The Seven Key Elements of Fiction
The Seven Key Elements of Fiction:
1. CHARACTER
There are two meanings for the word character:
1) The person in a work of fiction.
2) The characteristics of a person.
Persons in a work of fiction - Antagonist and Protagonist o One character is clearly central to a story with all major events having some connection to this character; o She/he is the PROTAGONIST. o The character in opposition to the main character is called the ANTAGONIST.
The Characteristics of a Person
In order for a story to seem real to the reader, its characters must seem real. Characterization is the information the author gives the reader about the characters themselves. The author may reveal a character in several ways:
a) his/her physical appearance
b) what he/she says, thinks, feels and dreams
c) what he/she does or does not do
d) what others say about him/her and how others react to him/her
Characters are convincing if they are: consistent, motivated and life-like (resemble real people)
Characters are...
1. Individual - round, many sided and complex personalities.
2. Developing - dynamic, many sided personalities that change (for better or worse) by the end of the story.
3. Static – Stereotypes; they have one or two characteristics that never change and are often over-emphasized.
2. THEME
What exactly is this elusive thing called theme?
The theme of a fable is its moral. The theme of a parable is its teaching. The theme of a piece of fiction is its view about life and how people behave.
In fiction, the theme is not intended to teach or preach. In fact, it is not presented directly at all. You extract it from the characters, action and setting that make up the story. In other words, you must figure out the theme yourself.
The writer's task is to communicate on a common ground with the reader. Although the particulars of your experience may be different from the details of the story, the general underlying truths
1. CHARACTER
There are two meanings for the word character:
1) The person in a work of fiction.
2) The characteristics of a person.
Persons in a work of fiction - Antagonist and Protagonist o One character is clearly central to a story with all major events having some connection to this character; o She/he is the PROTAGONIST. o The character in opposition to the main character is called the ANTAGONIST.
The Characteristics of a Person
In order for a story to seem real to the reader, its characters must seem real. Characterization is the information the author gives the reader about the characters themselves. The author may reveal a character in several ways:
a) his/her physical appearance
b) what he/she says, thinks, feels and dreams
c) what he/she does or does not do
d) what others say about him/her and how others react to him/her
Characters are convincing if they are: consistent, motivated and life-like (resemble real people)
Characters are...
1. Individual - round, many sided and complex personalities.
2. Developing - dynamic, many sided personalities that change (for better or worse) by the end of the story.
3. Static – Stereotypes; they have one or two characteristics that never change and are often over-emphasized.
2. THEME
What exactly is this elusive thing called theme?
The theme of a fable is its moral. The theme of a parable is its teaching. The theme of a piece of fiction is its view about life and how people behave.
In fiction, the theme is not intended to teach or preach. In fact, it is not presented directly at all. You extract it from the characters, action and setting that make up the story. In other words, you must figure out the theme yourself.
The writer's task is to communicate on a common ground with the reader. Although the particulars of your experience may be different from the details of the story, the general underlying truths