Miscellaneous - Elements of Fiction

The Basic Elements

The basic elements of fiction are: character, plot, setting, theme, and style.

Of these five elements, character is the 'who,' plot is the 'what,' setting is the 'where' and 'when,' and style is the 'how' of a story.

A character is any person, identity, or entity whose existence originates from a fictional work.

A plot, or storyline, is the ordering of the events and actions of a story, particularly towards the achievement of some particular artistic or emotional effect.

Setting is the time and location in which a story takes place.

Theme is the broad idea, message, or lesson of a story.

Style includes the multitude of choices fiction writers make, consciously or subconsciously, as they create a story. They encompass the strategic choices such as point of view and narrator, but they also include the tactical choices of grammar, punctuation, word usage, sentence and paragraph length and structure, tone, the use of imagery, chapter selection, titles etc.

a. Character
Characterisation is often listed as one of the fundamental elements of fiction. A character is a participant in the story, and is usually a person, but may be any persona, identity, or entity whose existence originates from a fictional work or performance.

b. Plot
Plot, or storyline, is often listed as one of the fundamental elements of fiction. It is the rendering and ordering of the events and actions of a story.
Plot consists of action and reaction. Plot has a beginning, a middle, and an ending. Plot is often depicted as an arc to represent the rise and fall of action.

c. Scene
A scene is a unit of drama-where the action occurs.

d. Setting
Setting, the locale and time of a story, is often listed as one of the fundamental elements of fiction. Sometimes setting is referred to as milieu, to include a context (such as society) beyond the immediate surroundings of the story. In some cases, setting becomes a character itself and can set the tone of a story.

e. Theme
Theme, a conceptual distillation of the story, is often listed as one of the fundamental elements of fiction. It is the central idea or insight serving as a unifying element, creating cohesion and is an answer to the question, 'What did you learn from the piece of fiction?'

f. Style
Style is not so much what is written, but how it is written and interpreted. Style in fiction refers to language conventions used to construct the story or article. A fiction writer may manipulate diction, sentence structure, phrasing, dialogue, and other aspects of language to create style or mood. The communicative effect created by the author's style is sometimes referred to as the story's voice. Every writer has his or her own unique style. Style is sometimes listed as one of the fundamental elements of fiction.

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