ELEMENTS OF FICTION AND NONFICTION

TYPES OF READING/WRITING

✕ Poetry✕ Drama✕ Prose

+ Fiction+ Nonfiction

FICTION GENRES

✕ Science fiction Folk tales✕ Satire Fairytales✕ Fantasy Fables✕ Mystery Tall Tales✕ Horror✕ Legend✕ Suspense Thriller

FICTION ELEMENTS

✕ Author’s purpose – to narrate or entertain (to tell a story)✕ Character – who the story is about; Flat, round, static,

dynamic, antagonist, protagonist✕ Setting - time, place, mood✕ Plot – the sequence of events in a story; rising action,

climax, falling action✕ Theme – what the story is about; the message from the

author✕ Point of View – 1st person, 3rd person limited, 3rd person

omniscient

CHARACTER

✕ Flat – a character that we know nothing about✕ Round – a character that we know about✕ Static – a character that never changes✕ Dynamic – a character that changes✕ Antagonist – a character that opposes the

protagonist✕ Protagonist – a character that faces conflict

SETTING

✕ Time – when✕ Place – where✕ Mood – how the story makes you feel; this is

created by the tone that the author uses; Tone is created by diction (choice of words)

PLOT

✕ Rising action – the conflicts that occur✕ Internal conflicts – issues within yourself✕ External conflicts – issues caused by external

forces such as nature or other people✕ Climax – the high point of the story✕ Falling action – how the conflicts are resolved

THEME

✕ This is the message that the author wants you to know; it is usually summarized in one or two words+ Friendship+ Love+ Revenge+ Survival

POINT OF VIEW

✕ First person pov – the narrator is one of the characters telling the story from his/her point of view; Uses “I”

✕ Third person limited pov – the unknown narrator tells a story about the main character; the reader knows about the main character only; Uses “he, she, it”

✕ Third person omniscient pov – the unknown narrator tells a story and gives detailed information about several characters; Uses “he, she, it”

NONFICTION GENRES

✕ Autobiography✕ Biography✕ Speeches✕ Essays✕ Letters✕ Newspaper articles✕ Instructions✕ Reference books

ELEMENTS OF NONFICTION

✕ Author’s purpose – to persuade or inform✕ Author’s perspective – is author biased?✕ Main idea – what the text is about (like a thesis

statement)✕ Supporting details – ideas that support the

main idea

Author’s PURPOSE

✕To Entertain (fiction) – to tell a story+Structure – Chronological Order/Sequence

✕To Inform - teach, educate, give information, explain

Structure - Logical Order

✕To Persuade – convince, argue+Structure – Logical, Spatial, etc…

Author’s PERSPECTIVE

✕ Tone - the attitude of the writer ✕ Fact – a true statement; can be proved✕ Opinion – point of view of an author✕ Generalization - stereotyping✕ Bias – being opinionated✕Pathos - emotional proof✕Logos - logical proof (facts)✕Ethos - ethical proof (testimony, quote)✕Fallacies - false truths