The Elements of Fiction - An Overview
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Transcript of The Elements of Fiction - An Overview
THE ELEMENTS OF FICTION
AN OVERVIEW
Cindy Cruz-CabreraAbout.me/cindycruzcabrera / en.gravatar.com/cindycatz
Types of Literature: The Genres1. Prose fiction (narrative fiction)
Novels Short stories Myths Parables Romances Epics
2. Poetry
3. Drama
4. Non-fiction Narratives
Elements of Fiction
A basis in realism (“versimilitude”) Even fantasy is derived from a
perception of life and action that is ultimately real.
Art imitates life. Life imitates art.
Fiction
Original meaning: “Anything made up, crafted, or shaped.”
The essence of fiction: NARRATION Modern fiction: HUMAN NATURE Complex motives The psychological and highly individual NOVEL vs. SHORT STORY
Elements of Fiction
Levels of reality Postulate (given premise) Symbolic Miraculous Possible future Behavior Alternate reality
They remain stories about characters you find in real life.
Character
Protagonist Antagonist Flat Round Dynamic Stock Foil Sidekick
CharacterDESIRE A character is someone who wants, and
that’s what a character is. The nature of one’s desire determines
the nature of his morality. Deep desire and immediate desire. __(name) __ is a __(adjective)__- _____
year old (noun) who wants _______________.
Desire >>> Goal >>> Action
CharacterVOICE, ACTION, THOUGHT the point of view of the character Words, actions and things, which can be
seen and heard, express and reveal character and feeling that can neither be seen nor heard.
What a character says vs. what a character does
What is expressed voluntarily and involuntarily
DISCOVERY and DECISION
Character
Appearance, speech, action, and thought CONFLICT
Thought is most frequently at odds with one or more of the other three.
Mannerisms Small acts that betray feelings
Setting Place and time of a story The natural or artificial scenery or
environment in which characters in literature live and move.
Period in history Geographic location Characteristics Climate Political, social, and /or historical context Mood / atmosphere
Types of Settings
Natural Nature itself is seen as a force that
shapes action and therefore directs and redirects lives.
A deep wood An open road A lake A mountain top
Types of Settings
Manufactured Manufactured things always reflect the
people who made them, live in them, and ultimately the social and political orders that maintain conditions.
A building A richly decorated house
Point of View Who is standing where to watch the
scene? Voice of the teller, intended listener,
distance or closeness of both action and diction
First person Central narrator Peripheral narrator Stream of consciousness
Point of ViewSecond person
Third person Omniscient Limited omniscient Objective Dramatic
Is the narrator reliable? Can you trust the narrator?
Plot
The interrelationship of incidents and characters within a total design is the plot of the story.
A series of lifelike actions or incidents which in total make up the story
A map, scheme or blueprint
Plot
Development and resolution of a conflict in which a PROTAGONIST is engaged in a struggle of some sort, which is directed at an ANTAGONIST.
A pattern of cause and effect that can be traced in a sequence or chronology
Structure The way the plot is assembled Direct chronological order Out-of-sequence events Circular time Remembrances / flashbacks Overheard conversations Speeches Fragments of letters ETC.
Dialogue
Conversation
Language of dialogue indicates: Intelligence Articulateness Educational levels Emotional states Limited or disadvantaged background Regional location Jargon Cliché Private, intimate expressions show closeness.
Tension The suspense, anxiety, nervousness,
strain, urgency, excitement, or fear that grips us as we read.
The careful planting of questions in the reader’s mind.
What hooks readers of any age and keeps them turning pages
The presence of conflict The driving force – it propels the plot and
grabs the reader’s interest
Elements for Creating Tension Outer goal
The stated character’s objective The outer goal is resolved in the climax
Inner desire Exists alongside the outer goal May be consistent or at odds with the outer goal A character may or may not be aware of this
External conflict Comes from obstacles between characters and
their goals Source may be environment or other characters
Elements for Creating Tension Internal conflict
Comes from the obstacles characters create for themselves through self-sabotage or an incompatibility between the outer goal and inner desire.
Stakes Characters at risk of losing something of
great significance to them if their goals or desires aren’t met
Stakes increase as when protagonists near their goals
References
Roberts, Edgar V. and Jacobs, Henry E. Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing. Eagleton Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1986.
Burroway, Janet. Imaginative Writing: The Elements of Craft. New York: Longman, 2003.
Peterson, Ralph and Eeds, Maryann. Grand Conversations. Ontario: Scholastic, 1990.
References
http://www.fictionfactor.com/guests/tension.html
http://www.absolutewrite.com/novels/tension.htm
http://suite101.com/article/how-to-build-tension-in-fiction-a83387
http://andreajwenger.com/2011/07/08/five-key-elements-to-creating-tension-in-fiction/