1. (Stories Are Lame Without Them)
Elements of Fiction
(Stories Are Lame Without Them) 1

2. Characters!
characterization: the strategies an author uses to describe a character
Strategies include:
Character’s actions
Character’s thoughts/feelings
Character’s speech
Character’s looks
Other characters’ reactions to the character 2

3. Characters!
protagonist: the main character; usually the character who the audience is supposed to “like”
EX: Batman; Katniss Everdeen
antagonist: the main character who struggles against the protagonist; usually the character who the audience is supposed to “dislike”
EX: The Joker; President Snow 3

4. Characters Traits
the qualities that make up the personality of a character
must be discovered through making inferences based on characterization (description) of the character
EX: greedy, cruel, dishonest, courageous, generous, confident 4

5. What is plot? Plot: the events that happen in a story
“Somebody wanted..., but..., so...” 5

6. rising action (complications) (but...)
What is the plot chart ?
exposition
(Somebody wanted...)
climax
rising action (complications) (but...)
resolution
(so...) 6

7. What is the exposition? the beginning of the story
when the readers meet and find out:
the main characters
the setting (time, place, and culture in which a story takes place)
the main conflict (problems that the characters face within the story) 7

8. What are types of conflicts?
Internal Conflict: a conflict within the character
EX: emotions, decisions, beliefs
External conflict: a conflict outside of the character
EX: person vs person, person vs nature, person vs society 8

9. What is the rising action (complications)?
Official definition:
The events/problems that lead up to the climax 9

10. What is the climax? Official Definition:
The turning point of the story
Begins to show how the conflict will be resolved
Often the most emotional or suspenseful part of the story 10

11. What is the resolution? Official Definition:
The end of the story when the conflict is resolved 11

12. What is foreshadowing? Official Definition:
Clues in a story that hint at events that will occur later in the story
EX: scary music in a horror movie
“I’ll see you later,” he replied with hesitation in his voice. 12

13. What is point of view?
Point of view: the perspective from which a story is told
Types of point of view (POV):
First person: the narrator is a character in the story telling what is happening to him/her
Uses “I” 13

14. What is point of view?
Types of point of view continued:
Third limited: the narrator focuses on the thoughts and feelings of one character
Omniscient: the narrator knows everything about all the characters
Omni=all
the God view 14

15. Summarize! Be prepared to share your summary with the class.
Character traits are important because __________. Plot is ______. The most important part of a story’s plot is ________ because _________. Point of view (POV) is ____________. One type of POV is ___________, which means __________.
Be prepared to share your summary with the class. 15