five elements of fiction, 5 parts of plot

1. Elements of Fiction
(Story Elements)
(Use as a study tool)

2. Story Elements /
Elements of Narrative
●A story is a sequence of events that
unfolds events in a logical order. It is also
known as a narrative.
●Story Elements:
○the basic parts that make up a story
○“Five Things” on YouTube
○Plot, Character, Conflict, Theme, Setting
(Yes, these are the five things!)

3. Five Things (Story Elements)
Character
Setting
Plot
Conflict
Theme

4. CHARACTERS
The “people” (human or non-human) in the
story who carry out the action.
PROTAGONIST - the main character; “hero”
ANTAGONIST - the character(s), entity, or
force that is in conflict with the main
character
Static characters do NOT change
Dynamic characters DO change

5. SETTING
● Where and When the story takes place.
● Setting gives us a context for understanding a story.
● For example, science fiction takes place in the future. If
you didn’t know when, you wouldn’t fully understand.
●EX: The Watsons Go to Birmingham takes place in
1963. A reader might not understand some of the
references and events without knowing the history.

6. ● The problem or struggle faced by the
characters in a story
● External conflict- a conflict between character
and an outside force- another character, a
group, nature, society, fate- for example-
character vs. nature
● Internal conflict-a conflict or problem within
a character- character vs. self
CONFLICT

7. ● The central message or idea - a universal
understanding or lesson
● Some universal themes are:
Good triumphs over evil.
Love conquers all.
Hope springs eternal.
What goes around comes around.
THEME

8. Plot
Plot is the sequence of events. It is the literary element
that describes the structure of a story. It shows
arrangement of events and actions within a story.

9. Elements of Plot - Video

10. Flocabulary Plot Song

11. 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: the conclusion, the
tying together of all of the threads
Plot Components

12. ● The most exciting point of a story, where the
action is at its greatest point and the story
begins to change or turn in another direction
● The climax of the novel Holes is when the
characters realize that Camp Green Lake is not
a legitimate juvenile facility.
CLIMAX -
TURNING POINT

13. ● An author’s use of hints or clues to give the
reader an idea of what may happen next
FORESHADOWING

14. When the narrator or one of the characters in
the story refers back to a time in the past.
Flashback