A R E V I E W O F M A J O R E L E M E N T S F O R S T U D E N T S

ELEMENTS OF FICTION

PLOT

• Sequence of events: driven by CONFLICT• Exposition• Inciting Incident• Rising action• Climax• Falling Action• Resolution• Denouement

EXPOSITION

• Plot elements, setting and main character(s) are introduced.

• What is the standard exposition for a fairy tale?

INCITING INCIDENT

• Reveals conflict• Conflict drives plot• What is the major conflict in your favorite movie?

TYPES OF CONFLICT

Internal Conflict-within character

• Man vs. Self

External Conflict-outside antagonist

• Man vs. Man• Man vs. Society• Man vs. Technology• Man vs. Supernatural• Man vs. Nature

IDENTIFYING CONFLICTS

Internal Conflict:

List 3 stories with Internal conflict and identify the conflict.

External Conflict

• List 3 stories with external conflict and identify type

RISING ACTION

• Characters and conflict are developed.• Conflict becomes more intense• Suspense builds• Rapport and sympathy for protagonist built

CLIMAX

• Highest intensity point of a plot• “most exciting part”• “point of most suspense”

FALLING ACTION

• Occurs between the climax and the resolution.• Conflict is resolved, questions are answered,

loose ends tied up.

RESOLUTION/ DENOUEMENT

• Conflict is resolved, story is ended.• Fairy tale cue “lived happily ever after.”

Common in contemporary serial novels is to introduce or leave some problem unresolved in order to lead to another novel in the series.

CHARACTER

• A personality that takes part in a narrative “story”.• Person• Animal• Thing

TYPES OF MAIN CHARACTERS

• Protagonist—often referred to as “the good guy” in the narrative.• Main character: all

conflict revolves around this character, involved in all major events• Audience feels most

sympathy for this character.

• Antagonist—often referred to as “the bad guy” in the narrative.• In opposition to the

protagonist.• do not confuse

antagonist with anti-hero.

WRITE DOWN THE TITLES OF A COUPLE FAVORITE BOOKS, MOVIES

OR GAMES AND IDENTIFY:• Protagonist • Antagonist

Conflict

CHARACTERIZATION

• Direct—reader is informed directly about a character’s traits.•

• Indirect—reader must draw conclusions and make inferences based on clues provided in narrative and dialogue.

CHARACTERIZATION

• Physical appearance• Words• Actions• Thoughts/Emotions

SETTING

• Time and place a story occurs • Can be symbolic• Can be metaphor• Communicates atmosphere and mood• Is a defining characteristic of certain literature • Historical fiction• Fantasy• Science fiction

THEME

• Universal idea or message communicated by a story.• A truth about life or the human condition

communicated by a story.

• NOT THE SAME as a moral • Theme is stated as a sentence or phrase, not a topic• “Love” is a topic, not a theme.• “The positive effects of love on people’s lives” is a theme.

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