Story Literary Elements

Some basics that every good story must have ….

Plot Line 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.

Exposition: The start of the story. The way things are before the action starts.

Resolution (Denouement): The conclusion, the tying together of all of the threads.

The time and place of the story is the setting

Every story needs characters: people (or animals, things, etc. presented as people) appearing in a literary work.

the People Animals Or Creatures

Types of Characters

•Round Character:convincing, complex, has depth.

•Dynamic Character:undergoes some type of change in story.

•Flat Character:stereotyped, shallow, often symbolic.

•Static Character:does not change in the course of the story.

The protagonist is the main character around whom the plot evolves; not necessarily the “good guy”

The antagonist is the main character or force opposed to the principal character; not necessarily the “bad guy”

Characterization

1. The process by which a writer reveals the personality of a character; development of characters 2. Direct: writer describes directly or explicitly a. “he was an old man..” (The Old Man and the Sea) 3. Indirect: writer shows what a character does, thinks, says, or feels, which allows readers to draw their own conclusions about the character 1. The girl danced into the room, clutching her bouquet of flowers, and sighed, “Isn’t it the best day ever?”

The point of view is the perspective of the story

“That rotten wolf tried to eat us!!!!” “I was framed! I just wanted to borrow a cup of sugar!”

Great stories have a conflict External Conflicts and Internal Conflicts Man vs. Man Man vs. Nature Man vs. Society Man vs. Machine Man vs. Himself

A hint about what will happen next is called foreshadowing. The feelings of curiosity or uncertainty about what is going to happen next is suspense.

What are some examples of suspense in novels you read?

Toolbox Terms

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Figurative Language

– Simile- “She is as sweet as candy.” “You are like an ox.” – Metaphor- “You are an Einstein.” – Imagery- “The bug was slimy, green, scaly, and smelled like gym socks.” – Personification- “The car screamed as it drove down the road.” – Hyperbole- The alarm clock went off for a hundred hours.

– Onomatopoeia- Bang! Bam! Voom! Splish Splash!

Whether you’re the reader, or the writer, a great story includes all these literary elements !

foreshadowing conflict characters setting protagonist climax antagonist point of view