The 6 Key Elements of Any Fiction Story
Today I want to talk about the six key elements of fiction.
These fiction fundamentals provide a solid foundation on which to base any genre of story. And they help you to make your writing more believable and compelling.
Ready to learn all about the most important elements of fiction? Then let’s dive right in.
6 key elements of fiction
Key element of fiction #1: Character
Characters are a reader’s way into a story, which makes them one of the most important elements of fiction writing.
Fiction characters often fit into one of the following categories:
protagonist
antagonist
sidekick (also known as a deuteragonist)
foil
confidante
love interest
tertiary characters (the extras)
And all characters embody one or two of the following qualities:
Flat
Flat characters are one dimensional, defined by a stereotype or a single personality trait.
Round
Round characters are multidimensional and feel like real people. As readers, we really get to know these characters and what makes them tick.
Static
Static characters don’t change much (if at all) over the course of a story. (The mentor archetype is a great example of a static character.)
Dynamic
Dynamic characters undergo significant and realistic change throughout the course of a novel. They learn lessons and develop as a person.
Why is this element of fiction important to a story?
Character is one of the key elements of fiction because:
Characters connect readers to your story, helping them to feel invested in what happens next.
Characters are the driving force behind your story. Their actions determine the direction of your plot.
You can get away with flat and static characters. For example, in crime stories, plot tends to be the driving force – and characters are less essential to hooking a reader.
But, in the vast majority of cases, your story needs at least one rounded, dynamic character.
This character has psychologically realistic reactions and motivations.
And whilst they’re not necessarily always likeable, a reader understands their behaviour and (very importantly) feels some level of empathy for them.
Tips for implementing this element of fiction into your story
Give your characters a backstory, even if you don’t explore this backstory on the page. It’s good to have an idea of what your characters have experienced throughout their lives to date if you’re to give solid motivations for their actions.
Delve into psychology to make your characters’ actions and dialogue more believable. You can do this by exploring your own behaviour and that of people around you.
Key element of fiction #2: Plot
Plot is the structure of your story. Most plots involve the following sequence of plot points:
Exposition
Rising action
Crisis
Climax
Resolution
These plot points aren’t set in stone. But they do provide a handy template for any type of fiction writing.
Stories often involve plot devices too. These are techniques used to move the plot forward.
For example, you may have a cliffhanger at the end of a chapter. Or a red herring part way through a whodunit. Or a love triangle as part of your romantic subplot.
Why is this element of fiction important to a story?
Plot is another key element of fiction because – very simply put – if you want your story to engage a reader, something needs to happen.
Whilst a rounded character going about their daily life may hold a reader’s interest for a time, you need light and shade, peaks and troughs, tension and resolution to maintain that interest.
Conflict is, therefore, essential.
Whether conflict is internal or external, a conflict-driven plot takes your characters on a journey, and keeps readers excited to turn the page and find out what happens next.
Tips for implementing this element of fiction
Start with a clear, central conflict. When you know what conflict your characters are going to face, it becomes easier to focus your plot.
Employ logic. Every new development in your plot should have a definite cause and effect (even if you obscure these things from a reader). You also shouldn’t rely too heavily on luck, coincidence or deus ex machina moments (unless you want to make your reader groan!).
Key element of fiction #3: Point of view
Point of view is the perspective from which your story is told.
You may choose to use a first person, second person, third person limited or third person omniscient point of view.
You can also decide whether to write in present or past tense.
Why is this element of fiction important to a story?
Point of view dictates the way in which you tell your story.
It also has the power to change a story’s atmosphere – and increase or decrease psychic/narrative distance (how close a reader feels to the action).
Let’s take a look at the various POV options available to a writer.
First person storytelling has an intimate feel. But it means that, as a writer, you’re limited to the perspective of your narrator.
Second person perspective is unusual – and difficult to pull off convincingly. But it can create a very intense and immersive experience for a reader.
Third person limited is useful if you want to tell your story via an objective narrator or multiple perspectives. It’s also good for varying psychic distance.
Third person omniscient allows a narrator to pan out, revealing information without restricting themselves to character perspective. It’s less intimate than other points of view, which means increased psychic distance.
And what about the tenses?
Past tense is more commonly used than present. It allows you to reveal and conceal events as you see fit, meaning you have greater flexibility when building story tension.
Present tense offers a sense of immediacy. This tense makes it feel as though events are happening in real-time and can give a cinematic feel to your story.
Tips for implementing this element of fiction
Use trial and error. Try writing a scene from different perspectives and see which best fits with your story and/or characters.
Check out popular POV for your genre. For example, mystery and thriller novels almost always use a third person limited perspective. In fantasy novels, you tend to get either third person limited or omniscient. And in young adult fiction, a first person perspective is popular.
Which of the six key elements of fiction have you nailed in your writing? And which could use a little more work?
As part of my manuscript assessment service, I provide extensive feedback on these elements of your story, along with my recommendations for how to improve them. Click here to find out more.
