Writing a good novel requires an author to skillfully intertwine the five key elements that go into every story.

Plot:

• refers to what happens in the story and always involves a problem or conflict. It is important to realize that the best authors are masters at drawing a reader into a story and manipulating a reader’s emotions.

             

A plot has a:

• beginning, which lets a reader know who and what the story will be about

• middle, in which the reader follows the main character as he or she faces a challenge and finally resolves it

• conclusion, which leaves the reader satisfied with the outcome

         

Setting:

• is the time and place of the story
• often connects the character to the mood and atmosphere of the story

It is important in that the story could not occur anywhere else — a story about survival in the Arctic has to be set in the Arctic.

A story that could occur anywhere in the world is said to be universal.

The details of the setting help the reader see what kind of a story it may be; perhaps a mystery, a humorous story, or a science -fiction tale.

Sensory details are used to describe a setting. These are the details that appeal to our senses (sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste). An effective setting description will use many sensory details.

Characters:

• are the people, animals, or creatures who give a story life and grab the reader's attention

The action in the story revolves around the main character, called the protagonist, who struggles to achieve a goal.

An antagonist is a character of force that tries to prevent the protagonist from achieving the goal.

Sometimes the protagonist is called the hero, and the antagonist is called the villain.

All stories have a character who must resolve a situation.

This could involve:

• a conflict with another person
• a struggle against one's environment
• a conflict with some aspect of the character's own personality
  

An author carefully chooses the best Point of View from which to tell a story.

You probably don’t realize that you use different points of view when you tell stories.

• If you are telling someone about an experience you personally had, you will use the pronoun “I” in your story.
• If you are telling a story about an event that was experienced by others, you will use pronouns like he, she, they, etc.
• If you are retelling your own experiences, you can reveal your own thoughts and feelings. If you are retelling what you saw, you can only describe the actions, words, and facial expressions of the people you were observing.
• An author can also choose to tell the reader how a character is feeling or what a character may be thinking.
  

     

 

              

Theme is the element that often distinguishes a good novel from a great one.

Theme is:

• an underlying principle or statement of life that an author wishes to make

Each of these elements will be covered in more depth in upcoming lessons.

Reading Journal

Go to the next page to try a Self-check Activity to identify the elements in stories.