1. Journal
What is your favorite movie (or book)? Why? Who is the protagonist (main character)? What is he or she like?

2. Types of Fiction (Genre)
What is Fiction?
Fiction is literature that an author imagines or invents. Sometimes the author bases the story on real events.
Types of Fiction (Genre)
Historical Fiction Myths/Legends/Fairy Tales Science Fiction
Mystery Horror Fantasy

3. Elements of Fiction Terms to use when discussing literature
Characters
Setting
Plot
Point of View
Theme
Symbolism
Conflict

4. CHARACTERS are the people, animals or imaginary creatures that take part in the action of the story.
Protagonist
The main character in a story. The character is involved in the main conflict of the story.
Antagonist
The force working against the protagonist, usually another character but could be from another kind of conflict (sickness, hurricane, government)

5. Main or Minor?
Main Character: the person/animal/creature who the events of the story/conflict centers on.
Minor Character: provides the background of the story, interacts with the main character and helps to move the plot along.
Minor Character
Gingerbread Man provides entertainment. Not essential to the plot.
Main Character
Problem: Needs to rescue Princess Fiona in order to save his swamp.
Minor Character
Donkey helps Shrek solve his problem.

6. Characterization: The way an author develops a character and makes him come alive for the reader.
The character’s actions or words
The character’s thoughts
The character’s appearance
The responses of other characters to the character.

7. Quiz
Please take your time and check your work carefully before turning in your quiz. Try the BONUS! (It doesn’t count against you if you are incorrect.) When finished, please turn in your quiz and take a Drums character sheet to complete.

8. 1. Character’s words and actions
In the car, things were 100% silent until I couldn’t stand it anymore. I put on the radio to WZZO, the rock station, and started playing drums on my legs along with the Rush song that was on. My dad reached out and turned off the radio, which was very unusual for him. Even though my mom has always been my big “drum fan,” my dad had at least succeeded in tuning out my tapping (OK, he called it “pounding” and my teachers always referred to it as “banging”) on hundreds of car rides before this one.
Sorry, Steven. He said this with a weak little “I’m sorry” smile. I need to concentrate on the road right now. (Drums 22)
What can you infer about how Mr. Alper deals with his feelings based on his actions in this passage?
I blocked the doorway with my body and said something that seemed to float up
from a place beyond my worst nightmares.
Renee, I can’t let you in.
What do you mean? It’s cold out here, and we’ve got a lot to do.
I mean, I’m sorry, but I can’t let you come into this house. You’re sick, and Jeffrey can’t get sick right now. (Drums 160)
What can you infer about Steven’s personality based on his words and actions in this passage?

9. 2. Character’s Thoughts
And don’t get me started on my father, Mister Personality. If you ask me, he could use a good, stern talking-to as well.
Dad, how about sometime this week, just for kicks, you try making eye contact with me? Would that be so painful? And how about you ask how my day was- and then actually listen while I’m telling you? Here are some sample questions you can try until you get good at this… (Drums 58)
What can you infer about Steven’s personality based on his thoughts in this passage?

10. 3. Character’s Appearance
It’s not because he’s cuter than I am, although that’s part of it, too. I have mouse-brown cowlick-y hair, glasses that are about an inch thick, and braces that look like I tried to swallow a train wreck. He has those perfect little-kid Chiclet-white teeth, vision, and little blond ringlets like the ones on the angels you see on the posters in art class. (Drums, 4)
Compare the physical descriptions of Steven and Jeffrey. How are they different? What can you infer about Steven’s feelings towards his brother based on this passage?

11. 4. The responses of other characters to the character.
We had slept through a lot of phone calls! There were about a million messages from people who had been at the concert, wishing us well and checking on Jeffrey’s health status….
This is Judy Galley, Steven’s counselor… Steven, I was proud of you tonight. When I first started working with you this year, you were so angry that I worried about you a lot, and you felt that you couldn’t control your own life. Now you have accepted control of your own path and are doing a wonderful job of helping those around you, too…
This is Annette. I hope everything is alright there. Steven, call me when you can about… what happened, OK? You know, when you were leaving? I really… um… I really meant it. I just wanted you to know. (Drums, 265)
How does the reader know how other characters feel about Steven?

