Creative Non-fiction

Fiction

a narrative form that presents imaginary characters and events, often created by the author’s imagination rather than based entirely on real-life occurrences.

Fiction

its primary purpose is to entertain, convey themes, or explore human emotions and ideas through storytelling

Short story, Novels, Novella

Types of Fiction

Short story

a brief work of fiction that usually focuses on a single event, character, or theme.

Novels

a long and detailed work of fiction that develops a complex plot, multiple characters, and in-depth themes over an extended length.

Novels

often explores various subplots, settings, and perspectives.

Novella

longer and more developed than a short story but shorter and more concise than a novel.

Novella

it typically focuses on a single central conflict, a smaller cast of characters, and a limited number of settings.

Prose

it is a form of written or spoken language that follows a natural flow of speech and grammatical structure, rather than a rhythmic or metrical pattern like poetry.

Prose

it is the most common way of expressing ideas in everyday communication with no pattern and structure.

Prose

it focuses on clear, straightforward sentences and paragraphs to convey information, tell stories, or express thoughts.

Conventions of Fiction

the established elements and techniques that authors use to create engaging and coherent stories.

Narrative Structure

the framework that organizes the events in a story determining how events unfold and are presented to the reader.

Narrative Structure

helps maintain pacing, build tension, and ensure the story flows logically while keeping readers engaged.

Poetry

a literary form that emphasizes the aesthetic and rhythmic qualities of language, using carefully chosen words, patterns of sound, and structured verses to convey emotions, ideas, and stories in a concentrated and often symbolic way.

Poetry

it may employ rhyme, meter, repetition, and figurative language such as metaphors and similes to create vivid imagery and evoke deep feelings.

Meter

the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables that creates a poem’s rhythm, guiding how it is read aloud and influencing its tone.

Rhyme

adds musicality and unity through the repetition of similar sounds, often arranged in specific rhyme schemes to enhance memorability and connection between lines.

Line breaks

determine where a line of poetry ends, controlling pacing, emphasizing key words, and shaping meaning through strategic pauses.

Stanzas

grouped lines separated by spaces, organize a poem into distinct sections that develop ideas, set pacing, and create visual patterns on the page.

Imagery

uses descriptive details that appeal to the senses, painting mental pictures that bring emotions, scenes, and concepts to life.

Symbolism

assigns deeper, often abstract meanings to objects, colors, or events, allowing a poem to carry multiple layers of interpretation.

Figurative language

expresses ideas in imaginative, non-literal ways that enrich emotional impact and engage the reader’s imagination.

Drama

a literary form designed primarily for performance on stage, screen, or radio, using a combination of dialogue, action, and character interaction to depict events and explore human experiences.

Drama

it is structured into acts and scenes.

Dialogue

the spoken exchange between two or more characters, revealing their personalities, relationships, and conflicts while advancing the plot.

Monologue

an extended speech delivered by a single character, either addressing other characters, the audience, or speaking their thoughts aloud.

Monologue

provides insight into a character’s emotions, motivations, and inner struggles, often revealing crucial background information or thematic depth.

Stage directions

written instructions in a script that guide how the play should be performed, detailing the actors’ movements, gestures, facial expressions, and tone of voice, as well as describing the setting, props, lighting, and sound effects.

Non-fiction

a literary genre that presents factual information, real events, and actual people rather than imaginary elements.

Non-fiction

its primary purpose is to inform, explain, describe, or persuade based on truth and evidence.

Oral literature

refers to folktale, myths, epics, proverbs and other forms that are composed, preserved, passed down and transmitted by word of mouth rather than written text.

Comprehension

the ability to understand and grasp the meaning of a text, including its main ideas, details, and overall message.

Critical thinking

the skill of analyzing, evaluating, and questioning information in a text to form logical conclusions or judgments.

Facilitates Comparison

enables readers to identify similarities and differences between texts, characters, themes, or ideas.

Aids Interpretation

it allows readers to connect literal details with symbolic or thematic significance.

Literary Appreciation

the ability to recognize and value the artistic qualities of a literary work, including its language, style, structure, and emotional impact.

Plot

the sequence of interconnected events that make up the storyline of a literary work, showing how the narrative unfolds from beginning to end.

Short Story

a brief complete narrative that is focused on a single event, few characters included, and a limited setting.

Plot

the underlying structure of events in a story.

Exposition

introduces the main characters, the setting , and any important background information that helps readers understand the context of the story.

Rising Action

consists of a series of events that build tension and develop the main conflict.

Climax

the turning point of the story and often the most exciting part.

