Novel Elements & Plot Devices

Foreshadowing

a literary and narrative device in which an author drops subtle or explicit clues, hints, or warnings about events yet to come in a story

Flashbacks

a literary device that interrupts a story's chronological timeline to present events that occurred before the current narrative

Time Jump

a narrative technique where the story skips over a period of time, moving the plot forward or backward without detailing the events that occurred in the intervening period

Subplot(s)

a secondary storyline that runs parallel to the main plot

Theme

the central, underlying message or "big idea" an author explores within a story