21st CENTURY LITERATURE

QUARTER 2 MODULE 6-9

LITERARY ADAPTATION is a process of adapting a literary source (e.g. a novel, short story, and poem) to
another genre or medium such as a film, stage play, or even video games.

What is the importance of Peer and Self-Assessment?

1. It encourages you to take responsibility for your learning by encouraging engagement with assessment
criteria and reflection of your own performance and that of your peers. Through this, you can learn from
your previous mistakes, identify your strengths and weaknesses and learn to target your learning
accordingly.
2. It makes you more active in your learning which in this way, it can help to change the perception that learning
is a passive process whereby students simply listen and absorb information for the sake of compliance. In
this way, students are more likely to engage with their learning as participants instead of just spectators.
3. It enables you to better understand assessment expectations and work towards improving your own
performance. Getting yourself more actively involved in your assessment can make assessment itself a
means by which you can develop.

21st Century Literature from the Philippines and the World

Quarter 2 – Module 6: Writing a Close Analysis and Critical Interpretation of Literary Texts
Applying a Reading Approach

LESSON 1: Writing a Close Analysis and Critical Interpretation of Literary Texts applying a Reading Approach

WHAT IS IT?

Reading Approach

Teachers use reading approach as one of the methods in teaching English. This approach is one way of solving
student’s reading problems. Students are demanded to read more to improve their knowledge and get new ideas.
Inferencing, guessing and predicting are important skills developed in reading. By reading, students will know about
the different of culture by reading across cultural understanding, and they will learn how to pronounce the words
correctly. In reading approach, students are expected to improve their English skills.

Skimming

In skimming, the main idea of a text is quickly identified. The goal is to read shorter texts to extract accurate
detailed information. Skimming is done at speed three to four times faster than regular reading. People often skim
when they have lots of material to read in a limited amount of time. Some students will read the first and last
paragraphs using headings, summarizes and other organizers as they move down the page or screen. Some might
also read the title, subtitles, subheadings, and illustrations. Other people consider reading the first sentence of each
paragraph. Skimming works well to find dates, names, and places. It might be used to review graphs, tables, and
charts. This technique is useful when you are seeking specific information rather than reading for comprehension.

Scanning

Scanning is quickly reading a text to get the summary of it. It is a technique wherein students search for
keywords or ideas. Scanning involves moving eyes quickly down the page seeking specific words and phrases.
Scanning is also used for the reader to find answers to questions. Once a student scanned the document, they will go
back and skim it.

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Extensive reading

Extensive reading is an approach to language learning, including foreign language learning, by means of a
large amount of reading. The readers view and review of unfamiliar words in a specific context will allow the reader
to infer the word’s meaning, to learn unknown words. Extensive Reading is the free reading of books and other
written material that is not too difficult for readers. Extensive Reading is sometimes called Free Voluntary Reading.

You are expected to compare and contrast the 21st century literary genres and their elements, structures, and
traditions from across the globe. Specifically, the discussion focuses on differentiating graphic fiction and flash
fiction.

After going through this module, you are expected to:

1. describe graphic fiction and flash fiction;
2. read and respond critically to texts read;
3. write in one of the genres;
4. present similarities and differences of basic graphic fiction and Flash fiction;
5. show an appreciation on modern literary genres as an appealing medium to literary
conventions.

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WHAT IS IT

The previous activity gives you a glimpse of flash fiction and graphic fiction. These two 21st literary genres
become very popular especially among learners like you. Modern literary genres gain popularity due to the advent
of technologies such as internet and other virtual media which become the major platforms of most of modern
literary texts like graphic and flash fictions. Graphic fiction and flash fiction are two different genres of modern
literature.

Graphic fiction or a graphic novel is a comic book narrative that is equivalent in form and dimension to the
prose novel (Campbell 200, 81). The pictures are arranged in sequenced in image panels and dialogues are written
in speech bubbles. The illustrations allow the readers to imagine and experience the characters and events in the
story.

