Fiction Writing n A piece of literature invented

Fiction Writing n. A piece of literature invented by the imagination – Can be inspired by fact – Can be based entirely on the fantastic n Types of Fiction – Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Science Fiction – Fantasy, Myths, Fairy Tales, Fables

Characters n WHO the story is about n People or animals that take part in the action

Characters n When trying to learn about a character in a story, think about the following things: – Traits – Motivation – Conflict – Point of View

Character Traits Interesting things about a character. n A trait is what makes a character different from other characters n Examples: n – – Hair/eye color Height & weight Age Dislikes, opinions, actions

Motivation n Something that causes one to act in a certain way n A motivation is the reason WHY a character does something. n Example: – You eat because you are hungry.

Conflict n. A disagreement, fight, or struggle between two people or groups n Example: – You want ice cream before dinner, but your mom says no. You and your mom disagree about when you should be able to eat ice cream.

Characterization n Foil - a character whose personality and attitude is opposite the personality and attitude of another character. n Protagonist n Antagonist - the main character - the main opponent (enemy) of the main character

Point of View n Point of View is the perspective from which a fiction story is told. n Point of view affects what kinds of details are revealed to the reader.

First-Person Point of View n The storyteller is a character who participates in the action of the story. n The storyteller will use first-person pronouns I and me

Second-Person Point of View n The narrator is giving directions or speaking directly to someone. n The narrator will use the word you.

Third-Person Point of View n The narrator is NOT a character in the story. n The narrator will use third-person pronouns she and he, and they.

Third-Person Point of View n Third Person Limited – The narrator is NOT participating in the action, but his/her knowledge of the situation is limited to only one character. n Third Person Omniscient – The narrator is NOT participating in the action, but he/she has unlimited knowledge about any or all of the characters.

Setting n WHERE and WHEN the story takes place n How a story is set in terms of the place, time period, weather, social conditions, mood (atmosphere) – Examples: • 1800’s • Castle • A dark and stormy night

Plot n WHAT happens in the story n The sequence of events that every story is made of n Usually divided into five parts: – Exposition – Rising Action – Climax – Falling Action – Resolution

Plot

Plot n Exposition – Introduces the setting, characters, and the basic situation n Rising Action – Introduces the conflict

Plot n Climax – The turning point of the story n Falling Action – The part of the story when the conflict lessens

Plot n Resolution – The conclusion of the story

Theme n. A theme is a universal truth explored in a piece of writing often in the form of a life lesson or moral. n A message from the author that makes the reader think about life, human nature, or how the world works. – Broad ideas that can apply to ALL people – Must be inferred by the reader

Theme n Theme is NOT… – The subject of the story or the topic of the story. • For example, an author could write about a brave young girl during the Revolutionary War era. The young girl is the subject of the story. The theme of this story, however, could be: It is important to stand up for one’s rights. n Many stories have at least one theme, but some have more than one.