first epic tale (2150 BC)
○ Content: the great king of Uruk searching for the meaning of life (national
myth)
○ Religion, myths, rituals, daily life of Mesopotamia
● The Journey of The HERO:
○ Physical and psychological journey/development
○ Jesuschrist, Harry Potter, Mio Cid,...
○ They all have a mission, a journey and the antihero
● The voice of literature
○ Priests, magicians, shamans: to transmit and enhance magic spells and
verses
○ Orator: the official lauder of the king or solicitor of the deity
○ Historian: recorder of the royal deeds
○ Poet: singer of sacred chants, preserver of the heroic legends
○ Musician: put together music and tales, for the instruction and amusement of
people
● Literature, from Latin littera (letters)
● It is the written work of a specific culture, in poetry and/or prose
● First written literature: to preserve the past and legends of the people
● Role of the poet: to preserve legends and history
● Early literary works were usually idactic in approach
● Examples:
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Creación Literaria
Banco de apuntes de la
○ THE PYRAMID TEXTS OF Egypt tell the journey of the soul the afterlife in the
Field of Reeds
○ Homer:
■ Iliad: on the famous 10-year war between the Greeks and the Trojans
■ Odyssey: of the great hero Odysseus’s journey back home after the
war to his beloved wife
○ Book of Exodus can be interpreted as a liberation from bondage in a spiritual
sense
○ The song of Songs from the Hebrew scripture of the Tanakh immortalizes the
passionate love between a man and a woman
○ The Gospels of the Christian New Testament (by Matthew, Mark, Luke and
John), understood to be eye-witness accounts of the ministry of Jesus, were
written much later by unknown authors who chose names associated with the
early church
○ History of the Kings of Britain by Geoffrey of Monmouth
○ Morte D’Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory
The Epic of Gilgamesh

● 2150 BC
● God/spirits
● the journey of the hero
● supernatural elements: demons, monsters, giants
● immortality (human dream), ambition, honor, friendship, loss
● the great flood, paradise (bible)
● only one woman with the role of seduce another character, woman=sexul object,
temptation
Literature encompasses forms such as poetry, drama, prose, folklore, epic tale, personal
narrative, poetry, history, biography, satire, philosophical dialogues, essays, legends and
myths…
The power of writing

Writing has served to communicate the thoughts and feelings of the individual and of that
person’s culture, their collective history, and their experiences with the human condition, and
to preserve those experiences for future generations
UNIT 2: ON WRITERS AND WRITING
Writers should have: creativity, imagination, knowledge (culture, experience, language),

flexibility, originality
advice the video “11 writers: advice to the young”
● have fun, try to create something that is fun
● learn from others, analyze the texts
● talented
● never give up, believe you can work
● patience
● practice your words
● writing is the most important thing
● never stop writing
● trust you inner drive
● build a good name, keep it clean, do good work and protect it
● have a notebook
● go step by step
● don't take any advice, write on what you know and learn
● don't give in to the pressure
● don't try to be trendy or new
Zadie Smith
● Born in London (1975), Jamaican mother-English father
● novelist, essayist and short-story writer
● “The Crafty Feeling”...
“The Crafty Feeling” by Zadie Smith

1. macro planners and micro managers
2. other people’s words, part I
3. other people’s words, part II
4. middle-of-the-novel magical thinking
5. dismantling the scaffolding
6. first 20 pages, redux
7. the last day
8. step away from the vehicle
9. the unbearable cruelty of proofs
10. years later: nausea, surprise and feeling ok
UNIT 3: UNDERSTANDING POETRY
Poetry is the practice of creating artwork using language

Spoken words: chants, songs, jingles
Religion (poems and songs)
intense, emotional, subjective art form
It is literature that evokes a concentrated imaginative awareness of experience

A specific emotional response through language chosen and arranged for its meaning,
sound and rhythm.
A text written in lines based on rhyme and regular meter // new forms, experiments
THE ORIGINS OF POETRY

- Prehistoric communication
● Poetry developed from spoken/sung text: Chants, songs, jingles…
● Purpose: Remembering oral history, genealogy and law.
- Middle Ages: Religious poetry
- Renaissance: Sonnets
- Enlightenment, Industrial revolution
- Modern era: Experimentation, a break with the past...
- Post-Modern era: Protest poetry
- Global era: Free, experimental...
- “The practice of creating artworks using language”
- Intense, emotional and subjective form of art
- What is going on in the world always have an impact of poetry
ARISTOTLE’S Poetics (335 BC)