12. Setting Time: 1865, Revolutionary War, today, the future, 3rd period
Place: Philadelphia, the desert, a bus, wealthy neighborhood
Settings can sometimes have their own personality and emotions, authors use setting to create mood.
Mood: (atmosphere) the feeling created within the reader upon experiencing the text.

13. Freytag’s Pyramid Plot: the sequence of events in a story. Climax
Falling Action
Rising Action
Plot thickens
Resolution
Exposition
Inciting Incident

14. Exposition Characters are introduced Setting is described Mood is set
Main Character: Harry Potter
Minor Characters: Ron Weasley
Hermione Granger
Setting: (Time) Current During the school year, (Place) Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry
Mood: Magical, Mysterious, Suspenseful, Fantastical

15. Examples of other types of Inciting Incidents
The precise moment when something in the main character's life changes dramatically, and sets the rest of the story in motion. The event is life-changing, and without the event, the story wouldn't happen.
Harry Potter gets the letter from Hogwarts telling him that he is a wizard and he is to come to Hogwarts for the new school year. This changes Harry’s life and without this event the story wouldn’t happen.
Examples of other types of Inciting Incidents
Someone dies
Something is won or lost
Something is important is discovered

16. Rising Action Plot gets more complex
Characters struggle to find solutions to the conflict
Suspense builds
4. Harry Potter and friends come up with their own plan to save the stone and set it into motion.
3. Harry Potter and friends rush to tell Dumbledore that Hagrid has accidentally given away the secret and the stone is in danger, only to find that Dumbledore himself has been lured away—leaving the stone vulnerable to Snape.
2. Harry discovers that the mysterious package from Gringott’s is now at Hogwarts.
1. Harry leaves his home on the Hogwarts Express to start his new life.

17. Climax Highest point of action in the story
Outcome of the conflict is decided
Usually a change in the protagonist will occur
Harry Potter’s confrontation with Professor Quirrell
who is being controlled by Lord Voldemort.

18. Falling Action
the part of a story that comes immediately after the climax and before the conclusion.
Harry discovers that his mother’s love is what protected him from Voldemort.
Dumbledore destroys the sorcerer’s stone.

19. Gryffindor wins the house cup.
Resolution
Loose ends are tied up
End of the story
Gryffindor wins the house cup.
Harry returns to the Dursley’s for the summer.

20. Point of View
First Person: the story is told by the protagonist and uses the pronoun “I”.
Excerpt from The Lightning Thief example:
Anyway, Nancy Bobofit was throwing wads of sandwich that stuck in his brown curly hair, and she knew I couldn’t do anything to her because I was already on probation. The headmaster had threatened me with death by in-school suspension if anything bad, embarrassing, or even mildly entertaining happened on this trip.
“I’m going to kill her,” I mumbled.

21. Point of View
Second Person: The author or a character speaks directly to the audience

22. Point of View
Third Person: The narrator is not a character in the story. Third person uses the pronouns “she,” “he,” “it,” and “they”
So while first-person narration is- “I never sing in the choir on Sundays.” Third-person narration is, “She never sings in the choir on Sundays.”

23. Theme
The theme of a literary work is the message or insight about life or human nature that the writer presents to the reader.
It is a message that can apply to all people—it has universal meaning.
Because the theme is not usually stated directly, the reader has to “read between the lines”.
It is always written as a sentence!

24. Example of Theme
Topic: Freedom Theme Sentence: People will sacrifice their personal freedom for a greater good. NOT: Don’t judge a book by its cover. The sentence should be original.

25. Symbolism
An image/object in a story that is used repeatedly and carries a deeper meaning.
Universal Symbols:
water = purity
black clouds = evil approaching
What attributes does Darth Vader have that make him a symbol of evil?
What attributes does Luke Skywalker have that make him a symbol of good?

26. Conflict Character vs. Society Character vs. Nature
A struggle or battle between two or more opposing forces. Every story must have a conflict.
EXTERNAL CONFLICTS
(outside of the character)
Character vs. Society
Character vs. Nature
Character vs. Character

27. (a character struggles with a problem within himself)
Internal Conflict
Character vs. himself
(a character struggles with a problem within himself)