Roller Coasting Through a Good Book The Elements of a Fiction Plot

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The Plot of a Great Fiction Book Can Be Like Riding a Rollercoaster

Plot Plot is the action of a story. It is the series of related events from the beginning of the story to the end. Most plots follow a chronological order. In other words, they proceed in the order in which the events happened.

The Elements of a Plot Climax Falling Action Rising Action (Conflict) Resolution Exposition

A Plot Curve of a Fiction Book Looks Like a Rollercoaster

Exposition The first part of the plot. Here the author describes the setting, introduces the characters, and gives the situation.

Exposition Setting Situation The time and place of the story. The circumstances the character is experiencing.

Exposition Characters A character is a person, an animal, or an imaginary creature that takes part in the action of the story.

Exposition: Character Strength Major Minor Characters that are critical to the main story line Characters that add to the story, but do not play a major role in the story.

Exposition: Characterization Characterization is how an author shows what a character is like, for instance the way they act, look, talk, or think. There are two kinds of characterization. Direct: writer tells directly what the character is, usually through descriptions. Indirect: writer gives actual words of characters, tells character’s thoughts or feelings, tells about the character’s actions, or tells how others respond to the character.

Exposition: Character Types Protagonist Antagonist The main character or the most important character. The person or thing that is working against the protagonist. This is also another major or main character in the plot.

Exposition: Character Development Flat/Round Dynamic/Static Flat characters are characters that are not fully developed, described, or revealed. Their thoughts remain hidden. Round characters are characters that are fully described or revealed. Static characters are characters that remain the same. Things happen to static characters, but they do not change. Dynamic characters change or grow.

Characters: Dialogue and Motive Dialogue: When characters speak to each other. Quotation marks are used around the words that characters speak. Motive: The reason behind an individual’s actions.

Exposition: Point of View Narrator First-Person A narrator is the person who is telling the story. The story is told by one of the characters. The character uses pronouns such as “I” or “we” and usually participates in much of the action.

Exposition: Point of View Third-Person Third-Person Omniscient The story is told by a narrator who is not a character in the story. Pronouns such as “he”, “she”, and “they” are used. There are two kinds of third-person. The narrator will relate the thoughts and feelings of all the characters. Third-Person Limited The narrator will relate the thoughts and feelings of just one character, usually the protagonist.

Rising Action Events that show the conflict (problem) that the characters must face. In most stories, the characters don’t solve the problem on their first try. As they struggle, the tensions rise. conflict – problems in the story

Rising Action: Types of Conflict Character vs. Character Character vs. Self Character vs. Society Character vs. Nature

Conflict: External/Internal Character vs. Character Character vs. Nature Character vs. Society Character vs. Self

Climax *turning point in the story *point of highest tension when the conflict is at its worst point *characters may have begun to think of a way to solve the conflict *occurs close to the end of the book.

Falling Action *events that occur after the climax *author describes how the conflict is solved

Resolution The resolution tells what the main characters feel or do now that the conflict is over and brings the story to a satisfactory end.

Theme The theme is the writer’s message or central idea throughout the story. It is what the author is trying to teach you. It is woven throughout the story.