● Preliminary discourse on tragedy, epic poetry and comedy, as the chief forms of
imitative poetry
● Language, rhythm and melody make up the matter of poetic creation. Where the epic
poem makes use of language alone, the playing of the lyre involves rhythm and
melody
● Also differences: epic and lyric poems
The genres in poetry (doc)

Allegory, ballad, elegy, ...
STRESSED/UNSTRESSED
LIGHT VERSE: NURSERY RHYMES

A nursery rhyme is a traditional poem or song for children in Britain, but usage of the term
only dates from the late 18th/early 19th century.
From the mid-16th century nursery rhymes began to be recorded in English plays, and most
popular rhymes date from the 17th and 18th century.
A serious compilation of English rhymes: Mother Goose’s Melody or Sonnets from the
Cradle (London, 1780).
FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE
● Comparison: metaphor/simile
○ simile: do you ever feel like a plastic bag
○ metaphor: you’re a firework
● Irony and satire
● Metonymy and synecdoche
● Exaggeration/hyperbole
● Paradox and parody
● Personification
● Allusion/allegory
● Image/symbol
● Onomatopoeia
LITERARY ANALYSIS:
● topic
● mood/voice
● content/structure
● rhyme scheme
● use of language/figurative language
● final message/purpose of the writer
UNIT 4: THE THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL UNDERSTANDING OF
FICTION
WHAT IS FICTION?
The Latin “fictio”: the act of making, fashioning or molding (Britannica, n.d.)
Fiction: literature created from the imagination, not presented as fact, though it may be
based on a true story or situation (Britannica, n.d.)
● While settings, plot points, and characters in fiction are sometimes based on real-life
events or people, writers use such things as jumping off points for their stories”
(Grant 2020)
● Fiction writers construct imaginary worlds using symbolism and thematic elements
● Most fiction is prose (SuperSummary.com, n.d.)
Types of literature in the fiction genre: novels, short stories, myths, legends, fantasy, fairy
tales, novellas, chick lit, crime thriller, etc.
● To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, 1984
by George Orwell and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
● Fiction often uses specific narrative techniques to heighten its impact:
○ “The use of rich, evocative sensory detail; the different pacing tempos of
dramatic and non-dramatic events; the juxtaposition of summarized narrative
and dramatized scenes; the temporary delay and withholding of story
information to heightens suspense and complicate plot; the use of different
points of view to narrate, including stark objective effacement and deep
subjective interiority; and the stylized use of language to narrate events and
render human consciousness.” (Salvatore as quoted in Grant 2020)
1.1. “Non-fiction”
“Non-Fiction” refers to literature based on facts/historically accurate narratives about real
people or events: biography, essays, business, cooking…
Non-fiction often uses many of the techniques of fiction to make it more appealing
Creative non-fiction: “refers to the use of literary craft, the techniques fiction writers,
playwrights, and poets employ to present nonfiction – factually accurate prose about real
people and events – in a compelling, vivid, dramatic manner. The goal is to make nonfiction
stories read like fiction so that your readers are as enthralled by fact as they are by fantasy”
(Gutkind n.d.)
Fiction:
● is imagined
● often based on actual events
● subjective
● can mix different points of view
● deeply interior
Nonfiction:
● based on facts
● losses credibility if fabricated
● objective
● authorial POV
● focused on the exterior
“The difference between these two genres is sometimes blurred, as the two often intersect”
(grant 2020)
“both fiction and nonfiction can be utilized in any medium” (film, tv, plays, etc.) (grant 2020)
“If it reports the truth, it’s nonfiction. If it stretches the truth, it’s fiction” (grant 2020)
1.2.And where are the limits between both fiction and nonfiction?
Biographical fiction novels
2. The elements of fiction
2.1. The plot

