Elements of Fiction

Characters, Setting and Plot

ChorusWe've got the characters, the setting, and of course the plotIt's the elements of fiction that I'm talking about(x4)

Verse IIn any decent story, you've got to have charactersThe people in it, and they can be generic orThey can be complex, interesting, uniqueLike a girl who walks on her hands and writes with her feet

Verse IThe protagonist, the main character, the good guyIn most works of fiction, is usually opposed byThe antagonist, the bad guy, the villain"But what about the other folks, are they just chillin'?"

Verse INope, not really, though some of them are staticSo they're flat, one-dimensional, nothing real dramaticAnd people with the drama are called dynamic charactersLike if they start out calm and get hysterical

Verse IOr if they start out in love and end up notThat's the motion and emotion that propels the plot"What's that?" Fear not, I'll tell you in verse IIIHere's how it goes writing fictional prose



Verse IIFor the setting of a story, you need to know when it occursLike 7:30 in the morning on November the firstIt doesn't always have to be that specificFor instance, if the characters are using hieroglyphics

Verse IIThen you know you're in ancient times, not the present dayBut if somebody's driving up in a ChevroletYou're in the present or the future or the recent pastBut there's another setting question that we need to ask

Verse IIAnd that's “Where?” Location, it can be narrowLike 57 Main Street, Rio de JaneiroOr it can be broad, not specific at allLike somewhere in Canada, north of Montreal

Verse IISo there you have it, the time and the placeEven if it's in the future or up in outer spaceMake up a fundamental element of fiction: the settingNow here's the hook again so you don't forget it



Verse IIINow, the plot unfolds in five different phasesI'll try to get you through it in just a few phrasesTake you all the way from beginning to endBut youʼve got to listen close or rewind again

Verse IIIBefore action happens, we've got the expositionWhere the author can establish or begin a definitionOf the characters, the setting, and yes, the point of viewAnd once that's all established we can move to phase two

Verse IIIThe rising action. A period of conflict and crisisThis part is unpredictable, it's full of surprisesSo open up your eyes as wide as they can possibly beAfter this we're gonna hit phase three, which is the

Verse IIIClimax, the high point, a moment most intenseA turning point, a major culmination of eventsAfter that, there isn't really much moreWe gotta end the story, let's go to phase four

Verse IIIWe've got the denouement, that's what we call the falling actionAnd hopefully it leaves you with a sense of satisfaction'Cause phase five is the end, it's called the resolutionTying it all together, and we've come to the conclusion



Education

Elements of Fiction