READING E L E M E N T S

CHARACTER TRAITS

•ARE QUALITIES THAT DETERMINE HOW A

CHARACTER THINKS OR ACTS.
CHARACTER MOTIVATION
•IS THE REASON THAT A CHARACTER
BEHAVES THE WAY HE OR SHE DOES.
CONFLICT
•REFERS TO THE STRUGGLE OF THE STORY’S
MAIN CHARACTER OR PROTAGONIST
AGAINST AN OPPOSING FORCE.
CONFLICT TYPES
EXTERNAL CONFLICT INTERNAL CONFLICT
•OCCURS BETWEEN •OCCURS BETWEEN A
CHARACTERS OR BETWEEN A CHARACTER AND HIS OWN
CHARACTER AND AN OUTSIDE THOUGHTS, EMOTIONS, OR
FORCE SUCH AS SOCIETY OR BELIEFS.
NATURE.
NARRATOR

•IS THE PERSON TELLING THE STORY.

POINT OF VIEW

•REFERS TO THE PERSPECTIVE FROM

WHICH A STORY IS TOLD.
TYPES OF POINT OF VIEW
FIRST-PERSON POINT OF VIEW
• THE NARRATOR IS ONE OF THE
CHARACTERS AND REFERS TO
HIMSELF AS “I”.
THIRD-PERSON POINT OF VIEW
• THE NARRATOR STANDS OUTSIDE THE STORY
AND REFERS TO THE CHARACTERS HE, SHE, OR
THEY.
• --MAY BE OMNISCIENT: THE NARRATOR KNOWS THE
THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS OF EACH CHARACTER.
• --MAY BE LIMITED: THE READER HAS ACCESS TO
ONLY ONE CHARACTER’S THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS.
DIALOGUE

•REFERS TO THE COMMUNICATION

BETWEEN CHARACTERS.
PLOT
•IS A SERIES OF EVENTS ARRANGED TO
TELL A STORY. IT USUALLY CONTAINS THE
FOLLOWING PARTS.
EXPOSITION
•FIRST PART OF A STORY’S PLOT
•INCLUDES THE CHARACTER, SETTING
(TIME AND PLACE), AND SITUATION
INCITING INCIDENT
•SECOND PART OF A STORY’S PLOT
•THE EVENT THAT INTRODUCES THE
CONFLICT AND SETS IT IN MOTION
RISING ACTION
•THIRD PART OF A STORY’S PLOT
•INCLUDES THE EVENTS THAT FOLLOW THE
INCITING INCIDENT AND LEAD UP TO THE
CRISIS
CRISIS
•FOURTH PART OF A STORY’S PLOT
•MAJOR TURNING POINT FOR THE
PROTAGONIST AND IT AFFECTS THE OUTCOME
OF THE STORY
CLIMAX
•FIFTH PART OF A STORY’S PLOT
•THE MOMENT AT WHICH THE PLOT REACHES THE
POINT OF THE READER’S HIGHEST EMOTIONAL
INTENSITY
FALLING ACTION
•SIXTH PART OF A STORY’S PLOT
•REFERS TO THE EVENTS THAT UNFOLD THE
RESULTS OF THE CRISIS AND LEAD TO THE
CONCLUSION
RESOLUTION

•SEVENTH PART OF A STORY’S PLOT

•THE FINAL OUTCOME OF THE PLOT