Here are some of the features of graphic fiction or graphic novel according to Singh (2012).
1. Autographic forms are the marks of author’s handwriting which creates an impact that the whole
novel is a manuscript and thus provides a sense of intimacy.
2. Graphic novels encourage interactivity in the minds of the reader as he fills in the blanks between
image panels.
3. Filling in the blanks between image panels makes the reader imagine the actions portrayed in the
story.
4. The language, syntax and meaning of a graphic novel spring primarily through the relationship
between images than words.
5. Graphic fiction combines book and screen.

Some of the examples of graphic novels are the following:

1. “In the Shadow of No Tower: 9/11” by Art Spiegelmen in 2004 which tells the story about the
terrorist attack on September 11 in America. This also depicts the traumatic and tragic
experiences of American people during the 9/11 terrorist attack.
2. “The Barn Owl’s Wondrous Capers” by Sarnath Banerjee in 2009 portrays 18th century Calcutta
exploiting the myth of the “Wandering Jew”.
3. “Louis Riel” by Chester Brown in 2003 is a fictionalized violent rebellion in the 19th Century on the
Canadian praire who led by Riel.

Flash fiction is imaginative literature of extreme brevity. It could range from a word to a thousand (Gacusan 2018).
It is known as micro stories, postcard fiction, nanotales and short shorts.

According to Sustana (2020), most of the flash fictions have these common characteristics.
1. Brevity. Flash fiction presents the story with fewest words as possible.
2. Complete plot. Flash fiction emphasizes the development of plot. It has a beginning, middle
and ending of the story.
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3. Surprising ending. The successful hallmark of a flash fiction is its twist at the end of the story.

Here some of the flash fictions.

● “Angels and Blueberries” by Tara Campbell is a story of various explanations for the color of the sky that involves
angels and blueberries.
First lines: “Why is the sky blue?” you ask. Well, it all depends on who’s answering.

● “Taylor Swift” by Hugh Behm-Steinberg tells a weird story of how anyone can order a perfectly clone of Taylor
Swift at his doorstep.
First line: You’re in love; it’s great, you swipe on your phone and order: the next day a Taylor
Swift clone shows up at your house.

● “Unnecessary Things” by Tatyana Tolstaya is a story of finding an old and torn teddy bear, “
unnecessary things” (items that do not serve any useful purpose), that she adored as a child.
First lines: This Teddy bear once had amber eyes made from special glass —each one had a pupil and an iris.
The bear itself was gray and stiff, with wiry fur. I adored him.

LESSON 1: Literary Genre on Creative Multimedia Presentation

Most Essential Learning Competency:

Produce a creative representation of literary text by applying multimedia and ICT skills
After going through this module, you are expected to:
1. demonstrate ability to interpret specific literary genre; and
2. create a unique literary adaptation through multimedia presentation.

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 THE STORY OF THE PENCIL

by Paulo Coelho

The Grandchild was looking at his grandma writing for a letter. Suddenly he asked: “Are you writing a story
about us? Is it by chance a story about me?”. The grandma stopped writing, smiled and said to her grandchild:

“Indeed I am writing about you, however more important than the words is the pencil I amusing.

“I hope you will be like this pencil when you grow up”.The child, looked at the pencil curiously, but could not see
anything special. “But . . . it is exactly the same as every other pencil I saw in my life”.“It is all in the way you look at
things. There are five qualities in that pencil that, if you will be able to maintain, will make you a man in peace with
the whole world.

First quality: you can make big things, but never forget that there is a hand guiding your steps. This hand we
call it God, and he will always have to address you towards his will.

Second quality: sometimes I have to stop writing and use a sharpener. This makes the pencil suffer a little,
but at the end it will be sharper. So, learn to bear a little pain because it will make you a better man.

Third Quality: the pencil always allows us to use an eraser to cancel mistakes. Understand that correct
something we did is not necessarily a bad thing, but something fundamental to keep us on the right path.

Fourth quality: what is really important in the pencil is not the wood or the shape, but the lead that is inside.
So, be always careful of what happens inside of yourself.

