Five Elements of Fiction

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Five Elements of Fiction
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1. Character

• People or animals who take part in the action
• Most authors use few characters 2-6
• Usually one character is the main character

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How Characters Are Revealed

• By author comment, where the author tells a
  persons actions
• By a characters actions
• By a characters comments
• By what other characters say

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Useful Character Questions

• What traits does each character have?
• How are they revealed?
• Does a character change during the story? How?
• Does the character remind you of someone you know?

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2. Plot

• Plot is the series of events or the main story
• Plot is based on a conflict or conflicts
• Between two characters - human vs. human
• Between a character and society human vs.
  society
• Between a character and nature or the
  supernatural human vs. nature
• Within a character human vs. him/herself

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Plot Map
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Parts of the Plot

• Exposition or Opening setting, characters and
  situation are revealed
• Rising Action the action is developed by
  incident, description, characterization and
  dialogue
• Climax the culmination of the events of rising
  action the most exciting moment the highest
  point of interest
• Falling Action follows the climax and explains
  any details that need further clarification.
  Usually short

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3. Point of View

• Point of view is the relationship of the
  storyteller to the story
• First person The narrative is told by one of
  the characters from the I point of view.
• Limited third person The narrator tells the
  story using he and she. This point of view
  can be limited with the narrator knowing only the
  thoughts and feelings of one character.
• Omniscient The narrator tells the story using
  he and she, but the narrator knows the
  thoughts and feelings of all the characters.

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4. Setting

• The time and place in which the action takes
  place
• Normally explained at or near the beginning of
  the story
• Geographical location, scenery, weather,
  furniture, clothing, time of year, period of
  history give indications of setting

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5. Theme

• The main idea or meaning or message of a story
• Not the same as the subject or a summary
• The authors reflection on a universal truth,
  possibly a lesson or a moral
• The author will not tell you directly what the
  theme is
• Theme is revealed through character, setting and
  point of view
• You need to read the entire book before you can
  determine the theme

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The Theme Sounds Like a Fortune Cookie Message

• How we act, not how we look determines how
  beautiful we are
• Honesty is the best policy
• Sometimes bad things happen to good people
• The truth hurts
• The truth will set you free