● Relevant key element
● it is what makes readers interested in reading
● however, the plot is not the most important element
● literary elements of a Classic Plot Map:
○ Exposition (also known as introduction): introduces the characters, the setting
and the central conflict of the narrative
○ (inciting incident)
○ Rising action: events are intensified and complicated, relationships between
characters become more intricate
○ Climax: the intensity of the central conflict will rise and this will shed a
different light on the understanding of the characters, their personalities and
relationships
○ Falling action: this is the direct result of the events that took place in the
climax
○ Resolution: also known as ‘conclusion’, the end of the story
● Stories are always built around conflicts/problems
○ themes: will grow out of this conflict/these conflicts
● How to build a bridge between concrete ideas and abstract ones?
○ Identifying a theme is easy, grasping abstract/deeper ideas it is not
● Major and minor themes
○ the central conflict of the plot: the major theme/s
○ approaching the plot from different angles of the universal experience to
understand more complex ideas
2.1.1. Thinking about the human experience

What does the story have to say about the human experience?
● Human: “being, relating to, or belonging to a person or to people as opposed to
animals” (Cambridge Dictionary, n.d.)
● Experience: “(the process of getting) knowledge or skill from doing, seeing, or feeling
things” (Cambridge Dictionary, n.d.)
● “The human experience is a term for the realities of human existence including the
mental, emotional, spiritual and physical characteristics of human life.” (Simplicable
n.d.)
● Examples: birth, time, space, sense & sensations, physical experiences, family,
friendship, childhood, play, change, adulthood, community, society, culture, nature,
sickness and pain, problems, knowledge, competition, failure, learning, knowledge,
belief, spirituality, imagination, success, etc.
2.1.2. The different types of plots

What is the main series of the events that take place in the story?
Are these events in chronological order or do they flash back or forward?
What is the main conflict in the story?
What is the turning point of the story?
● Plots can be unified and have a logic order: a beginning, middle and an end
● They can be episodic: held together through how they affect the protagonist/s
● Plots can also be polyphonic: smaller subplots are interwoven through the main plot
to enhance the overall meaning of the events
2.2. The setting

● Where does the story take place?
● What is the time period covered in the story?
● How does the setting affect the story?
● Could the story be told in another setting?
● How does it affect the characters?
● The word “setting” refers to: the time, the place and the mood of the events of the
story
● Settings can be simply descriptive: social conditions, historical time, geographical
locations, weather, immediate surroundings, and timing
● Different types of settings
● Pieces of creative writing have two types of setting/ dimensions: Physical and
Chronological
Physical setting: where the story takes place:

- very specific places/locations: “number 4, Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey,
England, Great Britain”
- very general places/locations: “Salem, Massachusetts”
Real or imaginary setting?

● Integral and Background:
○ Background or backdrop setting: It is not important to the story: A.A. Milne’s
story “Winnie-the-Pooh”
○ Integral setting: Both place and time influence the events and development of
the story: Beatrix Potter’s short story “The Tail of Peter the Rabbit
2.2.1. The functions of setting

It could act as an antagonist, post a conflict that characters need to resolve or shed light
upon characters.
It can also prevent symbolic persons, objects, places, actions or situations.
setting can establish the mood or atmosphere of a scene or story, and develop the plot into a
more realistic form, resulting in more convincing characters
By establishing the mood, the setting also helps the audience relate to themselves to the
characters in a story.
Narrator and POV (cayó en el examen de junio 2023)
● 1st person narrator: subjective, main character
● 3rd person narrator
● unreliable
● omniscient: can give details, they know everything
● stream of consciousness (inside monologue)
2.3. The characters

Characters have many different roles and purposes, defined by the writer’s intent and style
a. Types of characters in fiction according to their importance for the plot:
Flat character/minor character
● embodies 1 or 2 qualities
● easily summarised
● not psychologically complex, accessible to the reader
● it can be a stereotype
Round character/major character

● complex and multidimensional
● also unpredictable
● hard to summarise and understand
● displays internal conflicts
b. characters types by quality

Dynamic/Static:
Do they acknowledge growth, change or evolution throughout the story? Yes: dynamic; no:
static
c. Types of characters according to their role in the plot
2.3.1. Characters and Characterisation: What is “Characterisation”?