At the end, the fifth quality is: always leave a sign. In any case, be aware that everything you do in your life will
leave trails; try to be conscious of every single action

WHAT IS IT

Multimedia is an essential avenue to transform unique adaptations of a literary genre, thus, making learning
outputs interesting and productive. To have a creative adaptation of literary genres, the following concepts have to
take into considerations.
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A.Multimedia and its Concepts
A multimedia is any electronic application used to teach lessons or to further educate learners on a particular
topic. It is a presentation of material that uses both words and pictures in a combination of text, voice, picture or
video. Using interactive digital tools to tell a story is called digital storytelling and often uses a combination of
multimedia venues to complete the task. The use of multimedia allows educational ideas and materials to be
presented in a more artistic, inspired and engaging way.

B. Uses of Multimedia and its Formats

There are many uses of multimedia for a deeper understanding of a lesson. Audiobooks are ideal for second-
language learners. Song files and music videos can be used to compare social norms in different eras. Multimedia can
offer students a better understanding of the lesson.

The multimedia formats from various media includes: text and graphics for slideshows, presentations,
diagrams and infographics. Audio has podcasts and recordings. Screen captures, lecture captures and animation are
examples of video components of multimedia. Other multimedia components include blogs, vlogs, webinars and
other interactive content.

Multimedia applications include the interaction of different media types like animation, video, text and
sound. It has become a part of our lives as soon as we entered the digital age. Before the modern technology, there
are tools helping us appreciate some of the types of multimedia such as videos on television. There are various
components of multimedia such as:

1. Videos

https://www.thejigsaw.in/blog/how-to-make-youtube-videos

Digital video is a primary component in multimedia, especially those that appear online and on television.
The different formats of these types of multimedia include wmv, avi, mped and flash. Some of these formats are
better than others because they load faster and can be viewed or loaded using different platforms and operating
systems. Many videos have changed formats ever since the mobile phone industry became more advanced in
technology. Many of the video formats require plug-ins on browsers and specific mobile applications to load.

Here is a list of multimedia formats:

https://www.w3schools.com/html/html_media.asp

Format File Description

MPEG .mpg MPEG. Developed by the Moving Pictures Expert Group. The first popular video
.mpeg format on the web. Not supported anymore in HTML.
AVI .avi AVI (Audio Video Interleave). Developed by Microsoft. Commonly
used in video cameras and TV hardware. Plays well on Windows
computers, but not in web browsers.
WMA .wma WMA (Windows Media Audio). Developed by Microsoft. Plays well
on Windows computers, but not in web browsers.
Flash swf Flash Video is a container file format used to deliver digital video content over
(small the Internet using Adobe Flash Player version 6 and newer.
web file}
MP3 .mp3 MP3 files are actually the sound part of MPEG files. MP3 is the most popular
format for music players. Combines good compression (small files) with high
quality. Supported by all browsers.
MP4 .mp4 MP4 is a video format, but can also be used for audio. Supported by all browsers.

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2. Animation

Animation is a form of art for most people, especially those that are in the business of producing animated
movies. Right now, animation has become interactive, allowing users to directly affect the outcome of animated

components and events. Flash is the most common platform for animation, and using this component, the
interactivity of animation is enhanced.

3. Text

Text has always been and will always been the most common among the types of multimedia components in
different applications. Text in combination with other media components can make any application more user-
friendly. By using text, interactivity is increased. Text elements are particularly important for accessibility purposes.
Users of an application need to input text for the system to identify them. Text is also used to create a digital
signature, such as in passwords.

4. Images

Digital image files are needed to create videos and animation. A user would sooner go to a website filled with
colourful photographs than one that contains only text elements. Familiar image formats include jpeg and png. These
formats permit editing. Images are created by graphic designers using various software.

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5. Audio

Voiceovers comprise a tremendous number of the types of multimedia components. Audio files include
background music and special effects. Any audio in an application is designed to improve a user’s experience.

