1. Do Now:  Think about the stories you have read or heard in the past. What are some of the basic common elements they all have in common?

2. ELEMENTS OF FICTION Lesson 1: The Basics

3. The Basics  All stories contain certain basic elements:  A setting – a place or places where the story takes place  Characters – the people who take part in the action of the story  Plot – a series of related events that make up the story

4. Characters  Protagonist – The main character, or characters, in a story  The protagonist is often thought of as “the good guy” in the story; however, depending on the nature of the story, the protagonist may not be a very “good” guy (or gal)  Antagonist – The character who stands in the way of or opposes the main character in a story. Often, but not always the “villain”  Supporting Characters – less developed characters who take part in the story, but are not the focus of the main story.  Characters may be either Static or Dynamic  Dynamic characters change and grow as a result of events in the story.  Static characters do not undergo significant growth or change, staying largely the same.