● Characterization: the process by which the writer makes the character seem real to
the reader
● Characters are depicted through both narrative and dialogue
● Characters’ traits are highlighted through their responses and involvement in the
conflict, through dialogues and through descriptions
Direct: explicit or direct description of the character’s quality

Indirect: information by different means:
● by their experience
● by their actions
● by revealing their thoughts
● by their speech and dialogues
● by the reaction of others
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2.3.2. Characters and their roles in fiction
The protagonist(s)
● round character
● likable… or not maybe that much
● the protagonist should be complex and flawed
● it’s their journey that we, the readers, follow as the plot develops
● more than one protagonist? Of course: Romeo and Juliet
The antagonist(s)
● is usually known as “the bad guy” or “the villain”
● is the one who prevents the protagonist from getting what they want or need
● an antagonist should also be a round character, although at times they can be flat
characters too
● this type of character is the life of a plot along with the main character and keeps
readers interested by posing the questions and making them curious about what will
happen next
The contagonist
● a powerful and often important character, who acts as a secondary antagonist to the
protagonist
● they are often united with the antagonist, but their goals usually differ
● they will often have a more personal connection to the protagonist, though this is not
always the case
● having a contagonist allows for plot twists and surprises
● they’re a great way to lead the reader in one direction then twist them entirely around
into another
The Foil/Antihero
● not usually the primary antagonist
● “a foil is a character who is usually paired with the protagonist to illustrate contrast”
(Myers, 74)
● plays a contrasting role that brings out the good qualities and highlights the caring
nature of other characters
● An antagonist’s characteristics are opposite to those of the protagonist, but a foil
character works in contrast while comparing the personality of a hero with this
character
● it also helps the protagonist see the problems in a different way by bringing out
another side of him
● ex: Draco
The Deuteragonist(s)
● Hermione and Ron in Harry Potter are probably the best examples of deuteragonists
in modern lit
● the second most important character of a narrative: the plot does not center on them
but they play important roles throughout the narrative, and the journey of the main
character in the story wouldn’t progress without their involvement in the plot
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Love interest character/romantic interest character
● most novels contain romance in any form or other
● you will recognise a love interest by the protagonist's strong reaction to them, though
that reaction can vary widely
● the protagonist often denies their feelings for this person at first, or vice-versa, which
is a great plot-thickening device
● ex: ginny weasley
The Confidant/ the guide

● a secondary character, often a friend or an authority figure, whose role is to listen to
the protagonist’s secrets, examine their character, and advise them on their actions
● A protagonist character’s virtues often get highlighted
● ex: hagrid, dumbledore, remus lupin
Changing or dynamic character

● opposite to the flat character
● they play a role that develops and changes during the events in the story
● this character may change positively or negatively depending on the need of the plot:
it can be anything from a supporter of the main character to a partner of the
antagonist and may change its direction from positive to negative or vice-versa
● this type of character often rises from a normal non-important person to an important
one and makes a significant effect on the story
● ex: Neville
Static/ flat characters

● they are not eye-catching part of the story, but still play an important role in the flow
and help the main character in their intention
● This character does not have strong characteristics or does not reveal much about
the self
● It also stays static throughout the story and feels the gap in the storyline
● Such characters often have a very short role in the story, but sometimes the writer
can make such character very interesting and memorable by giving it a special style
and manner
● ex: Mr. filch (el conserje/ el del gato)
Tertiary characters
● they will weave in and out of the narrative
● Found interacting with the main characters at various points, but not necessarily
contributing much to the plot
● When it comes to character roles, they are not especially crucial, but they help to
bring a realistic element to the story and fill in any gaps as the protagonists deals
with their conflict
● other types of characters: the archetypes/ stock characters
○ the innocent; caregiver; the rebel…
2.3.3. Characters and their functions

Some characters are symbolic characters:
● used to represent something larger and more important than themselves
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● their function
● ex: Daisy (the great gatsby)
Characters as plot devices

● these characters are only sketchily conceived
● what they do is what they matter
● ex: scar (the lion king)
2.3.3. How to flesh out a Memorable Character

● be clear in your mind about your character’s purpose in your piece of writing before
you begin writing and creating it
● live with them for a few days or even a few weeks before you pen that first sentence
○ get to know him
○ It is important to know and understand your protagonist’s personality, traits,
motivations, talents and needs
Literary analysis
1. language and vocabulary
2. symbolism
a. the use of objects, people or elements of the story to represent something
else
b. related to subjective concepts
3. style and tone
a. Is it formal or informal? What is the reaction of the readers? (feelings)
4. figurative language
THE DOLL’S HOUSE by Katherine Mansfield

