ELEMENTS OF FICTION
character- a person, animal, or imaginary creature who takes part in the
action of a story.
A) main- a character whom the story revolves around.
B) minor- a character who helps the story move along.
1) static- a character who does not change in the course of a story.
2) dynamic- a character who changes as a result of the story’s events.
conflict- a struggle or clash between two or more opposing characters or
forces.
A) external- a struggle against any outside force.
B) internal- a struggle between opposing needs, desires, or emotions
within a character’s mind.
1) man vs. man
2) man vs. self
3) man vs. nature
4) man vs. society
5) man vs. technology
6) man vs. supernatural
dialogue- a conversation between two or more characters.
fiction- a prose account that is created or imaginary rather than true.
flashback- an interruption in the action of a plot to tell what happened at an
earlier time.
foreshadowing- the use of clues to suggest events that will happen later in
the plot.
irony- a contrast between expectations and reality.
A) verbal- a contrast between what is said or written and what is
meant.
B) situational- occurs when what happens is very different from
what is expected to happen.
C) dramatic- occurs when the audience or the reader knows
something a character does not know.
mood- the overall emotion created by a work of literature.
novel- a fictional story that is usually between 100-500 book pages long.
personification- a figure of speech in which a nonhuman thing or quality is
given human qualities or characteristics.
point of view- the vantage point from which a story is told.
A) third person omniscient- “all-knowing”, the narrator knows
everything about the characters and their problems.
B) third person limited- the narrator focuses on the thoughts and
feelings of only one character.
C) second person- the main character, the narrator is “YOU”.
Usually restricted to choose your own adventure stories.
D) first person- the narrator, one of the characters, using the
personal pronoun “I”, is telling the story.
plot- the series of related events that make up a story. This is the actual
events, the “what happens” in a story.
storyline- the general pattern that every story takes.
A) exposition- the introduction; characters are introduced, setting is
established, conflicts begin.
B) complications- problems that arise within the story.
C) climax- the most emotional, interesting, exciting, or suspenseful
point in a story.
D) resolution- the conclusion; problems are solved & the story ends.
setting- the time and place in which the events of a story take place.
A) time- past, present, or future; day or night; any season. “when”
B) place- real or imaginary. “where”
short story- a fictional prose narrative that is usually 10-20 pages long.
suspense- the uncertainty or anxiety the reader feels about what will happen
next in a story.
tone- the attitude a writer takes toward the audience, a subject, or character.
theme- the idea about life revealed in a work of literature. the main message
a writer wishes to share with the reader. It may be a lesson about life
or a belief about people and their actions.
WHAT LESSON CAN BE LEARNED???