All genres use the same elements of fiction.
Fiction involves stories that are imagined rather than true, or strictly true, occurrences. Short stories, novellas and novels are the formats most commonly associated with fiction. The genres involved include mystery, literary fiction, science fiction, horror and more. Despite the variety of formats and genres, there are features common to all types of fictional story telling. No one element is more important than another. It is the way a writer creates a unique interplay between all the elements that makes a work of fiction entertaining and meaningful.
Theme
Theme is the underlying message or messages a writer is trying to communicate with a reader. In fiction, theme is not stated directly. It is presented indirectly by being "shown" through scenes and dialogue rather than "told" by the writer in exposition. The theme is what the story is about rather than what happens. It's what stays with the reader long after she has forgotten the details of the plot.
Plot
Plot is what happens in a work of fiction. It can happen in chronological order, in reverse chronological order or in any sequence the writer sees fit to employ in order to entertain the reader. Books may be plot heavy as in the case of spy thrillers, or plots may be slim, as in the case of some works of literary fiction. Characters drive plot.
Character
All works of fiction include characters be they human, animal, spirit or machine. They drive the plot with the choices they make or fail to make. Their weaknesses spur conflict. Conflict and the drive to resolve it is the essence of plot.
Point of View
Fiction is told from one or more points of view. Examples include: the first person singular, omniscient, limited omniscient, the second person and so on. Most stories are told in the third person, limited omniscient: he said, she said. The first person singular---I said, I thought---is also popular. The reader should consider the point of view when considering the implications of a story.
Setting
Works of fiction take place in a setting. Setting can be New York City, a rural town, under the water or in an ill-defined netherworld. Writers choose setting with care in order to convey a mood, set the pace or play a part in the theme. Setting is important, and its interplay with people helps to define character. For example, a character living and working in New York on Wall Street may behave completely differently after a month camping in rural Arkansas.
Tags: rather than, chronological order, drive plot, first person, limited omniscient, literary fiction, what happens
