Literary Elements of a Short
Story or Novel
What is a Short Story or Novel?
• They’re a work of fiction presenting a
sequence of events.
• They share a wide range of possibilities like
taking place in a similar town to being on a
different planet.
• They may give you new ideas or remind
you of events in your own life.
What are the elements?
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Plot
Characters
Exposition
Setting
Theme
Conflict both Internal and External
Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action,
Denoument
1.Characters
• Characters are the people or animals in the story,
novel or play.
• Main Characters are at the center or main focus
of the story.
• Supporting Characters are the other people or
animals in the story.
• *Protagonists are main or lead characters in a
story, novel or play.
• *Antagonists are characters that
oppose/challenges another character.
2. Exposition
• *The exposition is the background
information of a story, the story before the
story.
3. Point of View
• *1st Person Narrator-Uses I and We and
the story is told from his perspective while
revealing unspoken thoughts of characters
• *3rd Person Narrator-Uses he, she, it,
they.. Never uses I
• *3rd Person Omniscient-told by storyteller
who is not a character but knows ALL the
character’s thoughts and facts.
4. Setting
• *The setting is the time and place in which
the characters live and the events occur.
• Having a setting is very important with
“painting a picture” in your head.
• *Tone and *Mood are set. This is where
your word choice (strong and weak words)
come into play!
5. Plot
• *Plot is the sequence of events that keeps
the story moving.
• The *rising action, events in the story, lead
towards the heart of the plot where there is a
problem. Events build to a *climax, or
turning point.
• The climax is followed by a *denoument,
or resolution, of the story.
6.Theme
• *Theme is the central message or main
message expressed in the story.
• One may say it is the “lesson learned”from
the story.
7. Conflict
• There is always a conflict within a story.
*Conflicts are the dilemma, issue or
struggle the main character has.
• *Internal Conflict- Man vs. Self
• *External ConflictMan vs. Nature,
Man vs. Man,
Man vs. Society
8. Prologue
* A prologue is the introduction to a book or
play.
Does your AR book have a prologue?
9. Epilogue
• *An Epilogue is a final section that brings
to an end and summarizes or comments on
the action or characters of a story.
• Sometimes the epilogue will simply just tie
up loose ends.
Synopsis
• Synopsis is a brief statement or outline of a
story.
• Every novel has a synopsis. You can find it
in the book jacket or on the back of the
book.
10. Diagram of a Plot
• Let’s draw a Plot Chart Diagram or
Freytag’s Triangle….
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