Elements of Fiction & Non-fiction

1. Elements of Fiction & Non-fiction

2. What is Fiction? • Fiction works include made-up characters, and a made-up series of events, called the plot. • Fictional writing is told (narrated) by a speaker called the narrator. • Fiction is told from a certain perspective, or point of view. • First-person point of view is the perspective of a character in the story. • Third-person point of view is the perspective of a narrator outside the story. • Works of fiction often include a theme, or message, about life.

3. Types of Fiction • Novels- long works of fiction. • Elements included- characters, plot, conflict, and setting. • In addition to the main plot a novel may contain one or more subplots, or independent related stories. • Novellas- shorter than novels but longer than short stories • ShortStories- brief works of fiction. • Same elements as novels and novellas but tend to focus on one main plot with a single conflict.

4. Elements of Nonfiction • Nonfiction deals only with real people, events, or ideas. • Narrated from the point of view, or perspective, of the author, who is a real person. • Nonfiction presents facts or discusses concepts • It may reflect the historical context of the time period, including references to major social and cultural information.

5. Types of Nonfiction • Biographies- tell the story of someone’s life from the perspective of another writer • Autobiographies- tell the story of the author’s life and reflect the writer’s thoughts and feelings about events. • Letters- are written forms of communication from one person to another. • Journals & Diaries- records of daily events and writer’s thoughts & feelings about them. Can be private or public. • Essays & articles- brief written works about a specific topic. Purpose might be to explain, persuade, or inform. • Informational Texts- written documents such as textbooks, applications, instructions, and articles.