Intro to Fiction
A LOOK AT FREYTAG’S PYRAMID AND
VARIOUS TECHNIQUES EMPLOYED IN
FICTION
All the Stuff that Happens…
 PLOT refers to the
events that take place in
a story.
 The plot is set in motion
by conflicts either
between characters or
internally within a
character.
 The plot of a story is
measured by what is
known as Freytag’s
Pyramid.
The exposition is the
introduction to the
characters. This is a
crucial time in the plot
because it makes or breaks
the story. The inciting
incident or conflict is
when the main problem of
the story is introduced.
The rising action is the
building up of the conflict.
The rising action is usually
the bulk of a story. The
climax is the big moment
or turning point of the
story. The falling action
or denouement is the
action after the climax that
leads to the resolution.
The resolution is when
the conflict or inciting
incident is resolved.
FREYTAG’S PYRAMID
 Internal Conflicts take place
Types of
Conflicts
entirely within a character’s own
mind. This can be a simple as
choosing between an apple and a
candy bar or as complex as selfdiscovery.
 External Conflicts occurs when
a character struggles with an
outside force (people, animals,
nature, robots, etc.)
And This Plot Is Starring…
 CHARACTERS are the
stars of the story. The
development of the
characters is called a
characterization.
Characterizations can be
either direct or
indirect, meaning the
author either describes
the character outright or
allows the reader the
freedom to create the
character in his mind.
In indirect characterizations, the author
describes what a character looks like,
does, and says, as well as relationships
with other characters. It’s up to the
reader to draw conclusions from that
information.
Types of Characters
 The protagonist of a
story is the main
character. Usually the
reader feels some sort of
empathy towards him,
but not always.
 The antagonist of a
story can come in many
different forms:
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Another person
A force of nature
A situation
Fate
Society
The protagonist himself
The main conflict of the plot is generally between the
protagonist and the antagonist. Figuring these out will
help you identify the main conflict.
Types of Characters
DYNAMIC CHARACTERS
STATIC CHARACTERS
 Dynamic characters
 Static characters
change and grow
during some part of the
story. These are
generally the main
characters.
remain the same
throughout the story.
These are generally
minor characters, but
sometimes a character is
static to show either in
contrast to the constant
change of the dynamic
characters or as a solid
role model for the main
character.
Types of Characters
FLAT CHARACTERS
ROUND CHARACTERS
 A flat character is just
 A round character is
as the name suggests –
flat. This character is
one-dimensional. The
reader only sees one
side of this character.
multi-dimensional. We
see many different
sides of this character.
Think about why a character would be
flat or round. What could that tell us
about his or her role in the story?
Types of Characters
CHARACTER FOILS
STEREOTYPES
 A foil is a character
 A stereotype is a fixed
that is used as a
contrast to another
character. An author
uses a foil to accentuate
and clarify the distinct
qualities of two
characters.
idea or conception of a
character that does not
allow for any
individuality.
A Dark and Stormy Night Indeed…
 SETTING is the time
and place the events of a
story occur. The setting
is important because
oftentimes the time and
place have a huge impact
on how the events of a
story unfold.
All That Emotional Stuff
 The tone of a story is the
attitude a writer takes
toward the audience, a
subject, or a character.
 The mood is the feeling
created in the reader by a
literary work or passage.
The mood is often
suggested with
descriptive details.
Finding the theme…
 THEME is the central
idea or message of a
work of literature.
Themes are generally
universal ideas or morals
that can be applied to
any story. Themes are
very seldom stated
directly; rather, the
reader must infer the
theme from the
information read.
 Foreshadowing is the use of clues
Other
Fictional
Elements
that hint at events that will occur
later in the plot.
 Symbolism is a person, a place, a
thing, or an event that stands for
itself and for something beyond
itself.
 Imagery is language that appeals to
the senses.
 An allusion is a reference to a
statement, person, place, or event
from literature, history, religion,
myth, politics, sports, science, or
pop culture.
 A flashback is a scene that
interrupts the present action of the
plot to “flash” backward and tell
what happened at an earlier time.
 Irony is a contrast or discrepancy
between expectation and reality.
There are three types of irony.
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Verbal – A writer or speaker says one thing
but really means something completely
different.
Situational – There is a contrast between
what would seem appropriate and what
happens.
Dramatic – The audience or reader knows
something important that a character in a
story or play does not know.
Who’s Talking Here, Anyway?
 POINT OF VIEW is the
relationship between the
narrator and what’s going on
in the story. There are three
main types of P.O.V. in
literature:
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First Person means the story
is told by a character in it and
the pronoun “I” is used
frequently.
Third Person Limited
means a narrator is telling the
story as one character
perceives it.
Third Person Omniscient
means a narrator who knows
all the characters thoughts and
feelings is telling the story.
Now try it on
your own…
 Think of a movie or book that you
enjoy. On a scrap piece of paper,
describe the plot and characters
of the work using Freytag’s
Pyramid as a model.
Exposition
 We are introduced to this
ogre named Shrek who
loves his swampy home
and his privacy. Shrek
seems likeable enough to
the audience, with his
“bubbly” mud baths, but
it is obvious the people of
the nearby town do not
like him. He could not
care less, he just loves
life!
The Conflict
 Shrek’s paradise of
solitude in the swamp is
destroyed by the
unwelcome relocation of
all sorts of fairytale
creatures to his yard, one
of which is Donkey, who
vows to help Shrek get to
Duloc to be granted his
land by the evil Lord
Farquaad.
Rising Action
 Lord Farquaad tells
Shrek he must rescue a
princess for the Lord, a
princess that is locked in
a tower guarded by a
dragon. Shrek does this,
and journeys back home
with Donkey and the
princess Fiona in hopes
of having his home
returned back to its
peaceful state.
Still Rising Action, and New Conflict!
 As a result of his saving
her and their ample time
spent together, Shrek
and Fiona fall in love.
However, she has
withheld a secret from
him that changes their
lives forever.
The Climax
 Shrek finds out Fiona’s
secret that she is actually
an ogre on the day she is
to wed Lord Farquaad.
This changes everything;
they will be allowed to be
together now!
Falling Action or Denouement
 Lord Farquaad is
defeated by Shrek and
Donkey and a companion
they have picked up
along the way, Dragon,
and Shrek and Fiona are
left to live happily ever
after…
Resolution
 …which they do!