FICTION is prose writing that tells about imaginary characters and events. Some fiction is entirely made-up, while other fiction is based on real events and/or people Elements of Fiction

Plot PLOTS CAN BE TOLD IN: Chronological order Flashback In media res (in the middle of things) when the story starts in the middle of the action without expositionIn media res (in the middle of things) when the story starts in the middle of the action without exposition Plot refers to the sequence of events that make up a story, usually centering around a main conflict. IN YOUR OWN WORDS: Plot refers to what happens in a text.

Plot Components Exposition: the start of the story, the situation before the action starts Rising Action: the series of conflicts and crisis in the story that lead to the climax Climax: the turning point, the most intense moment—either mentally or in action Falling Action: all of the action which follows the climax Resolution / Denouement: the conclusion, the tying together of all of the threads

Conflict Conflict is the dramatic struggle between two forces in a story. Without conflict, there is no plot.

Types of Conflict Human vs Nature Human vs Society Human vs Self 2. INTERNAL CONFLICT Human vs Human 1. EXTERNAL CONFLICT

Theme The central message or insight into life revealed through a literary work This is the deeper meaning, the main lesson/message/moral that the author hopes the reader will understand at the end of the story

Point of View The perspective or angle from which a story is being told There are several types: First-Person-Point-of-View: When the narrator telling the story is one of the characters, and tells the story as a personal account Third-Person-Point-of-View: When the narrator is not one of the characters (has no name, and does not participate in any of the action of the plot)

Point of View (continued) There are also two types of Third-Person- Point-of-View: Third-Limited-Point-of-View: When the narrator sees the world through one character’s eyes and reveals only that character’s thoughts Third-Omniscient-Point-of-View: When the narrator sees into the minds of all the characters

Setting The setting of the literary work is the time and place of the action. Time can include not only the historical period— past, present, or future— but also a specific year, season, or time of day. Place—though usually physical—may also involve the social, economic, or cultural environment of the story Place—though usually physical—may also involve the social, economic, or cultural environment of the story

IRONY The difference between appearance and reality, expectation and result. There are THREE kinds of Irony: -Verbal Irony: a word or phrase used to suggest the opposite of its actual meaning -Dramatic Irony: When there is a contradiction between what a character thinks and what the readers know is true

MORE IRONY! -Situational Irony: When an event directly contradicts expectations of the reader or of the characters