Elements of a story

Elements of a Story

Theme - Some stories have a theme - a central topic, concept or belief, and some have a moral - a lesson learned. 
 
Character - Most stories are about individuals  - usually humans. A good storyteller enables their readers/listeners to clearly visualize each character, by eloquently describing both physical and personal attributes. The actions characters take should "ring true" to the reader, based on the individual traits that character exhibits early in the story.

Most stories focus on one or two main characters. Generally the central character is sympathetic and relatable, so the audience feels empathy for that person and is consequently drawn more deeply into the events unfolding. The "good guy" is known as the protagonist and the "bad guy" is the antagonist. The best characters feel "real" to the audience, because they have both positive and negative traits.

Usually the most memorable stories result in some kind of meaningful transformation in the life of the main character.

Setting – Every story is set in a location that’s integral to the narrative. Again, the reader should be able to visualize the setting from the author’s description. Unusual settings, such as those that are particularly beautiful, scary, exotic, quaint or even alien may have a draw of their own, but familiar, everyday settings are also effective, enabling the reader to more easily visualize and connect with the story.

Plot – “Plot” is almost synonymous with “story” – it’s the flow of the story’s events, influenced, and to some degree directed by the characters’ corresponding reactions and decisions. Plots usually have three main elements: conflict, climax and resolution. Throughout the majority of the story, the characters are attempting to manage the conflict, which builds to the climax – the point of highest tension in the story, when the scales tip in one direction or another.

Conflict –The plot element known as “conflict” is crucial to the success of the story. As Writers’ Digest author Brian Klems said, “You do not have a story until something goes wrong.” Good stories include crisis, tension, struggle and discovery. “Page turners” are stories that create more and more tension as the story unfolds, intensifying the reader’s desire to discover the resolution. 

A story without a resolution would be unsatisfying, leading readers to demand, “So what happens?” The story’s action and tension must be resolved, for better or worse. The resolution should make sense, based on the events that took place, as well as what we have learned about the characters. However, interesting plots often include a “twist” – an unforeseen turn-of-events that the reader wasn’t expecting, therefore resulting in an unpredictable resolution. Overly simplistic plots may lead your readers to comment, “Heck, we all knew that was going to happen.” 

Some stories have a theme – a central topic, concept or belief, and some have a moral –  a lesson learned. Usually the most memorable stories result in some kind of meaningful transformation in the life of the main character.