Story Elements

Story Structure

How the events of a story are organized.

Setting

The time and place where the story takes place.

Foreshadowing

When the author hints about what is going to happen later in the story.

Turning Point

A point in the story when a character must make a decision that will change the course of the story.

Summary

A brief description of the most important points of a story.

Plot

The sequence of events that happen in a story.

Conflict

The problem in the story. There are internal and external conflicts.

Resolution

The part of the story's plot where the main problem is resolved or worked out.

Cause & Effect

When one event or situation in the story causes another event to happen.

Theme

The message or lesson of the story.

Tone

The author's attitude—how they feel about their subject and their readers.

Perspective

The narrator's outlook or point of view on events, characters, and the world.

Main Idea

The most important point that the author is trying to make about a topic (Central Idea).

Mood

How a literary work makes the reader feel.

Author's Purpose

What the author's reason for writing is. Author's purpose may be to amuse the reader, to persuade the reader, or to inform the reader.

Climax

The highest, most intense part of the story.

Symbolism

The use of symbols to represent ideas, themes, or concepts beyond their literal meaning.