C. Characteristic of a Multimedia

• Multimedia can be used in the presentations, making them more fun and interesting.
• A multimedia presentation has various viewing options such as projector or a media player and the like.
• You can also download the multimedia presentation or play it live.
• The technology of multimedia can also be used to make the information be conveyed more easily to the user.
• Multimedia technology has improved the learning experience by combining various forms of media together.
https://www.educba.com/best-free-multimedia-software/
D. Benefits of Using Multimedia

• Digital storytelling allows students to improve their knowledge about a specific subject and increases skills
such as writing, researching and reading.
• Using multimedia improve a learner’s overall academic performance. In particular, multimedia in the
classroom is used for self-directed learning or SDL.
• Students manage their time and assess what needs to be included in their learning activities. This style of
learning is used mostly with older students who already know how to manipulate many of the multimedia
venues available to them. https://classroom.synonym.com/types-multimedia-classroom-7941275.html

LESSON 2: Literary Adaptations with ICT Skills Empowerment

WHAT’S NEW

Read the short story entitled, “Rich People Problem” by Kevin Kwan. Find out significant characters, places, events
that may refer to the elements of a story.

Before you read, you have to unlock first word difficulty. A table is presented below. There are jumbled letters on
the first column; its definition on the second column; and you have to write the correct / exact words on the third
column (The first letter is given to serve as a clue.)

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 RICH PEOPLE PROBLEMS
an excerpt by Kevin Kwan 1
1Bettina Ortiz y Meña was not accustomed to waiting. A former Miss Venezuela and Miss Universe runner-

up, of course, the exceedingly bronzed strawberry blond was these days the wife of Miami auto-parts tycoon, Herman
Ortiz y Meña, and at every restaurant she chose to grace with her presence, she was always greeted with reverence
and whisked to the exact table she desired. Today she wanted the corner table on the terrace at Sip Sip, her favorite
lunch spot on Harbor Island.

She wanted to sit on one of the comfy orange canvas director’s chairs and stare out at the gently lapping
turquoise waters while eating her Kale Caesar salad, but there was a large noisy group taking up the entire terrace
and they didn’t seem in much hurry to leave.

2Bettina
fumed as she glared at the tourists happily savoring their lunch in the sun. Look how tacky they
were…the woman overly tanned, wrinkled and saggy, none of them properly lifted or botoxed.

She felt like walking up to their table and handing out her dermatologist’s business cards. And the men were
even worse. All dressed in all rumpled shirts and shorts, wearing those cheap straw hats sold at the trinket shot on
Dunmore Street. Why did such people have to come here?

3The three-and-a-half-mile-long paradise with its pristine pink-sand beaches was one of the best-kept secrets

in the Caribbean, a haven for the very rich filled with quaint little wood houses painted in shades of sherbet, charmin
boutiques, chic oceanfront mansions turned into inns, and five-star restaurants to rival St. Barths. Tourists should
have to take a style exam before being allowed to set foot on the Island! Feeling that she had been patient long
enough, Bettina stormed into the kitchen, the fringe on her crocheted Pucci caftan top shaking furiously as she made
a beeline for the woman with a shock of pixie-cut blond hair manning the main stove.

4“Julie, honey, what’s the dealio? I’ve waited more than fifteen minutes for my table!” Bettina sighed to the
owner of the restaurant. “Sorry, Bettina, it’s been one of those days. The party of twelve on the terrace showed up
first just before you did,” Julie replied as she handed off a bowl of spicy conch chili to waiting server.

“But the terrace is your prime spot! Why on earth did you let those tourists take up all that space?”

5“Well, that tourist in the red fishing cap is the Duke of Glencora. His party just boated over from Windermere
– that’s his Royal Huisman you see moored off the coast. Isn’t it the most handsome sailboat you’ve ever seen?”

6“I’m not impressed by big boats,” Bettina huffed, although secretly She was rather impressed by people with

big title. From the kitchen window, she surveyed the party assembled on the terrace with new eyes. These aristo
British types were such a strange breed. Sure, they had their Savile Row suits and their heirloom tiaras, but when
they traveled, they looked so painfully frumpy.

