Elements of Fiction

Setting There are 2 elements of setting –Time-be specific as possible. If it is not stated, use the clues in the story to decide. Sometimes it may just be past, present, or future. It is not a season. –Place-be specific as possible. It cannot be a building unless the entire story took place in it.

Characters Main or major character- central character who the reader identifies with-usually only one. Also called the protagonist. Minor characters- help move the story along. They are involved in the plot, but they are not in the story all of the time.

Types of Minor Characters Antagonist-Against the main character Example-the witch in The Wizard of Oz Round Character-fully developed, they have flaws and can change Static Character-stay the same throughout Example-Glenda the good witch Flat Character-one dimensional Example-Auntie Em

Exposition The exposition is the beginning of a story where the characters, setting, and beginning plot are introduced. Think of an exposition as the first five minutes of a TV show before the first commercial break or the theme song.

Complication/Conflicts The conflicts are the problems in a story. All of the conflicts together make the Complication or Rising Action. Conflict=problem

Climax The climax of the story is where the highest point of action takes place. It is the part where the reader isn’t sure what will happen next. It is toward the end of the story.

Resolution The resolution is the part of the story where all of the problems are resolved. It is the unraveling of the climax. It is at the end of the story.

Theme The theme of a story is the main message that an author is trying to send to a reader. They don’t usually come out and say what the theme is. It is similar to the moral of the story or the lesson you should learn from reading the story.