Climax

characters might face their biggest challenges here, and decisions made during this moment can change the course of the story.

Falling Action

events that happen as a direct result of the climax.

Falling Action

this part of the plot begins to resolve the conflicts and ties up loose ends.

Resolution

the conclusion of the story, where conflicts are resolved, and the story comes to a satisfying end.

Plot Structures

the framework for storytelling and strategic arrangement of events in a narrative to create a cohesive and compelling progression.

Linear Plot

tells a story in the order that things happen, from start to finish.

Linear Plot

this is the most common way to tell a story.

Linear Plot

it's like following a straight line: one event leads directly to the next, making the story easy to follow.

Episodic Plot

stories as a series of connected events.

Episodic Plot

this structure lets authors explore different views or dive deep into characters and their world.

Parallel Plot

has two or more storylines happening at the same time.

Flashback Plot

shows past events out of order to explain what's happening now.

Circular Plot

a story that starts and finishes in the same spot.

Characters

a representation of a human being or a creature that has their own beliefs, personalities and actions that contributes to the whole storyline.

Characters

drive the story forward and embody its themes.

Protagonist

the main character around whom the story revolves.

Antagonist

the character, group, or force that opposes the protagonist, creating conflict in the story.

Flat Character

a character with only one or two distinct traits or personality aspects.

Dynamic Character

acharacter who undergoes significant internal change throughout the story, such as a shift in beliefs, attitudes, or personality.

Static Character

a character who remains the same from the beginning to the end of the story, showing little or no internal change.

Characterization

the process by which an author reveals a character’s personality, traits, and motivations, helping the audience understand who they are and why they act the way they do.

Direct Characterization

the author explicitly tells the audience what a character is like, describing their appearance, personality, or background in a straightforward manner.

Indirect Characterization

the author reveals a character’s traits through their actions, speech, thoughts, feelings, and interactions with others, allowing the audience to infer their personality.

Character Development

the process by which a fictional character undergoes change and growth throughout a story, becoming more complex, realistic, and relatable—much like a real person.

Internal Change

a transformation in the character’s beliefs, values, emotions, or outlook on life.

External Change

alterations in the character’s circumstances, environment, or physical state that influence their journey.

Gradual Change

a slow, believable evolution that occurs naturally over time as a result of experiences and choices.

Sudden Change

a rapid shift in personality, perspective, or behavior, usually triggered by a pivotal or life-changing event.

Point of View

the perspective from which a story is told, determining how much the audience knows and how events are presented.

1st POV

“I” or “we”; narrator is a character in the story

2nd POV

“you”; narrator speaks directly to the reader

3rd POV

“he” “she” “they”; the narrator is outside the story

3rd Person Limited

focuses on one character’s thoughts.

3rd Person Omniscient

knows all characters' thoughts and actions.

Angle

refers to the reader’s perspective or the way the story is presented based on the character’s external viewpoint.

Angle

focuses on how the events are portrayed.

POV

focuses on who is telling the story.

Setting

the time and place in which a story takes place.

Physical Setting

the geographical location or environment where the story unfolds.

Social Setting

the customs, lifestyles, and social interactions of the characters.

Historical Setting

the time period in which the story occurs, including cultural, political, and historical influences.

Atmosphere

the mood or emotional feeling created by the writer in a story.

Setting

the time, place, and environment that provide context and mood.

Weather

atmospheric conditions that can foreshadow events or intensify emotions.

Lighting

the use of brightness, shadows, or darkness to create tone.

Character Reaction

the way characters respond to their surroundings or events, revealing mood.

Time of Day

morning, afternoon, evening, or night, each with its own tone and associations.

Sounds/Silence

auditory details that enhance realism and evoke emotions.

Diction

the specific vocabulary used to suit the mood and purpose.

Imagery

vivid descriptions appealing to the five senses.

Tone

the author’s attitude toward the subject or audience.

Figurative Language

creative comparisons such as metaphors, similes, and personification to make scenes more vivid.

Sentence Structure

the arrangement and length of sentences to affect pacing and mood.

Symbolism

the use of objects, figures, colors, or events to represent ideas or concepts beyond their literal meaning.

Universal Symbols

widely recognized symbols with shared meanings across cultures and time periods (e.g., a dove for peace, a skull for death).

Contextual Symbols

symbols that take on a specific meaning only within the context of a particular story (e.g., a character’s locket representing lost love).

Cultural Symbols

symbols that hold significance within a specific culture or society but may be unfamiliar to outsiders (e.g., the lotus flower in certain asian traditions).