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 7It was only then that Bettina noticed three tan, well-built men in fitted white T-shirts and black Kevlar pants
sitting at the adjacent table. The guys weren’t eating but sat watchfully, sipping glasses of seltzer water. “I assume
that’s the duke’s security detail?

They couldn’t be more obvious! Don’t they know that we’re all billionaires here on Briland, and this isn’t how
we roll?” Bettina tutted.

8“Actually,those bodyguards belong to the duke’s special guest. They did a whole sweep of the restaurant
before the party arrived.

They even searched my walk-in freezer. See that Chinese fellow seated at the end of the table?” Bettina
squinted through her Dior Extase sunglasses at the portly, balding, seventy-something Asian man dressed in a
nondescript white short-sleeved golf shirt and gray trousers. “Oh, I didn’t even notice him! Am I supposed to know
who he is?”

That’s Alfred Shang, Julie said in a hushed tone.

9Bettina giggled. “He looks like their chauffeur. Doesn’t he look like that guy that use to drive Jane Wyman
around in Falcon Crest?” Julie, who was trying to focus on searing a cut of tuna to perfection, shook her head a tight-
lipped smile. “From what I hear, that chauffeur is the most powerful man in Asia.”

“What’s his name again?”

A. The Basic Elements of a Short Story

1. Character| The character element is the person or people in a story. Sometimes the characters are not human,
some may be animals or spirits. Incidentally, even when non-human characters are used, they tend to have human
characteristics.

Characters are usually of two types:

The protagonist is the main character. He or she is in conflict with another character, who is
known as the antagonist.
An example of a protagonist and an antagonist are Superman, the protagonist, and Lex
Luthor, the antagonist.
2. Setting| The first important element of a short story is the setting. The setting refers to the time
and place that the event(s) in the story take place.
3. Plot| The plot refers to the flow of events in the story. Essentially, the plot refers to what is
happening in the story.
4. Conflict| The conflict or complication refers to the tension, the fight or the struggle between the
various characters or forces in the story. This actually gives fuel to the story and influences its flow
(i.e. its plot). Without the conflict, then you have no story.
5. Climax| The climax is the most exciting part of a story. It is when the conflict is about to or is getting
resolved.
6. Theme| This element refers to the topic that the writer writes or comments on in his or her writing.
The theme is the motif of the story, that is, it permeates the whole story and recurs throughout
the narrative. An example of a theme is the topic of "bravery" in Harry Potter.
https://www.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_6_story_elements

B. Information and Communication Technology or ICT

Information and communications technology (ICT) refers to all the technology used to handle
telecommunications, broadcast media, intelligent building management systems, audiovisual processing and
transmission systems, and network-based control and monitoring functions. ICT is often considered an extended
synonym for information technology (IT).

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 https://www.techopedia.com/definition/24152/information-and-
communications-technology-ict

Information Technology (IT) is the use of computers to store, retrieve, transmit, and manipulate data,
or information. IT system is generally an information system, a communications system or, more specifically
speaking, a computer system – including all hardware, software and peripheral equipment – operated by a limited
group of users.

C. ICT Skills

ICT skills are about understanding and applying a range of computer programs, software and other
applications. These include: word processing, spreadsheets, databases, power points and search engines.

https://www.thebalancecareers.com/computer-skills-list-2063738

ICT skills are being manifested if you can do the following:

• type / encode your document; bring out your best writing using MS Word- word processor
• manipulate numbers and data for computation; discover and connect to data, analysis using MS Excel –
number processor
• generate slides for presentation; design professional presentations using MS PowerPoint – slide presentation
• create everything from labels to newswriting and marketing materials using MS Publisher
• Copy(Ctrl+C) and Paste (Ctrl+V) any items from internet – images, video clips, music and be able to embed
them in your outputs
• CITE SOURCE(s) on any imported images, video clips, music ---to avoid plagiarism
• Manage browsing websites
• Save any files with appropriate file formats
• Associate yourself as a Techie person (one who has smart and clever ways of manipulating computer and
other related-gadgets)
D. Components of ICT

The term Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is generally accepted to mean all technologies
that, combined, allow people and organizations to interact in the digital world.

http://europeyou.eu/es/what-is-information-and-
communication-technology/

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Most Essential Learning Competency:
Do self- and/or peer assessment of the creative adaption of a literary text, based on a rationalized criteria,
prior to presentation.

