Elements of Fiction

1. Elements of Fiction
Lenardon | Mary Ward CSS
Saturday, 23 August, 14

2. Agenda
Diagnostic Assessment
Let’s write a story
Elements of Fiction
Let’s talk about Unit 1
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3. ELEMENTS OF
FICTION
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4. Plot
Plot refers to the series of events that give a story its meaning and
effect.
Within these series of events is usually a conflict.
External
Conflict
Man vs. Man
Man vs. Nature
Man vs. Society
Internal
Conflict
Man vs. Self
Saturday, 23 August, 14

5. Plot Graph
A story begins with rising action as the character experiences
conflict through a series of plot complications that entangle him
or her more deeply in the problem.
This conflict reaches a climax, after which the conflict is resolved,
and the falling action leads quickly to the story's end.
Exposition
Rising Action
Climax
Falling Action
Resolution
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6. Parts of a Plot
exposition: is the portion of a story that introduces important
background information to the audience
rising action: The part of a plot in which the drama intensifies,
rising toward the climax
climax: The plot's most dramatic and revealing moment, usually
the turning point of the story
falling action: The part of the plot after the climax, when the
drama subsides and the conflict is resolved
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7. Character
In fiction, character refers to a textual representation of a human
being (or occasionally another creature).
protagonist: A story’s main character (see also antagonist)
antagonist: The character or force in conflict with the protagonist
round character: A complex, fully developed character, often
prone to change
flat character: A one-dimensional character, typically not central
to the story
characterization: The process by which an author presents and
develops a fictional character
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8. Setting
Setting, quite simply, is the story’s time and place.
Setting is also one of the primary ways that a fiction
writer establishes mood.
social context: The significant cultural issues affecting
a story’s setting or authorship
mood: The underlying feeling or atmosphere produced
by a story
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9. Point of View
Point of view in fiction refers to the source and scope of the narrative voice.
First-person point of view, usually identifiable by the use of the pronoun "I," a
character in the story does the narration. A first-person narrator may be a major
character and is often its protagonist. Think Be!a Swan "om Twilight
Third-person point of view occurs when the narrator does not take part in the
story.
There are three types of third-person point of view:
third-person omniscient - the narrative voice can render information from
anywhere, including the thoughts and feelings of any of the characters.
third-person limited - the narrative voice can relate what is in the minds of only
a select few characters.
third-person objective - the narrator renders explicit, observable details and does
not have access to the internal thoughts of characters or background information
about the setting or situation.
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10. Style, Tone & Language
Style in fiction refers to the language conventions used to
construct the story.
A fiction writer can manipulate diction, sentence structure,
phrasing, dialogue, and other aspects of language to create style.
To identify a story's voice, ask yourself, "What kind of person does
the narrator sound like?" A story's voice may be serious and
straightforward, rambunctiously comic, or dramatically tense.
A story's style and voice contribute to its tone.
Tone refers to the attitude that the story creates toward its
subject matter.
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11. Theme
Theme is the meaning or concept we are left with
after reading a piece of fiction. Theme is an answer to
the question, "What did you learn from this?"
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12. Symbolism, Allegory and Imagery
An image is a sensory impression used to create meaning in a story.
While visual imagery such as this is typically the most prominent in a story,
good fiction also includes imagery based on the other senses: sound, smell,
touch, and taste.
If an image in a story is used repeatedly and begins to carry multiple layers of
meaning, it may be significant enough to call a symbol.
In an allegory, authors use their characters, setting and plot to entertain, while
simultaneously delivering a moral, lesson or even a commentary on big concepts,
like religion, and institutions, like the government.
For example, a story about aliens who find themselves isolated and alone in a
strange new world can be an allegory for what immigrants experience in a new
country.
Saturday, 23 August, 14