Elements of Fiction: What IS

Elements of Fiction
WHAT
IS
FICTION
Fiction
 Fiction can have

Fiction = some true facts,
events, or people
“make believe” though
or
“not true”
stories
~ Types of Fiction ~
SHORT STORIES
LONG STORIES / NOVELS
PLAYS
~ Short Story ~
Fairy Tales & Fantasy Fables

~ Short Story ~
Folklore Myths & Legends

~ Long or Short Stories ~
 Historical Fiction
 Science Fiction
 Realistic Fiction
 Mystery
 Adventure
 Romance
 Humor
and others . . .
~ Elements of Fiction ~
 character
 setting
 conflict
 plot
Point of View
Characters
The
PEOPLE,
ANIMALS,
OR
THINGS
the story is about (The “Who” of the Story)
An author can make “make believe”
characters seem believable by . . .
1. DESCRIBING THEM WELL
2. LETTING THE READER “HEAR” THE CHARACTERS

SPEAK TO EACH OTHER WITH DIALOGUE
3. “SHOWING” CHARACTERS’ ACTIONS IN WAYS

READERS CAN RELATE TO OR THAT MAKE SENSE FOR
THE SITUATION
4. LETTING THE READER KNOW THE CHARACTERS’

THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS
Types of Character
Round character- is a dynamic character who

recognize changes in the circumstances. Is a fully
develop character, with many traits – bad and good
– shown in the story.
Flat character- also known as the stock or stereotype

character who does not grown and develop. A flat
character is not fully developed.
Others
Protagonist – hero/heroine
Antagonist – a foil to the protagonist
Deuteroganist – second in importance
Fringe – one who is destroyed by his inner conflict
Typical or minor characters
Setting
The
TIME
and
PLACE
of the story (The “When” & “Where” of the Story)
Setting
Long Ago Today In the Future
 Stories don’t always directly tell us their time period

 Sometimes we must figure it out from “clues” / descriptions in
the story such as the style of clothing worn, the activities done,
or the technology used by the characters.
Setting is also the “place” of the story
Stories can have more than one setting
Conflict
A problem or
struggle
the character
must face in
the story
Do you think this character is having thoughts and feelings right about now?
Conflict
Sometimes there can be
both internal and external
conflict as characters
react with thoughts and
feelings to the problems
occurring “outside” of
themselves.
There are 2types of
Conflict
Internal: External:
Inside the Character Outside the Character
Internal Conflict
Internal Conflict
Internal conflicts are thoughts or feelings the

characters struggle with like thinking they are going
to lose a game or feeling worried.
External Conflict
Conditions or people that are causing problems for the

main character are called
external conflicts.
These problems are happening “outside” of the character.
Plot
 The plot of a story
is where the
reader learns what
is happening and in
what order:
 First . . .
 Then . . .
 Next . . .
 Finally . . .
Plot
 The storyline
or series of
events that make
up the story
The
“What Happened?”
of the Story
 Narrative order
- the sequence of events is called Narrative Order.
• Chronological the most common type of narrative order
in children’s books.
• Flashback occurs when the author narrates an event that
took place before the current time of the story.
• Time lapse occurs when the story skips a period of time
that seems unusual compared to the rest of the plot.
PYRAMIDAL STRUCTURE OF A
PLOT
 CLIMAX
 COMPLICATION DENOUEMENT
 EXPOSITION RESOLUTION
Exposition
 Introduces the time, place, setting, and
the main characters
Complication
 Unfolds the problems and struggles that
would be encountered by the main
characters leading in crisis.
Climax
The most
exciting part of
the story –
where the plot was
leading.
Climax
Climax
Plot : Shortly
Events in after the
the story climax,
lead to the the story
CLIMAX ends
Introduction
Resolution
The story leads up to the most exciting part

Climax
The climax suggests how the conflict or

problem in the story will be resolved.
Denouement
Is the untying of the entangled knots or the
part that shows a conflict or a problem is
solved, leading to its downwards movement
or end.
Resolution
By the
resolution,
or ending of the
story,
we learn how the
conflict is
solved . . . one
way or another.
Resolution
Resolution =
The end
The End
of
the story
We’re NOT done with our work though . . .
Qualities of the Plot
a. Exciting – it should be more exciting than everyday

reality that surrounds us.
b. Good Structure – the episodes must be arranged

effectively, but the most important element of plot
structure is tying all the incidents together, so that
one leads naturally to another.
Plot Devices
a. Flashback – something out of chronological

order, to reveal information, to understand a
character’s nature.
b. Foreshadowing – a device to give a sign of
something to come’ its purpose is to create
suspense, to keep the readers guessing what will
happen next.
c. Suspense – this is the feeling of excitement or
tension in the reader’s experiences as the action of
the plot unfolds.
d. Surprise Ending – this is an ending that catches
the reader off guard with an unexpected turn of
events.
e. In Media Res – the technique of beginning a story
in the middle of the action, with background
information given later in flashbacks.
Point of View
The writer’s feeling and attitude toward his subject;
determines who tells the story. It identifies the
narrator of the story
Classification ( Point of View )
a. First Person – the writer uses the pronoun “I”.

