We’re back!

I know Steph celebrated our return with you last week, but it still feels bizarre that we’ve had two months away from you all. It went like a flash!

This summer, the Dittemore family celebrated our son’s high school graduation with a trip to Cabo San Lucas, and when we got home, we packed up our house and moved a good thirty minutes closer to everything.

We’ll miss the woods, but we’re elated with our new place, and really, REALLY, looking forward to fall. I’ll be teaching a creative writing class for high schoolers this year, and I’ve been loving all the short stories I’ve read in preparation. I imagine they will somehow break into my posts here, so prepare thyselves!

On that note, and since I’m preparing to teach a creative writing class, I thought I’d take this opportunity to dive into the Five Elements of Fiction. Since I blog here once a month, this series will take us through the end of the year, but by its conclusion, I hope you’ll have a very clear picture of the building blocks that make up (nearly) every story out there.

Now, here’s the kicker. All across the internet, in writing classes, and in craft books, experts divide these building blocks into a variety of categories. Some say there are five elements of fiction writing; some say six; some say eight! But when you peel back the layers, the same elements are there in one form or another.

For our purposes, we’ll be dividing them up like this:

Style

Character

Setting

Plot

Theme

Today, we’ll limit ourselves to a simple explanation of each element, so you can begin to see just how stories can be analyzed, broken down, and constructed in this way.

Style: When we speak of style in storytelling, we’re talking about how an author tells a story. Style encompasses author choices like voice, tone, perspective, tense, language, diction, and punctuation. Oftentimes, it’s style that brings you back to the same authors again and again. You like HOW they tell a story, so you put them on auto-buy and never miss an opportunity to pick up their newest.

Character: Our characters consume the majority of our storytelling experience. Whether they be villains or heroes, protagonists or antagonists, primary, secondary, or tertiary characters, our goal is to make every character we write as real to our readers as possible. It serves us well to study strategies for creating compelling characters, and to examine the common character types out there.

Setting: When we talk about setting, we’re talking about where and when a story takes place, but it’s also a lot more than that. How much of the setting will the reader be exposed to, and how does the story world serve the characters and the plot? Is the setting a place we’re familiar with, or is it a world constructed solely for this story? Will the rules of the setting be fully explained, or will the reader be expected to make assumptions? All questions an author must answer.

Plot: The plot of a story is, very simply, the action of the story. Plot is what happens in the book. There are many different plot structures commonly in use, and it’s helpful to know what those are. It’s also important to understand that, as with every one of these elements, there’s no right way to plot a novel. There are an infinite number of ways to lay out the action of your story, but by looking at some tried and true methods, we can learn how to best approach our own work.

Theme: Theme is the most elusive of our five elements, but it is often the most powerful. Theme asks, “What is this story about? What’s the big idea here? What is the author trying to say?” Most stories have multiple themes. Some are big picture ideas, while others are smaller, lightly touched on concepts. And while it can be hard to pin down the themes of a book, it’s paramount that the author understand their own messaging.

Even just a gentle scratch at the surface of these elements, shows us that each one of them cannot stand on their own. They rely on one another, wholly. What’s a character without a plot? And what’s plot if it’s not set in a story world? How can theme be conveyed without a clear voice and perspective? None of these elements can exist without the others–they are building blocks, and every one of them is necessary. As long as we understand that, we can move in closer for a better look at each one.

Tell me, when you look at the five elements of fiction writing, which do you excel at, and in which areas could you use more instruction and understanding?

Shannon Dittemore is an author and speaker. Her books include the Angel Eyes trilogy, a supernatural foray into the realm of angels and demons, as well as the fantastical adventure novel Winter, White and Wicked. Its sequel, Rebel, Brave and Brutal is due out January 10, 2023.

Shannon’s stories feature strong female leads grappling with fear and faith as they venture into the wilds of the unknown. She’s often wondered if she’s writing her own quest for bravery again and again.

It’s a choice she values highly. Bravery. And she’s never more inspired than when young people ball up their fist and punch fear in the face.

To that end, Shannon takes great joy in working with young writers, both in person and online at Go Teen Writers, an instructional blog recognized by Writer’s Digest four years running as a “101 Best Websites for Writers” selection.

For more about Shannon and her books, please visit her website, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.