After going through this module, you are expected to:

1. describe a flash fiction and plot of a story;
2. create a digital picture story;
3. perform a self or peer-assessment in evaluating one’s work; and
4. realize the importance of friendship.

LESSON 1: Flash Fiction and Story Plot

This lesson focuses on flash fiction and story plot. A flash fiction, one of the genres of fiction, is a short story
with much lesser words. Typically, a flash fiction has no longer than 1000 words in length. Some literary writers find
writing a flash fiction extremely difficult because they have to cover the beginning, rising action, climax, and
conclusion of the story with very few words. Despite this challenge, many flash fiction stories still possess those
elements, all within the strict word count. The word limit provides a very creative challenge.
Story plot, an important element of a story, is also present in flash fiction. Plot tells the reader how the story
goes. It is basically the sequence of the events in the story. It is important to remember that the plot is what carries
the readers thoughout the story. Therefore, the plot should be related in sequence and every event must be
connected to the previous or the next one.

WHAT’S NEW
In this module, you will learn more about the narrative arc or the plot structure of a story. You will be reading a flash
fiction entitled “Jake” by Jim Bartlett, who has written a number of stories from flash to novella which are all featured
in Fiction on different platforms such as The Web, CriemSpree Magazine, Short-Storyme, Fairlight Books and other
publications. As a flash fiction story goes, the author tells a loving, gentle story of love, loss and longing with an
unexpected ending. Read and learn more about the story and try to identify the components of a plot structure.

JAKE
by Jim Bartlett

Jake’s eyes snap open, and he quickly turns to the side. But like his aching heart, the spot where Max always
sat on the couch remains empty. He takes in a long, deep breath – really more of a sigh – and squeezes his eyes closed,
hoping that by slipping into the darkness of a nap, he will temporarily mask his sorrow.

For fifteen years they were inseparable.

Always side by side. The walks on the beach with the gentle waves
calling, the seagulls cawing. All those hikes on the trail where the trees
canopied over like arches, wrapping them in a soft cool shade on a hot
sunny day. Even just a ride to the grocery store for something Martha
may have forgotten, they always went together.

Though he knows that in some ways he

should be thankful for just having their time together – those
moments forever etched in his heart – and that the sickness took Max
quickly rather than dragging out the pain for weeks, maybe even
months, he still feels cheated. That somehow he is missing years that
could have been.

Unable to sleep, he looks around the all too empty room,

letting his gaze fall upon the leash, which still hangs from the peg by the door. It seems to wait patiently, ever ready
for that next big adventure. As his eyes well up, he realizes for the first time how much his grief weighs, how hard it
is to even rise with such a heaviness inside.

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 It is then he hears a shuffle from behind and turns to see Martha standing
in the doorway, her shoulder resting against the frame.

“I thought you might be in here,” she says. She looks down at him for only a
moment before her stare drifts to the couch. “I miss him, too, Jake. More
than you’ll ever know.”

There’s a faraway melancholy tone to her voice, but he knows that her
heart, like his, has a hole too big to fill. His head drops and he gives off
another long sigh, which seems to prompt her to come over and kneel down
onto the carpet beside him. She slides a hand under his chin and lifts it up,
then tucks back his long, floppy ears, such that their teary eyes can meet.

“I guess you do know, don’t you, Jake.”

