The
Elements
of
Fiction
Fiction
Where do stories come from? Some are
whispered in the glow of a campfire. Others are
discovered in a book. Wherever you find them,
all stories begin in someone's imagination.
 Stories that come from a writer’s imagination
are called fiction.
 Two types of fiction are short stories and
novels.
 Both contain the elements of plot, character,
setting, and theme.
Fiction Cont…
 Historical Fiction-A fictional story based on
actual events or on real people which
includes invented elements such as
additional characters or dialogue.
 The purpose of fiction is to entertain, but it
can also provide the reader with a deeper
understanding of life.
Setting
The writer’s descriptions help readers picture the setting in
their minds. Setting can help determine what happens to the
characters and how they respond to problems.
 The setting of a story is the time and place in which
the action of the story happens.
 The time may be the past, present, or future. It can
also be daytime or nighttime; or any season of the
year.
 The events of the story may unfold in a real or
imaginary place.
Character
 The characters in a story are the people,
animals, or imaginary creatures who take part
in the action.
 Usually a story focuses on the events
surrounding one character-the main character.
Other characters-minor characters- interact
with the main character and help move the
story along.
 Characters are revealed by their traits, or
qualities.
What is Conflict?
 A conflict is a struggle between
opposing forces.
 There are two main kinds of
conflict in stories:
internal and external.
External Conflict
 A struggle between a character and an outside
force is an external conflict. Characters may
face several types of outside forces.
 The outside force may be another character. It
may be the community. The outside force may
also be forces of nature.
 For example, a story might be the main character
struggling against the arctic cold.
External Conflict Examples:
Character vs. Nature (Ice Age)
Character vs. Fate/Chance/Destiny (Harry
Potter and the pressure of being “the
chosen one”)
Character vs. Character (Po vs Tai Lung) Character vs. Society (Shrek from “Shrek”)
Internal Conflict
 Internal conflict concerns your main
character's self-doubt - his or her dilemma over
the best way to achieve goal of the story.
 A struggle that takes place in a character's
mind is called internal conflict.
 For example, a character may have to decide
between right and wrong or between two
solutions to a problem. Sometimes, a
character must deal with his or her own mixed
feelings or emotions.
Internal Conflict
Man vs. Himself
Marlin struggles to open
up emotionally. He
refuses to let other get
close to him after what
happened to his wife
and kids. Because of this
he pushes people away.
Woody struggles
with the emotional
let down that he is
no longer Andy’s
favorite toy.
Theme
The theme of a story is the main message
the writer wishes to share with the reader.
 This message might be a lesson about life or
an insight into human nature.
 Most themes are not stated directly; the
reader must infer them from the details and
events of the story.
 Different readers may find different themes in
the same story.
Themes cont…
 Themes can be revealed by:
 Thinking about the meaning of the
title of the story.
 Skimming the story for key phrases
and sentences about big ideas such as
courage, freedom, or honesty.
 Examining how the main character
changes or noting what he or she
learns about life.
Plot
 The sequence of events in a story is called the
plot.
 A plot is usually built around a conflict-a
problem or struggle between opposing
forces.
 Although the development of every plot is
different, most plots develop in five stages.
 Exposition
 Rising Action
 Climax
 Falling Action
 Resolution
1. Exposition
 This occurs at the beginning of a short story. Here the
characters are introduced. We also learn about the
setting of the story. Most importantly, we are
introduced to the main conflict (main problem).
2. Rising Action
 This part of the story begins to develop
the conflict(s). A building of interest or
suspense occurs.
3. Climax
 This is the turning point of the story. Usually
the main character comes face to face with a
conflict. The main character will change in
some way.
4. Falling Action
 All loose ends of
the plot are tied
up. The
conflict(s) and
climax are taken
care of.
5. Resolution
 The story
comes to a
reasonable
ending.
Application
Watch these short video clips and complete a plot diagram