Story Elements

Fiction

Fake! The author's purpose is to entertain.

Fairytales/ Folktales

Stories that are meant to teach a lesson

Autobiography

Stories that tell about a real person's life written by that person in first-person POV.

Biography

Stories that tell about a real person's life written by another person in third-person POV.

Antagonist

The opposing character in a story who is against the main character. (the bad guy).

Protagonist

The main character of the story that undergoes a change in the story. (the good guy)

Conflict

A struggle between protagonist and antagonist. It is the story's focus that moves the plot along. Two types: Internal and External

Internal Conflict

A conflict that occurs within a character. Typically the character has to make a choice between what he feels and thinks. (Man v. Self)

External Conflict

Involves a character who struggles against a force out side of him/her, such as nature, supernatural, technology or another character.

1st Person POV

The narrator is a character in the story and uses pronouns such as "I", "me", "my", and "we". The reader will get the feelings and thoughts of the narrator.

2nd Person POV

The author of the story is speaking directly to the reader and uses the pronoun "you". This is sometimes used in Persuasive texts.

3rd Person POV Limited

The narrator uses an outside perspective. The narration uses the pronouns "she", "he", "it", "they". The reader gets insight to ONE character's thoughts and feelings.

3rd Person POV Omniscient

The narrator uses an outside perspective. The narration uses the pronouns "she", "he", "it", "they". The reader gets insight to TWO OR MORE character's thoughts and feelings.

3rd Person POV Objective

The narrator uses an outside perspective. The narration uses the pronouns "she", "he", "it", "they". The reader gets insight to NO feelings or thoughts and reveals only information.

Exposition

The first stage of a plot in which the author introduces the characters and setting.

Rising Action

The stage of the plot that develops the conflict, or struggle. This stage builds TENSION to the story.

Climax

The stage of the plot of the greatest interest of the story. The most exciting part and the turning point of the story.

Falling Action

The stage of the plot in which the story begins to draw to a close. It shows the results of an important decision made during or right after the climax.

Resolution

The final stage of the plot in which the conflict has been solved and the main character has revealed a theme or lesson to be learned.

Setting

The time and place in which the story takes place. This can influence the conflict of the story.

Character motivation

Reasons that a character behaves the way the do.

Foreshadowing

Occurs when the writer provide hints that suggest future events in a story.

Flashback

An interruption of the current action to the tell of events that happened in the past.

Irony

When events of a story occur in the opposite of what the reader expects. When "it seems kind of weird" Types: Situational, Dramatic, Verbal