WHAT IS IT

FLASH FICTION
The story you read is an example of a flash fiction. A flash fiction, also known as short-short story, typically
contains less than 1000 words which is most often used to describe short casual written works. Although a flash
fiction may be written in any genre, the most famous ones are in romance, thriller, horror and sci-fi. Even with only
a number of words, a flash fiction also bears the essential elements of a short story. The paramount of all the elements
for this type of literature is the plot.
A flash fiction is similar to a short story is some ways. Both tell a complete story with a beginning, middle
and end with the elements of storytelling in place. However, they, too, have differences.

Flash Fiction Vs. Short Story

Characteristics of Flash Fiction

When writing a flash fiction story, it is important to know how they are similar and different to longer
stories. Flash fiction is shorter, but it should not feel too short. Here are some traits of strong flash fiction stories.

1. Story Structure: A flash fiction story is not the shortened version of a longer story; it still follows the elements of
plot, including a beginning, middle and end, as well as a conflict and satisfying resolution.
2. Setting: Most flash fiction stories take place in one setting, as moving between locations uses up too much space.
It allows the writer and reader to focus on the plot.
3. Characters and Backstory: Flash fiction pieces are plot-driven and include no more than three or four characters.
They may include some character development, but too much backstory can use valuable space.
4. Description: One may think that flash fiction stories are short on description to save space. However, a strong
piece can balance vivid descriptions with a quick-moving plot. Stories that lack description are not satisfying to read,
and a flash fiction piece should feel complete.
The PLOT

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 Every written story has a plot- the series of events and characters’ actions that includes a beginning, a middle
and an end. Also, every written story has a plot structure or a narrative arc. Although it is important for a story to
have all its essential elements, the plot is the major element of all as it is what the story is all about. The plot is the
actual story. Without it, a writer has not penned anything.
Two types of plot
A writer can create a story using one of the two types of plot- a unified plot or an episodic plot. A unified
plot has a story that is realistic with a central character and action and the story happens in one place during a short
span of time- a day, several hours or even just for an hour. An episodic plot, on the other hand, has a story that
happens in a much extended period of time. A writer who employs the episodic plot frequently uses the technique
of ‘flashback’ to lay out background details of the story. But similar to the unified plot, an episodic plot also has a
central character, setting and action.

There are three other ways to write a plot. A plot may be written as a movement in casualty, a movement in
time and a movement in dramatic tension.
1. PLOT – a movement in time
The plot is a movement in time when the story transpires on a particular period of time such as an hour, a
day, a week, a month or even a year.
2. PLOT - movement in casualty
The plot is a movement in casualty when the story is established on a series of casual events that happen one
after another. Here, the writer is to create a story based on the principle of cause and effect that is, the first
event sets off the second and the second event sets off the third and so on. Hence, every new event has a
casual relationship to the old ones.
3. PLOT - a movement in dramatic tension
The plot is a movement in dramatic tension when the story has dialogue, action, details, descriptions and
scenes that amplify the tension and persuade the reader to turn the page and continue reading. The
techniques of foreshadowing, flashback and epiphany are oftentimes employed in this type of plot.

The following are the components of a plot structure or parts of the narrative.
a. Exposition – This is the beginning of the story, also known as the inciting incident. This is where the author
introduces the characters, identifies where the story is happening, and establishes the main conflict. This includes
events, actions or even decisions that build conflict, pressure or disturbance to the main character.
b. Rising Action – This is also known as the plot complication where the writer fully introduces the conflict or the
obstacle that will prevent the main character, the protagonist, to achieve his goal.
c. Climax – This part is considered as the most exciting part of a story. This part has the most tension or most exciting
event compared to all other events in the story. Also, this is where important decisions are made or important things
are discovered.
d. Falling Action – This point occurs after the climax as the problems in the story start to work themselves out. The
excitement becomes less and less as the conflict is resolved.
e. Resolution/End – This is the solution to the problem in a story. When a writer brings resolution to end the story,
he can end the story with either an open or closed ending. When a writer uses a closed ending, the resolution is done
by answering all unanswered questions that were implied or explicitly stated. A death an example of a closed ending.
When a writer uses an open ending, he leaves the readers to think, wonder or speculate what happens after the story
has ended.

Prepared by:

Melissa Linda L.Bandiez

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