Story Elements
Characters
A dynamic character is one who
goes through a personality
change due to the events in the
story.
A static character is one whose
personality does not change
throughout the story.
Round Characters
A round character is one whose
personality, background, motives,
and other features are fully described
or explained by the author. In
general, main characters are round
because many insights are given.
Flat Characters
A flat character is one who is not
fully described but is useful in
carrying out some narrative purpose
of the author. They tend to be minor
characters.
Dynamic and Round
In most books the main character is
both dynamic and round.
Round and Static
Characters can be round and static.
For example, think about the
character James Bond. We know a
great deal about this character’s
personality (round), yet he does not
go through an inner personality
change from the beginning to the
end of the story (static). Often the
side-kick in a story is round and
static.
Dynamic and Flat
Characters cannot be dynamic and
flat, because in a flat character we
do not know enough about them to
recognize a change.
Dynamic or Static
Round or Flat
Ebenezer Scrooge
from Charles Dickens's
A Christmas Carol
Dynamic and Round
Dynamic or Static
Round or Flat
Robin
from Batman
Static and Round
Setting
The setting of a story
includes the time and
place in which the story
takes place. Some stories may
have more than one setting.
First-Person Point of View
In the first-person point of view one
character tells the story. This character reveals
only personal thoughts and feelings of what
s/he sees. The writer uses pronouns such as
"I“, "me“, “mine”, or "my".
Example:
I woke up this morning feeling terrific. I
hopped out of bed excited to start the new
day. I knew that today was the day my big
surprise would come.
Second-Person Point of View
With the second-person point of view the
narrator tells the story using the pronoun
"you". The character is someone similar to
you.
Example:
You wake up feeling really terrific. Then you
hop out of bed excited to start the new day.
You know that today is the day that your big
surprise will come.
This is rarely used in literature. It can be seen
in Choose Your Own Adventure books.
Third-Person Points of View
The third-person point of view is the most
commonly used in fiction. When writing in the
third-person you will use pronouns such as
"he", "she", or "it".
Example:
Brian woke up feeling terrific. He hopped out of bed excited to start the
new day. He knew that today was the day that his big surprise would
come.
Third Person Objective: Narrator is not in the story and can only
report what is seen and heard.
Third Person Limited: Narrator is not in the story; can report what is
seen and heard; AND can “read” ONE character’s mind and report
his/her thoughts and feelings.
Third Person Omniscient: Narrator is not in the story; can report
what is seen and heard; AND can “read” every characters’ mind and
report their thoughts and feelings.
Third-Person Point of View
Third-person point of view may be written
using several variations.
In the third-person objective the story is
told without describing any character's
thoughts, opinions, or feelings. Think of
this as seeing what a camera can see. A
camera can not see what is going on inside
someone’s mind.
Third-Person Objective
Third-person objective is rarely used except in
easy picture books.
Example
The alarm clock sounded. Brian cut off the
clock and jumped out of bed. He had a smile
on his face.
Third-Person Point of View
In the third-person omniscient, the reader
knows exactly what is going on inside various
characters’ heads in regards to their thoughts
and feelings.
Rob is
Joe is
sad.
Tim is
sneaky.
surprised.
Pete is
in love.
Third-Person Omniscient
Example from Woods Runner by Gary Paulsen
Although Samuel's parents lived in the wilderness,
they were not a part of it. They had been raised in
towns and had been educated in schools where they'd
been taught to read and write and play musical
instruments. They moved west when Samuel was a
baby, so that they could devote themselves to a quiet
life of hard physical work and contemplation. They
loved the woods, but they did not understand
them. Not like Samuel.
(Here the reader knows both the parents’ and
Samuel’s feelings.)
Third-Person Point of View
In third-person limited, the reader knows
only one character's mind, either throughout
the entire work or in a specific section. The
narration is limited to what can be known,
seen, thought, or judged from a single
character's perspective.
Sally wondered
what the boys
were thinking.
Conflict
Conflict is the struggle between the
opposing forces on which the action in a
work of literature depends.
In short stories, there is usually one
major conflict. In longer stories, there
could be several conflicts.
Conflict
Some forms of conflict include the following:
•Person vs. Person
•Person vs. Self
•Person vs. the Environment/Nature
•Person vs. Technology
•Person vs. Society
(the word person can be used interchangeably with man,
eg. Man vs Man)
Person vs. Person
A person vs. person conflict is between two forms
of like beings.
Examples
From Where the Red Fern Grows Billy and his dogs are attacked by a mountain
lion, and they must do everything they can to
survive.
From Weasel Nathan is captured by Weasel, an Indian fighter.
Earlier in the book, Weasel had attacked
Nathan's pa, had taken away Pa’s riffle, and had
killed the farm animals.
Person vs. Self
In a person vs. self conflict the main
character has a problem within him/herself.
Examples
From Weasel
Nathan spends the winter months struggling
with his conscious. Should he go back to
Weasel’s cabin to seek revenge or forget
about Weasel?
Person vs. the Environment
In a person vs. the environment conflict a character
is struggling against the forces of nature.
Example:
From Where the Red Fern Grows Little Ann and Old Dan tree a coon in the tallest tree
in the river bottoms.
From Where the Red Fern Grows Billy enters the championship coon hunt and
encounters the snowstorm.
Person vs. Technology
In a person vs. technology conflict, a
character has a problem with robots or
machines.
Example
From Hatchet Brian flying the airplane after the pilot
dies.
Person vs. Person
Person vs. Technology
Could also be Person vs. Nature
Person vs. Person
Person vs. Person
Person vs. Self
Person vs. Technology
Person vs. Person
Person vs. Nature
Person vs. Nature
Person vs. Person
Could also be Person vs. Bull
Person vs. Nature
Person vs. Person
Person vs. Nature
Person vs. Person
Person vs. Self
Person vs. Person
Person vs. Person
Person vs. Nature
Plot
The plot is the story that is told in a novel, play,
or movie. The plot has five components.
Plot Structure Components
Exposition
Inciting Incident
Rising Action
Climax
Falling Action
Resolution
Denoument
Exposition
The exposition is the introduction of the story.
It contains the setting, introduces the main
characters, and gives background information.
It is the information needed to understand a
story.
Inciting Incident
The inciting incident is the introduction of
conflict.
Rising Action
The rising action is the portion of the story
where a character tries to solve the conflict.
This is the longest part of the story.
Climax
The climax is the tensest moment of the story.
It is the turning point in the story that occurs
when characters try to resolve the
complication.
Falling Action
The falling action is where the characters
begin to apply a solution to the conflict and tie
up loose ends.
Resolution
The resolution is how everything turns out in
the story. It is the set of events that bring the
story to a close.
Denouement
The final clarification or resolution of a plot in
a play or other work. The point at which the
loose ends are “tied up.”
Theme
The theme is the insight about life or human
nature that the writer shares with the reader.
It is usually not stated directly, but must be
inferred.
The theme is the message of a story. Ask
yourself this question. What should you learn
from the story?