Story Telling Elements

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Story Telling Elements

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Story Telling Elements

• Plot
• Characters
• Setting
• Theme
• Style

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Plot

• Definition The sequence of events or actions
  that moves a story forward
• Also The main events in a story
• Short Version What happens!

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Characters

• Characters are ones who take part in the action
  of a story
• May be people, animals, or imaginary creatures
  (like angels or ghosts)
• Can be main or minor characters
• Can be dynamic (changes) or static (remains the
  same)

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Setting

• Setting is the time or place in which the plot
  occurs
• Can be time (time of day, year, etc)
• Can be place (house, town, country, world, etc)
• Can be situation (in a storm, at a funeral, etc)

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Theme

• A broad idea in a story, or a message or lesson
  conveyed by a work
• The fundamental and often universal ideas
  explored in a literary work
• The message or lesson is usually about life,
  society or human nature
• Themes are usually implied rather than explicitly
  stated

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Style

• Not so much what is written, but how it is
  written
• Refers to language conventions used to construct
  the story
• A fiction writer may manipulate diction, sentence
  structure, phrasing, dialogue, and other aspects
  of language to create style
• Every writer has his or her own unique style, or
  voice

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Plot Elements

• Exposition
• Rising Action
• Climax
• Falling Action
• Resolution

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Basic Plot Diagram
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Complex Plot Diagram
Climax
Rising Action Conflicts and Complications
Falling Action
Exposition
Resolution
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Plot Elements - Exposition

• The background information, usually given at the
  beginning of the story
• Introduces characters and setting
• Sets the tone

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Plot Elements Rising Action

• Introduces conflicts and complications that drive
  the plot forward
• Builds suspense
• When the plot thickens

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Conflict

• A struggle between two opposing forces
• Can be internal within your own mind
• Person versus Self
• Can be external between a person and some
  outside force
• Person versus Person
• Person versus Nature
• Person versus Society

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Plot Elements - Climax

• The main turning point of the story.The moment
  when suspense reaches its peak
• Results in change for the main character
• Sometimes occurs at the end of the story, without
  being followed by falling action

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Plot Elements Falling Action

• Occurs after the climax of the story
• Resolves conflict(s)
• Ties up loose ends of the story

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Plot Elements Resolution

• Occurs after the climax of the story
• Resolves conflict(s)
• Ties up loose ends of the story

Falling Action
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Story Telling Elements

• Plot
• Characters
• Setting
• Theme
• Style