Elements of Fiction

Fictionwriting that comes from an

author’s imagination.

might be based on real events.

Charactersthe people, animals, or imaginary

creatures that take part in the action of the story.

the main character is who the story is centered around.

minor characters are those characters that interact with the main character.

CharactersProtagonist-main character; you are

rooting for this character; “good guy”.

Antagonist-the character who stands in the way of the protagonist; the “bad guy”.

Examples: Batman vs. The Joker, Harry Potter vs. Voldemort

SettingThe TIME and PLACE in which

the story takes place.The time can be past, present, or

future; day or night; and any season.

The place is anywhere action of the story occurs; may be real or imaginary.

PlotThe sequence of events in a story-

what happens!Conflict-main problem or struggleResolution-conclusion of the story,

how problem is solved and how story ends.

ThemeThe main message the writer wishes

to share.It may be a life lesson or a belief

about people and their actions.Most themes are not stated directly;

you need to determine the theme by thinking about the actions and consequences the author puts together.

ThemeReview what happened to the main

character. Did he or she change? What lessons did they learn?

Look for statements that go beyond the action of the story to say something important about life or people.

Does the title have a significant meaning that might relate to the theme?