He/she should be a participant or a character in his
own work; the narrator may be the protagonist, an
observer, a minor character, or the writer
himself/herself.
b. Third Person – the writer-narrator is a character
in the story. He/she narrates the based on what he
observes, his opinion.on the other hand, a limited
third person is an outsider/observer who is not
part of the story.
Omniscient – the writer narrator sees all; he can
see into the minds of characters and even report
everyone’s innermost thoughts.
Name Characteristics Pronoun
First Person Speaker part of the story, I, me, mine we, us, ours
can observe (s)
characteristics, but
reveals feelings and
reactions only of self
Story told only as one He, him, his, she, her (s)
Third Person character can observe They, them, theirs
Limited Third Person Narrator not part of the He, him, his, she, her (s)
story, cannot read any They, them, theirs
character’s mind.
Omniscient Narrator/author knows He, him, his, she, her (s)

all and sees all They, them, theirs
Mood
The atmosphere or emotional effect generated by
words, images, situations in a literary work
Example
Melancholy, joyous, oppressive and so on.
Tone
A term used, sometimes broadly, to denote, an
attitude of feeling of the speaker or author a
conveyed by the language in its artful arrangement;
it describe the attitude of the narrator or persona of
the work whereas MOOD refers to the emotional
impact felt by the reader of the work, although often
similar, these feelings are necessarily the same.
Symbolism
Stand for something other than themselves, they
bring to mind not their own concrete qualities, but
the idea or obstruction that is associated with them.
Images
Are usually characterized by concrete qualities rather
than abstract meaning; these appeal to the sense of
taste, smell, feel, sound, or sight.
Theme
The central or dominating idea is an literary work; it
is the topic or subject of the section, which is
sometimes stated by a character or by the writer
himself, but oftentimes, it is merely implied or
suggested.
Now,
let’s try it
together!
In the story
“Goldilocks and the Three
Bears” . . .
WHAT IS THE
SETTING ?
Time & Place

Long ago / A cottage in the woods
S
E
T
T
I
N
G
WHO ARE THE
CHARACTERS ?
Main Characters
Main Characters
Goldilocks
Papa Bear
Mama Bear
Baby Bear
THINK BACK OVER
THE STORY:
WHAT IS THE
PLOT ?
Storyline
Plot
Plot
WHAT IS THE
CONFLICT ?
Problem to Overcome
Conflict
* Goldilocks
is hungry and
tired
(and apparently has no manners!)
* The bears will

return.
ARE THESE
INTERNAL OR
EXTERNAL
CONFLICTS ?
“Inside” the character or “outside”?

Conflict
Being hungry or tired
could be INTERNAL
conflicts while the
bears returning home
is EXTERNAL.
WHAT IS THE
RESOLUTION ?
How does the story end?

Resolution
Goldilocks
runs home
when the bears
return.
(But has she learned

not to go in
strangers’ houses
…?)
THE
RESOLUTION
of our story
and of this presentation !
The End

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Elements of Fiction

LONG STORIES / NOVELS

Fairy Tales & Fantasy Fables

Folklore Myths & Legends

1. DESCRIBING THEM WELL

2. LETTING THE READER “HEAR” THE CHARACTERS

3. “SHOWING” CHARACTERS’ ACTIONS IN WAYS

4. LETTING THE READER KNOW THE CHARACTERS’

Round character- is a dynamic character who

Flat character- also known as the stock or stereotype

 Stories don’t always directly tell us their time period

Internal conflicts are thoughts or feelings the

Conditions or people that are causing problems for the

The story leads up to the most exciting part

The climax suggests how the conflict or

a. Exciting – it should be more exciting than everyday

b. Good Structure – the episodes must be arranged

a. Flashback – something out of chronological

a. First Person – the writer uses the pronoun “I”.

Omniscient Narrator/author knows He, him, his, she, her (s)

Time & Place

* The bears will

“Inside” the character or “outside”?

How does the story end?

(But has she learned

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