1. How is the doll’s house described? The doll’s house is huge, with two chimneys and
very colourful. It had four real windows, a yellow porch. You could glanze at once to
the drawing-room and dining-room, the kitchen and two bedrooms. It also had a little
hall decorated with umbrellas. Moreover, it had a little amber lamp that everyone was
obsessed with. It smells like paint.
2. Do you find the Burnell's reaction to the doll’s house believable? why/why not? We
find it believable because every child would react like that to a house so marvelous
but they only want it to show off. They do not play with it like any child would do.
3. How does the narrator describe the Burnell girls? How does it shape your opinion of
the girls? Kezia and Lottie have to do whatever their older sister Isabel tells them as
Isabel is very bossy. Isabel was the one who was most excited with the house and
Lottie and Kezia only looked at it and were glad they had it. In addition, Isabel tries to
make the house more mysterious in order to have all the attention on her. Kezia is
very sweet as she wanted to invite the Kelveys to see the house because everyone
except them had seen it.
4. What do you learn about the townspeople? How is the writer's attitude towards them?
and toward the kelveys? The people from this town are very judgy and do not like the
Kelveys, who the narrator treats with respect and a little pettiness.
5. Find details that explain why the kelveys are disliked? Because they are being raised
by a single mom and their dad is missing, although there is the rumor that he is in jail.
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6. Think about how kezia’s family acts toward her. Why might she want to share the
doll’s house with the kelveys? Because she might feel identified with them, as she is
the forgotten one in her house. She wants to open up.
7. How do you think that the girls are feeling as they titter? Why do you think the author
chose this word instead of laugh? They feel superior. The author uses this word
because the girls are not supposed to laugh and the meaning fits better.
8. What is the relationship between Else and Lil? They are sisters, and Else looked up
at Lil. Lil is the protector.
9. What does the omniscient narrator reveal about Aunt Beryl and her motives for
treating the kelveys so poorly? Aunt Beryl hates the girls because she thinks they are
inferior because they are poor. She is a violent woman who likes treating people
badly as she does with the Kelveys and Kezia. After that, she felt better, her mood
changed. she wasn’t married, she's frustrated because of a love relationship that did
not work.
10. Why does Else smile at the end of the story? Because she saw the lamp every girl
was talking about and she felt happy.
3. The differences between descriptive and nondescriptive writing
3.1. Working using the Senses in writing

● Descriptive writing is an attempt to give a clear description of people, places, objects,
or events using descriptive language and informative details
● Sensory details include sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste
● Sensory details engage the reader’s interest and add more depth to your writing
● When writing a personal narrative, your objective is to get the reader to feel like they
are there with you
○ Adding sensory details will help you achieve this goal
○ “She drank the lemonade.”/ “She felt her tongue tingle as she sipped the
frosty glass of tart, sugary lemonade.”
Sight Sensory Words:

● Sight words are related to vision and describe the appearance of something (its color,
size, shape, and so on)
● Sight word examples:
○ Her golden hair looked disheveled thanks to the gust of wind.
○ He was a towering presence.
○ I ordered a large orange juice, but the waiter brought me a teeny-tiny glass
the size of a thimble
Sound Sensory Words:

● Words related to hearing often describe the sound they make (known as
onomatopoeia), but this is not always the case
● Examples of hearing words:
○ He had a big, booming voice.
○ The sound of screeching tires was soon followed by the deafening sound of
a car horn.
○ As I peeked under the bed, the cackling laughter coming from the closet
made the hairs on my arms stand up
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Touch Sensory Words:
● Touch words describe the texture of how something feels
● They can also describe emotional feelings.
● Examples of touch words:
● Two minutes into the interview, I knew his abrasive personality would be an issue if
we hired him.
● With a forced smile, I put on the itchy Christmas sweater my grandmother bought
me.
● The Hot Pocket was scalding on the outside, but ice-cold in the middle.
Taste Sensory Words:

● Taste words are interesting:
○ Though they can describe food, and tease your taste buds with their
deliciousness, they are often used in comparisons and metaphors •
● Examples of taste words:
○ It’s a bittersweet situation.
○ Her zesty personality caught Karl’s eye.
○ The scrumptious jalapeno poppers comforted Karl after his bitter rejection.
Smell Sensory Words:

● Words related to smell describe how things smell.
● Often underutilised, sensory words connected with smell can be very effective
● Examples of smell words:
○ The pungent smell was unmistakable: someone in this elevator was wearing
Axe Body Spray.
○ No matter the expiration date, it was clear from its rancid stench the milk had
gone bad.
○ The flowery aroma was a welcome change after the elevator and milk
incidents.
Taste and Smell Sensory Words:

● Because they are closely related, some sensory words can be used for both taste
and smell.
● Examples: “fruity”, “minty”, and “tantalising”.
4. What is the “mood” in writing? (luke 2023)
● Mood: “the emotion that the author wants the reader to experience” (luke 2023)
● the mood is the feeling that the writer is trying to evoke in their readers–feelings like
calmness, anxiety, joy or anger
● another word for the atmosphere or ambience of a piece of writing, be it a short story,
novel, poem or essay
● mood can be described as the “feeling” of the work
● the mood does not necessarily stay the same throughout the whole of a piece, as a
matter of fact, it can shift abruptly
● through the use of mood, the authors can:
○ fully engage the reader
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○ create a memorable story that stays with the reader long after it has finished
○ play with or even defy common conventions
○ enhance other aspects of their work
● The reader wants to feel something: intrigued, moved, nostalgic, or even scared
● The mood is created through many different literary devices and techniques:
descriptions, imagery, and dialogue
4.1. How is a mood created?
There are basically five aspects that allow authors to create a mood:
● setting: the way a setting is described greatly affects the mood
○ author often uses foreshadowing in their descriptions
○ the use of motifs also creates a mood
● style: the style is the way used words to tell a story
○ the way we choose words, the way we structure sentences and use tenses
and figurative language describes the writing style
● viewpoint: choosing first, second or third person viewpoint will affect the mood of a
work
● tone: tone conveys an attitude towards a topic (it belongs to the author)
○ it is expressed by our word choices, sentence lengths and use of punctuation
○ if we use a compassionate tone, our readers may feel sympathetic or
empathetic
○ if we use a depressing tone, our readers will feel sad
● genre: the genre also affects the mood
○ a light-hearted romance should make you feel happy
○ a literary thriller should make you feel unsettled
4.2. How to create a mood in writing: 3 practical tips
1. pick telling detail when writing descriptions

● to create a strong sense of mood, you want to focus on a few details
2. create the right rhythm for your sentences

● short, snappy sentences create a very different mood from long, leisurely one
● the short sentences create a sense, expectant mood as well as establishing the
narrative voice
3. use imagery, metaphor and simile

● the careful use of imagery, including metaphors and similes, can be powerful tools in
establishing mood
5. What is “tone” in writing?

Tone refers to an author’s use of words and writing style (word choice, punctuation, sentence
length, vernacular use, the observational details they choose to include, dialogues and
descriptions) to convey their attitude towards a topic.
Tone solely refers to the author’s attitude toward the subject of a specific piece of writing.
16
Tone alters the way the characters view their situation and helps the reader distinguish
between personalities. It also dictates the actions or reactions one character has versus
another. “There are endless types of tone in writing, limited only by the range of human
emotions “ (Glatch 2021)
5.1. How to Convey Tone in Writing?
Overall, tone in literature is conveyed through: diction (choice and use of words and
phrases), viewpoint, syntax (grammar; how you put words and phrases together), and level
of formality.
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UNIT 5: THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL UNDERSTANDING OF DRAMA
Basic concepts on drama

● Plays are written to be acted (not read)
● The events must be clear for the audience without the detailed explanation of the
novelist
● Essence of drama: atmosphere of tension and potential surprise on how the situation
is going to be resolved
● Action is as important as words
● From the beginning: to establish time and place, who the characters are and the
relationship between them
● Drama: a piece of writing that is presented almost exclusively through dialogue
● Format: dialogues
● Acts: major division of a play, consisting of scenes
● Stage directions: noted by the author that help the actors interpret the scene for the
audience
Types of drama
● Tragedy: tragic dramas use darker themes such as disaster, pain and death.
protagonists often have a tragic flaw– a characteristic that leads them to their
downfall
● Comedy: comedies are lighter in tone than ordinary writers, and provide a happy
conclusion. the objective of dramatics in comedies is to make their audience laugh
● Melodrama: melodrama is an extravagant drama, which is sensational and appeals
straight to the senses of the audience. just like…
● Musical drama: in musical drama, the dramatist not only tell their story through
acting and dialogues…
Elements of analysis
● setting: limited to what the audience can see on stage
● plot and theme
● characters: a list of characters is usually provided at the beginning of the play,
together with a short description of the character's role in the story
● performance
Traditional structure
● Act I: introduction/exposition of events
● Act II: complicating action. further problems, conflicts, characters
● Act III: climax, a crisis occurs
● Act IV: falling action, new events
● Act V: resolution, a solution to the problems
Aspects of performance
● action: what is done in stage (gestures, body position and posture changes, faial
expression, direction of gaze)
● Speech
● Appearance
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Theatre timeline
FOTOCOPIA
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (1564-1616)

