Creative Writing Final Flashcards
imagined person who inhabits a story; but could also be based on real people
character
essential ingredient in a story
character
characters posess _____ personalities and qualities
human
types of characters (s. h. p. m. f. f)
stock
hero/heroine
protagonist
main
foil
flat & round
characters in commercial fiction are usually _____
stereoptypes
characters that require less details
stock or stereotyped
the “good guy” that opposes the villain
hero
female lead
heroine
ordinary human being, also called the “anti hero”
lead character
flawed character that is more than just the good guy
anti hero
older, neutral term for “hero”
protagonist
enemy of protagonist
antagonist
_____ characters are also called lead characters
major
helps us understand the main character; pivotal in the changes the MC goes through
minor charac.
contrasts the main character to highlight the MC’s characteristics
foil
bare outline, could advance the plot but is linear (reader knows less info about them)
flat
capable of development; more detailed and have more traits
round
stays the same; does NOT undergo change
static
undergoes change in the story
dynamic
narrator in the story; vantage point
point of view
functions like a camera; frame through which characters, events, and details are viewed
focus
words that embody the story
voice
narrator is participating in the action; directly tells
“I ate Sushi with my friend Harry.”
first person pov
used to tell a story of another character; uses you
“you are the main character.”
second person pov
most common; he, she, they; non participant narrator
3rd person pov
sees into the minds of all the characters; knows everything
all knowing
author may express (through the narrator) occasional comments/ opinions
editorial omniscience
narrator directly comments on an action; meddlesome
authorial intrusion
selective omniscience or central intelligence; major/ minor character as the SOLE VIEWPOINT
limited pov
a narrative
technique intended to render the flow of
myriad impressions – visual, auditory,
physical, associative and subliminal.
stream of consciousness
device used by
writers to make the character speak out
loud like delivering a speech for the
readers to overhear.
interior monologue
Is a sequence of events that “has a
beginning, a middle, and an end.” Pattern of actions, events, and
situations.
plot
gives shape to the
different parts of the story
plot structure
Where characters, situation, and usually,
the time and place of the narrative is
introduced.
In medias res (in the middle of things)
exposition
Is built to introduce complications that
are either external or internal
rising action
an event or situation that
shakes up a stable situation; it is a struggle between two opposing forces.
conflict
external conflict happens between man and _______
external force
characters fight each other
man vs man
man stands against institutions
man vs society
man fights something in his environment
man vs nature
man fights a problem regarding technology (robot, machine failure…)
man vs technology
conflicts within the character
internal conflict
character trying to overcome their own nature
man vs self
the central moment of crisis.
climax
point of greatest tension
falling action
Final part of the plot.
resolution/denoument
french term which means
untying of a knot.
denoument
ties up everything
neatly and explains all unanswered
questions.
closed denoument
leaves the readers
with a few thought-provoking loose
ends.
open denoument
- complex
plots which involve longer periods of
time. It is where the writer provides
transition between scenes
modular or episodic plots
hint on what is about
to take place after. Serves as a signpost.
foreshadowing
a figure of speech which is used
to mean the opposite of their actual
meanings.
irony
use when a character says
what they do not actually mean. In a foolish idea, the statement “What a
great idea!” is one.
verbal irony
for instance, a man
chuckles at the misfortune of another, or
even his own.
situational irony
the characters are
unaware of the situation but the readers are.
dramatic irony
Refers to the place and the time where
an event happens.
setting and atmosphere
place where the story happens is also called its ______
locale
refers to all
things or characters that are
discernable, such as shapes, colors and textures, natural features and landscapes
physical environment
refers to the
cultural, economic and political attributes
of a place and its inhabitants. It reflects
the inhabitants’ understanding and
experience of the world they live in as well as their beliefs and attitudes about
people.
sociological environment
refers to
the “personality” used as the setting. For
example, the old mansion is dreary; the neighborhood is cheerful; the one across
town is sleepy.
psychological environment
In literature, the _____ or _____ is the element that evokes certain feelings or
emotions in readers
atmosphere or mood
is created by the words
used to describe the setting.
atmosphere
refers to the central idea, the thesis, the message a story conveys, or a
generalization or an abstraction from it.
- The _____ is not necessarily the moral or message of the story; it may be simply
what the story is all about.
theme
- a story has a dramatic
premise
dramatic issue
the message . it is what a story
shows us – an objective, universal truth
that we were unaware of before reading
a story
moral
is the capacity to gain an
accurate and deep intuitive
understanding of a person or thing.
insight
- is a thing that suggests more
than its literal meaning. It is a concrete
thing that represents something
abstract
symbol
Refers to the place or the locale where
the story is situated.
- The date, time, and the action all add up
to the setting of the play.
setting
fall under the realistic plane
and are drawn out from real
people, objects and situations.
realistic play
Drawn out from stylized and
unconventional situations.
The characters are not real
people, but are either allegorical or symbolical such as ghosts, devils, animals, or human representations of virtues or
vices.
non realistic plays
the main or leading
character in the story who exhibits
superior qualities. Is referred to as the
protagonist
hero or heroine
often
characterized as evil and always in
opposition to the hero(ine).
villain or villainess
a larger-than-life character, always possessing supernatural powers.
superhero or superheroine
a character
who is more ordinary than the traditional hero(ine).
antihero or antiheroine
men and women react
differently to certain issues and events.
gender
people of the middle class speak different language from poor people.
class
the elderly and the young do not have the same language and expression.
age
an educated person will
have a dissimilar outlook or view from an out-of-school person.
education
people who are married
or are in committed relationships
usually behave and think differently from single and uncommitted ones.
relationships
- people are governed by their work and earnings. Their actions are
justified because of the nature of their
occupation.
work
people of different
upbringings make different choices in given situations.
race/ethnicity
political beliefs can powerfully affect what a person opts to do.
politics
Is the primary and most significant
component in a play
dialogue
dialogues should sound like ________
natural conversation
in reality, people do not speak in perfect
English or Filipino
characters should not talk perfectly
cliches like “honesty is the best policy”
or “God is good” are trite expressions
characters should not use cliches
in real life, people do
not address one another by always
mentioning their names.
characters should not overuse character names
try to
avoid having characters deliver kilometric lines without interruption.
characters should not speechify
the theme of the play should be naturally conveyed to the audience
through the series of events happening in the play, and not through the dialogues of the characters.
keep the agenda out of the dialogue