Key element of fiction #4: Setting
Setting is another really important element of fiction writing. It provides the backdrop for the story’s action.
Your setting can be a location taken from the real world – or it can be completely fictional. In the case of a fantasy counterpart culture, it can lie somewhere between imagination and reality.
When developing your setting, you might want to consider:
The geographical location
The time period
The weather conditions
The political, social, environmental and cultural conditions
The mood or atmosphere
Why is this element of fiction important to a story?
Whether it’s real or fantastical, the world in which your story is set informs your characters (including their outlook, beliefs, skills and behaviour) as well as your plot.
Setting is particularly important in science fiction, fantasy and historical fiction, where it often involves a greater degree of either imagination or research.
For example, in Dune, the world of Arrakis plays a huge role in the story.
In Arrakis, water is scarce. A lack of water dictates a lot of the cultural and societal norms on the planet. Arrakis is also the only place where a drug called spice can be produced. This acts as a basis for the story’s central conflict.
Writer Frank Herbert clearly thought very carefully about this setting – treating it like an additional character within the novel, making it feel realistic, and using it as a basis for the other key fiction elements.
Tips for implementing this element of fiction
If your story is set in a real-life place or time period, then you need to do some in-depth research. This will help you to create a vivid and realistic setting.
Before you start writing, try to imagine your story playing out in different time periods and places. It may be that one setting lends itself better to the development of your characters and your plot.
Key element of fiction #5: Theme
Theme may be one of the key elements of fiction. But in the best stories, it’s a hidden one.
Plot provides the surface detail:
Harry goes to Hogwarts and engages in an ongoing battle with Voldemort, whilst growing from a child into an adult.
Meanwhile, themes provide the underlying idea or message. So in the Harry Potter series, there are themes of:
good vs evil
friendship
coming of age
choice vs free will
All books have at least one theme. These themes often prompt a reader to think more deeply about an issue.
For example: Does good always conquer evil? What does it mean to be a good friend? Does power always corrupt?
Writers don’t tend to overtly state their themes. Instead, a reader is left to discover them for themselves, finding them within the characters, action and setting that make up the story.
Why is this element of fiction important to a story?
Without a cohesive theme (or two or three), your fiction becomes forgettable.
That’s because themes lie at the heart of any great story. They are the deeper meaning a reader finds within a work of fiction. And they’re a prompt for further philosophical thought.
Themes allow us to take a story that occurs in a specific setting, to specific characters, and use it to inform our view of the universal human condition.
They’re great for a reader’s experience. But they’re good for a writer too.
Themes can aid the writing process. When you have a clear message or world view to convey, you may find it easier to get words down on paper.
Tips for implementing this element of fiction
Unsure what themes you’ve included in your story? After a first outline or draft, ask yourself what your story is about. Restrict your answer to a handful of words and you may discover the themes at play within your fiction.
Tease out themes. There are lots of ways to draw out your themes without spelling them out for a reader. Character conflict, your plot, repeating patterns, symbols and allusions can all be used to communicate your themes.
Key element of fiction #6: Style
Onto the last key fiction element on our list: style.
Style is your writerly voice. When we talk about style, we’re referring to:
Diction: the words you choose, and how you use them to convey mood and tone
Syntax: the simplicity, complexity, rhythm and word order of your sentences
Literary devices: the devices (e.g. metaphor, hyperbole, synecdoche, alliteration) you choose to use
Together, these stylistic elements create your writing style.
Some writers have a signature writing style that they carry with them from story to story. Others change their style depending on the plot, characters and setting of the story they’re writing.
Why is this element of fiction important to a story?
A distinctive style makes your writing stand out from the work of others, which can be good if you’re pitching to publishers.
What’s more, like all of the key elements of fiction I’ve listed here, style contributes to your depiction of character, setting and plot.
Take Cormac McCarthy’s short, sharp prose in The Road.
McCarthy’s writing style reflects the experience of his characters, whose lives have been largely stripped back to survival and brutality.
A more lyrical style may have been perfectly lovely to read. But it wouldn’t have emphasised the characters, setting and plot in quite so effective a way.
Tips for implementing this element of fiction
Aim for originality. Almost every single writer starts out by imitating their favourite authors. But – at every turn – try to focus on what you want to say and then find your own way of saying it. In doing so, you’ll avoid clichés and make your writing much less predictable.
You can only discover your writerly voice by writing. So do as much of it as possible. And if you’re finding it tough, take solace in the fact that there are plenty of authors out there with first works vastly different to their later fiction. Your style as a writer is constantly evolving. Which is one of the things that makes writing so appealing and addictive, right?
Want to develop these six key elements of fiction in your current writing project?
I offer a range of editorial services which focus on the elements I’ve just outlined above. I can help you to perfect your story before you pitch or publish. If you’re not quite sure what you need, feel free to get in touch here.
Until the next time,
Candida x