Works: 38 plays,
…
Drama after II World War

After IIWW new trends appeared in theatre: realistic, escape from reality
Poetic drama: T.S. Elliot:

- Murder in the Cathedral (1935)
- The Family Reunion (1939)
- The cocktail Party (1950)
After 1950s: social drama or absurd drama
Social drama:
● from/about the young generation after the war, often from the lower classes
● new concerns, the need for:
○ society to change
○ new values in the modern world
● most famous play: Look Back in Anger (1956) by John Osborne (1929-1994); he was
part of a group of writers called The Angry Young Men (against class system,
frustration, resentment.)
Look Back in Anger (1956):

● main character: jimmy porter
○ the original angry young man, he cannot find values to fight for
○ disillusioned with British society
○ blames his friends and his society for his own failures
● also known as “kitchen sink drama”
The Angry Young Men:

link blackboard
They were various British novelists and playwrights who emerged in the 1950s and
expressed scorn and disaffection with the established sociopolitical order of their country.
Their impatience and resentment were especially aroused by what they perceived as the
hypocrisy and mediocrity of the upper and middle classes.
Absurd Drama
no closed ending
● began in France in the 1940s
● in Britain, Waiting for Godot (1955) by Samuel Beckett
● also known as Beckettian drama
19
● it showed how meaningless life was
● minimalism: one of the strongest symbols of modern life, it continues T.S. Elliot’s
image of the “wasteland”
Samuel Beckett
● author, critic, playwright
● he wrote in French and English
● influences: Dante, Descartes, James Joyce
● he concentrated on the human experience in extreme situations
● Nobel prize for Literature, 1969
Works:
● En attendant Godot (1952)/waiting for Godot (1955): Vladimir and Estragon spend
their time waiting for Godot, who never appears
● endgame (1958)...
● .
● .
Later playwrights:
● harold pinter
○ the birthday party
○ Nobel prize
● tom stoppard
20

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CREACION-LITERARIA.

2º Grado en Estudios Ingleses

Reservados todos los derechos.

The evolution of writing

● writing was first invented as a means of long-distance communication (for trade)

Writing and Literature

The Epic of Gilgamesh

The power of writing

Writers should have: creativity, imagination, knowledge (culture, experience, language),

“The Crafty Feeling” by Zadie Smith

Poetry is the practice of creating artwork using language

It is literature that evokes a concentrated imaginative awareness of experience

THE ORIGINS OF POETRY

ARISTOTLE’S Poetics (335 BC)

The genres in poetry (doc)

LIGHT VERSE: NURSERY RHYMES

2. The elements of fiction

2.1. The plot

2.1.1. Thinking about the human experience

2.1.2. The different types of plots

2.2. The setting

Physical setting: where the story takes place:

Real or imaginary setting?

2.2.1. The functions of setting

Narrator and POV (cayó en el examen de junio 2023)

2.3. The characters

Round character/major character

b. characters types by quality

c. Types of characters according to their role in the plot

2.3.1. Characters and Characterisation: What is “Characterisation”?

Direct: explicit or direct description of the character’s quality

The Confidant/ the guide

Changing or dynamic character

Static/ flat characters

2.3.3. Characters and their functions

Characters as plot devices

2.3.3. How to flesh out a Memorable Character

THE DOLL’S HOUSE by Katherine Mansfield

3. The differences between descriptive and nondescriptive writing

3.1. Working using the Senses in writing

Sight Sensory Words:

Sound Sensory Words:

Taste Sensory Words:

Smell Sensory Words:

Taste and Smell Sensory Words:

4. What is the “mood” in writing? (luke 2023)

4.2. How to create a mood in writing: 3 practical tips

1. pick telling detail when writing descriptions

2. create the right rhythm for your sentences

3. use imagery, metaphor and simile

5. What is “tone” in writing?

5.1. How to Convey Tone in Writing?

Basic concepts on drama

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (1564-1616)

Drama after II World War

Poetic drama: T.S. Elliot:

After 1950s: social drama or absurd drama

Look Back in Anger (1956):