Fiction: Elements
and Literary Devices
Learning Outcomes:
• Define fiction and its elements
• Explain the necessity of fiction, its elements and techniques
• Determine the elements of fiction that are used in the given short
story
• Analyze a story using the elements of fiction and its techniques
• Assess the elements of fiction and its techniques in the given short
story sample
• Write a short story using the elements of fiction and its techniques
Fiction
• came from the Latin word “fictus” which means to form
or create
• literature created from the imagination, not presented as
fact, though it may be based on a true story or situation.
Elements of Fiction
1.Setting = time and place of a story
2.Characters = are figures in the story
which can be persons, animals,
creatures or even things. They are the
actors in the story moving the plot line.
Types of Characters
FOCUS
Major characters
• Protagonist = the main character of the story.
• Antagonist = the villain of the story.
Minor characters
• extra characters or additional characters to support the
main character
Character Development
• Static = is one that doesn't change from the start of the
story through to the end.
• Dynamic = is one who changes and evolves throughout
the story.
Characterization
• Round = has personality, likes, quirks, and surprises the
reader. They also act like real people and can serve to
bring the audience into a work.
• Flat = is a character with little to no complex emotions,
personal goals, or personality
3. POINT OF VIEW = refers to
how the story is told.
Types of Point of View
1. First person point of view = character is telling the
story from their perspective. This is normally done
through the first person pronouns 'I', 'me', 'my' and
'mine'.
2. Second person point of view = is rare in fiction novels.
It is commonly identified by the use of
the 'you' and 'your' pronouns.
3. Third person point of view = the narrator is telling the
story about the characters from outside the narrative. The
story normally refers to 'he', 'she', or 'they'.
a. third-person limited= narrator can only tell the actions
of all characters and the protagonist inners thoughts
b. third-person omniscient = the narrator is all knowing.
She or He can tell the actions and inner thoughts of all
characters
4. Plot = is the sequence of events
in the story
Elements of plot
1. Exposition = occurs at the beginning. Introduces the
main character, setting and basic situation needed to
understand the story.
2. Rising Action = is the series of events in a story that
build tension and develop the conflict leading up to the
climax.
3. Climax = is the turning point or most intense moment
in a story, where the main conflict reaches its peak.
4. Falling action = the conflict begins to resolve, and the
consequences of the climax unfold
5. Resolution = also known as denouement, is the final part
of the plot where the story’s conflicts are resolved, and the
narrative comes to a close.
5. Conflict = the story’s problem
or issue
Types of conflict
1. Man Vs Man
2. Man Vs Nature
3. Man Vs Society
4. Man Vs Self
5. Man Vs Fate
6. Theme = is the central idea,
message, or underlying meaning
that an author explores
throughout a work.
7. Moral = is the lesson from
the story
Literary Techniques or
Devices
Tone = is the author’s attitude about the topic of the story
Mood = is the emotional atmosphere a reader experiences
Foreshadowing = the narrator gives a signal to possible
event later in the story
Symbolism = refers to the use of symbols—objects,
characters, figures, or colors—to represent abstract ideas or
concepts beyond their literal meaning.
Motif = a repeating pattern of events or emotions in the
story.
Irony = technique showing contrast from what we expect to
happen with what happens in the story.
a. Verbal Irony = the character says something opposite to his
or her true feelings or beliefs.
b. Situational Irony = when the outcome of a situation is
drastically different from what was expected (e.g., a fire
station burns down)
c. Dramatic Irony = the reader knows something that the
character/s do not know
