The Elements of Fiction

Fiction is writing that tells about imaginary characters and events. All works of fiction share certain basic elements.

They include made-up people or animals called characters and a made-up series of events called the plot. Fictional works take place in a time and location, or setting, which may or may not be real.

 They are told by a speaker called the narrator. Fiction is told from a certain perspective, or point of view.

First-person point of view is the perspective of a character in the story. Third-person point of view is the perspective of a narrator outside the story.

Characters
The people (or animals, things, etc. presented as people) appearing in a literary work. Round Characters are convincing, true to life. They are fully developed and exhibit many personality traits, often both virtues and faults. Flat Characters are stereotyped, shallow, and often symbolic. Have only one or two personality traits.

Characters
Dynamic Characters are characters who change or grow during the course of the work. Static characters are those that do not change.

Characters personalities can be revealed directly through the following:

The author develops the personality through direct statements. (for example the way Paul Langan described Darrell Mercers appearance in The Bully)

Characters personalities can be revealed indirectly through the following:

The characters thoughts, words, and actions The comments of the other characters The characters physical appearance

Setting is the place where the story takes place. Setting includes the following:
The geographical location (for example, Wyoming, London, South Carolina)
The time period (for example, 1865, WWII, today, long ago)

Setting is the place where the story takes place. Setting includes the following:
The socio-economic characteristics of the location (for example, wealthy suburbs, depression dustbowl, poor farm town)
The specific building, room and so forth (for example, a prep school, a log cabin, a bus, a house)

The setting can be used to tell the readers:

About the characters To set the atmosphere or mood of the story

PLOT
Plot is the literary element that describes the structure of a story. It shows arrangement of events and actions within a story. A simple way to put it is: beginning, middle and end.

Identifying the Elements of A Plot Diagram

Plot Diagram
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2 1

Plot

(definition)

Plot is the organized pattern or sequence of events that make up a story. Every plot is made up of a series of incidents that are related to one another.

1. Exposition
This usually occurs at the beginning of a short story. Here the characters are introduced. We also learn about the setting of the story. Most importantly, we are introduced to the main conflict (main problem).

2. Rising Action
This part of the story begins to develop the conflict(s). A building of interest or suspense occurs.

3. Climax
This is the turning point of the story. Usually the main character comes face to face with a conflict. The main character will change in some way.

4. Falling Action
All loose ends of the plot are tied up. The conflict(s) and climax are taken care of.

5. Resolution
The story comes to a reasonable ending.

Putting It All Together

1. Exposition

2. Rising Action

Beginning of Story

Middle of Story

3. Climax

4. Falling Action
5. Resolution

End of Story

Types of Fiction
Novels are long works of fiction. A novel has a plot in which characters face a problem in a specific time and place. In addition to a main plot it may contain subplots, or minor stories within the larger story. Novellas are works of fiction that are longer than short stories but shorter than novels.

Types of Fiction
Short stories are brief works of fiction. Like a novel, a short story has characters, a setting, and a plot. Unlike a novel, it has a single conflict and is meant to be read in one sitting. Fairy tales, folk tales, fables, tall tales, realistic fiction, historical fiction, mysteries, adventures, horror, myths are types of fiction.