Elements of Fiction Flashcards
-are the people whom the story revolves around
-They are usually the recipients and cause of different conflicts
-They can be good and bad
=Some stay and some go away during any part of the story
Characters
why are characters important?
Something to invest in
Someone to care about
Someone to root for
- It is the creation or the construction of a fictional character.
- It is how characters are described.
- It is the description of the character’s features, attitudes or as a whole.
characterization
2 types of characterization
- Direct characterization
- Indirect characterization
- the writer makes direct statements about a character’s personality and tells what the character is like
- think adjectives
- descriptions
Direct characterization
- the writer reveals information about a character and his/her personality through that character’s thoughts, words, and actions, along with how other characters respond to that character, including what they think and say about him/her
- think verbs
- actions
indirect characterization
two major types of characters:
protagonist and antagonist
it is one of the major characters in the story. It receives the blow from the antagonist
protagonis
it is the one in conflict with the protagonist. It gives the protagonist the sense of terror and realization. It can be a single person or a group
antagonist
4 Aspects of characterization
- Static character vs Dynamic character
2. Flat character vs round character
- remains the same throughout the story
- this character undergoes no change in thought or personality when involved in conflict
static
- undergoes a change as a result of learning from conflict
- starts the story one way and then will have a revelation that changes his or her views
dynamic
- one who has only 1 or 2 character traits
- these characters have no depth and usually fit a simple role
flat
- one who has many character traits
- his personality has various qualities and is complex, more like a real person
- most main characters are round
round
why is characterization important?
- It helps the readers visualize and relate to the characters.
- It gives the readers a time to examine the characters, thus creating “healthy bias”.
- It helps the readers understand the actions of the characters deeply.
why is characterization important? (1)
-It gives the readers understand the
different motivations and downsides of a character.
- It helps the readers understand the actions of the characters deeply.
- It gives the readers understand the different motivations and downsides of a character.
- It is where the story takes place.
- It helps the readers give context in analyzing the text.
- Can be large and all encompassing
- Can be very intimate areas.
- Can be any time of the day.
- Can be any season (natural).
setting
why is setting important?
- It shapes the tone and mood of the story.
- It gives the readers a vivid mental picture of the world your characters move in.
- it is the series of event that happen in story
- commonly known as the “flow” and the arrangement of the story
Plot
different types of plot
Conventional Plot
Episodic Plot
Flashback
In Medias Res
allows a straight or linear flow of events that has a start, a middle part, and a conclusion.
conventional plot
parts of a conventional plot
- Exposition
- Conflicts
- Climax
- Resolution
- Denouement
it provides background information needed to make sense of the action, describes the setting and introduces the main characters
exposition
it is the moment of great tension among characters
conflicts
the turning point, a moment of great tension that fixes the outcome
climax
the fixing or the resolution of the different conflicts
resolution
it is where the action falls off as the plot’s complications are sorted out and resolved
denouement
they are plots that still functions as conventional plots but they come in series
episodic plot
the author shares to the reader an event that has happened in the past. This past event is where the story focuses on
Flashback
- the author chooses to start the story in the middle of a situation. The current situation of the context is not explained.
- the beginning of the story is already established with the conflicts, thus, the exposition does not exist
In Media Res
why is having a plot important?
It organizes the thoughts, ideas and events, thus making the readers enjoy reading without confusion.
It answers the question “Who is telling the story?” or “Who is the narrator?”
Point of View
different types of POV
First Person Point of View Second Person Point of View Third Person Point of View Limited Omniscient Limited Omniscient
We are seeing events through the eyes of the character telling the story.
1st POV
- The narrator is speaking to YOU. This isn’t very common in fiction, unless the narrator is trying to talk to the reader personally.
- We see second-person point of view mostly in poems, speeches, instructional writing, and persuasive articles.
2nd POV
- The narrator is describing what’s seen, but as a spectator.
- If the narrator is a character in the story, then we are reading what he or she observes as the story unfolds.
3rd POV
the narrator sees only what’s in front of him/her, a spectator of events as they unfold and unable to read any other character’s mind.
Limited 3rd POV
An omniscient narrator sees all, much as an all knowing god of some kind. He or she sees what each character is doing and can see into each character’s mind.
3rd Omniscient POV
narrator can only see into one character’s mind. He/she might see other events happening, but only knows the reasons of one character’s actions in the story.
3rd Limited POV
Why is having a Point of View important?
- It will help the readers determine the generic views and personal biases that are offered in the story.
- It helps limit the knowledge about character, and at the same time.
- It helps explain the contribution of each character and event in the story.
a literary element that involves a struggle between two opposing forces, usually a protagonist and an antagonist.
conflict
a struggle within the mind of a character. It can be mental or emotional
internal conflict
a struggle that occurs between a character and an outside force
external conflict
different types of conflict
Man VS Man
Man VS Self
Man VS The Society
Man VS Circumstances
Man VS Nature
Man VS The Supernatural
Man VS God
The protagonist encounters conflict that are caused by another human being.
Man vs. Man
The character experiences internal conflict. It is a battle with his/her own “demons”.
Man vs. Self
The character experiences a dilemma with the people around him, having a hard time coping with the norm.
Man vs. The Society
The character struggles with events or situations that happens to him, like accidents, death and loss.
man vs. circumstances
The character struggles between forces of nature like storms, floods, landslides, mudslides and avalanches.
Man vs. Nature
The struggle happens between the character and a paranormal being, a curse, and the like.
Man vs. Supernatural
It is usually a struggle that roots from a sin. God is blamed by the character who usually exhibits spiritual frailty and backsliding.
Man vs. God
- “divine intervention”
- a seemingly unresolvable problem was abruptly resolved in an unexpected or unlikely occurrence.
Deux Ex Machina
why is having a conflict important?
- It gives “spice” and excitement to the story.
- It gives readers something to look forward to and something to worry about.
