FICTION AND NON FICTION

The difference between FICTION and NON-FICTION

For writers and readers alike, it’s sometimes hard to tell the difference between fiction and nonfiction. In
general, fiction refers to plot, settings, and characters created from the imagination, while nonfiction refers to
factual stories focused on actual events and people.
Fiction
● Fictional literature is made from the imagination.
● Its purpose is to entertain. You read to enjoy
● It uses narrative elements such as theme, conflict, character, setting, and resolution
● It gives readers a theme, message, moral, or lesson

Non - fiction
● Is literature that is based on fact
● Its purpose is to give information. You read to learn
● It uses text features like the table of content, glossary, index, labels, charts, photos, and graphs
● It gives readers information or directions on how to do something

What are punctuation marks?

Punctuation marks are symbols that are used to aid the clarity and comprehension of written language.

Ellipsis
Ellipses are made up of three periods with spaces between them (. . .) and are used to indicate that material is
missing within a sentence or passage.
ELLIPSIS rules
1. Use ellipses to indicate pause in speech. There are many possible reasons why one might want to pause, such as
doubt, hesitation, or processing of words.
2. Use ellipses to show that a portion of a quoted material has been taken out.
3. Use a 4-period ellipsis at the end of a partial quote that is nonetheless a complete grammatical sentence.

Fiction: short stories

What is a Short Story?
- It is a prose fiction, usually under 10,000 words, which can be read at one sitting.
- Artistically, a short story is intended to create an impression through the character, conflict, theme, setting,
symbols and point of view. Every detail contributes to this one impression – a unity of effect.

1. Setting
2. Character
3. Plot
 4. Conflict
5. Point of view
6. Theme

1. Setting
What is a setting?
It is the TIME and LOCATION which a story takes place. What are the primary considerations for the setting?
A. PLACE - geographical location ; where is the action of the story taking place?
B. TIME - When is the story taking place?
C. WEATHER CONDITIONS - Is it rainy, sunny, stormy?
D. SOCIAL CONDITIONS - What is the daily life of the characters like?
E. ATMOSPHERE - What feeling is created at the beginning of the story? It is bright and cheerful or dark and
frightening?

1. Characters
How do we define characters? In short stories, characters are the fictional people placed in situations or events.
Types of character
Protagonist
Antagonist
Foil
Flat
Round

Foil
● The figure whose personality traits are opposite of the main character. This is a supporting character
and usually made to shine the protagonist.
PROTAGONIST
● The main character of the story.
ANTAGONIST
- Opposes the protagonist.
- Sometimes right and justified in his / her actions.
FLAT
● can often be summarized in one word
● two-dimensional character lacking depth or a real personality
ROUND
● deep and layered character in a story FLAT ROUND
● fully realized characters that come into conflict with each other and other characters in believable ways,
spurring character development
1. Conflict
What is conflict?
- It is the struggle, problem, or opposition in a story
- There are two types of conflicts:
INTERNAL CONFLICT - man vs. himself
EXTERNAL CONFLICT
- man vs. man
- man vs. nature
- man vs. society
- man vs. technology
- man vs. other forces

1. POV
What is point of view?
- Angle or perspective from which the story is told.
First person
What is point of view? - Angle or perspective from which the story is told.
- The story is told by the protagonist or another character that interacts closely with the protagonist or other
characters.
- The reader sees the story through this person’s eyes as he / she experiences it and only knows what he / she
knows or feels.

Second person
- The main character in the story is referred to as “You.”
- Usually used when it comes to manuals and role-playing.

Third person
The story is told using a narrator who is located outside of the action of the story and uses third person
pronouns such as “he”, “she”, “his”, “her”, “they” etc.

Omniscient
- Omniscient literally means, “all knowing.” - The author who knows everything about the characters and events
can enter the mind of any character.

Limited
● The story is told by a third person narrator, but from the viewpoint of a character in the story, usually
the main character or protagonist. The reader has access to the thoughts and feelings of only one
character.
Objective
- It appears as though a camera is following the characters, going anywhere, and recording only what is seen and
heard.
- There is no comment on the characters or their thoughts. The reader is placed in the position of spectator
without the author there to explain.

1. Plot
What is a plot?
- It is a series of INTERCONNECTED events in which every occurrence has a specific purpose
- It is all about establishing connections, suggesting causes, and showing relationships. - Refers to arrangement
or order of events.

Basic elements of a plot

Climax
Rising action
Falling action
Exposition
Denoument

Exposition
- sets the scene. The writer introduces the characters and setting, providing description and background.
Rising action
- normally begins with an inciting incident, or a moment that sets your story into action. ]
- the primary conflict is introduced and is built upon to create tension both within the story and the reader.
Climax
-is the moment of greatest tension in the story
Falling Action
- This is where any conflicts that arose as a result of the climax can start being resolved.
Resolution/Denouement
- Finally, the resolution is the end of your story where you can tie up the final loose ends and bring your story to
its happy or tragic ending.

TYPES OF PLOT
1. Linear Plot (Progressive)
- It is a chronological structure which first establishes the setting and conflict, then through the climax (peak of
the action and turning point), and concludes with a denouement (wrapping of loose ends)

2. Episodic Plot
- also a chronological structure, but it consists of a series of loosely related incidents, usually of chapter length,
tied together by a common theme and/or characters.
3. Flashback
- It permits authors to begin the story in the midst of the action but later fill in the background for full
understanding of the present events. - Flashbacks can occur more than once and in different parts of a story.

4. In Medias Res
- It is Latin for "into the middle of things.” - It usually describes a narrative that begins, not at the beginning of a
story, but somewhere in the middle — usually at some crucial point in the action.

What is theme?
- a general statement or opinion about people or life that a story illustrates. - not always stated or expressed
directly - one of the most important ideas in a story

HYPHEN
A hyphen’s main purpose is to glue words together. They notify the reader that two or more elements in a
sentence are linked.

1. Generally, hyphenate two or more words when they come before a noun they modify and act as a single idea.
This is called a compound adjective.
2. Hyphens are often used to tell the ages of people and things. A handy rule, whether writing about years,
months, or any other period of time, is to use hyphens unless the period of time (years, months, weeks, days) is
written in plural form:
3. When using numbers, hyphenate spans or estimates of time, distance, or other quantities. Remember NOT
TO USE SPACES around hyphens.
4. Hyphenate all words beginning with the prefixes self-, ex- (i.e., former), and all-.

DASH
- A dash is used to separate parts of a sentence.
- The dash is also known as an "em dash" because it is the length of a printed letter m — it is longer than a
hyphen.

1. Interrupt structure
Examples: I ran to the bus stop, but the bus had already driven away.
With Dash: I ran to the bus stop—but the bus had already driven away.

2. Acts as a parenthesis
Examples: The bug (which landed on my nose) had to be the size of a softball.
With Dash: The bug–which landed on my nose—had to be the size of a softball.
3. Used like a colon
Examples: I have only ever wanted one thing: to make my parents happy.
With Dash: I have only ever wanted one thing–to make my parents happy.