Senior High School Department

Creative Nonfiction
KING THOMAS LEARNING ACADEMY, INC. Week 1
A decade of uplifting lives and build futures

A. Using the concepts discussed. Identify the elements of short stories from the given sentences.

1. A ballet dancer was declared was

Romeo and Juliet's families are enemies, but Romeo and Juliet meet at a party and like each
other. Romeo visits Juliet on a balcony one night, and then she sends a message to him
through her nurse. They meet and secretly wed without their families' knowledge. Romeo kills
Juliet's cousin Tybalt, and he is exiled. Juliet's father orders her to marry someone else. Juliet
fakes her death, sending a message to Romeo to let him know, but he hears of her death and
doesn't get the message. Romeo kills himself, and Juliet wakes from her sleep, sees him, and
kills herself. The two families mourn Romeo and Juliet. Romeo and Juliet's deaths have ended
their families' feud and there is peace in Verona.

Discussion

Elements of a Story
Every story, or narrative, has five essential elements. Let's take a closer look at each of
the five.
Examples of Elements of a Story:
Plot-Plot is "what happens" in the story. The action of every story can be mapped out
using a plot diagram. There are five key points to the plot of every story:
1. Beginning or Exposition-this is when characters and problems are introduced to the
reader. Example: Romeo and Juliet's families are enemies, but Romeo and Juliet meet
at a party and like each other.
2. Rising Action-this is where the problem and characters are developed through a
series of actions that builds to the . . .
Example: Romeo visits Juliet on a balcony one night, and then she sends a message to
him through her nurse. They meet and secretly wed without their families' knowledge.
Romeo kills Juliet's cousin Tybalt, and he is exiled. Juliet's father orders her to marry
someone else. Juliet fakes her death, sending a message to Romeo to let him know,
but he hears of her death and doesn't get the message.
3. Climax-this is where the problem (or conflict) is resolved in one way or another. The
climax is often called the "turning point" in a story.
Example: Romeo kills himself, and Juliet wakes from her sleep, sees him, and kills
herself.
4. Falling Action or Denoument-this is where the reader learns what happens as a result
of the climax-or the way in which the problem was solved.
Example: The two families mourn Romeo and Juliet.
5. Resolution-where the entire plot is wrapped up and there is a sense of closure for the
reader.
Example: Romeo and Juliet's deaths have ended their families' feud and there is peace
in Verona.
Sample Plot Diagram:

Characters-Narratives have characters. A narrative has to have a protagonist, which is

the main character in the story, and one or more antagonists, characters who are in
conflict with the protagonist.
Example: Romeo and Juliet are the protagonists. Their conflict is with their families and
their parents, especially Juliet whose parents wish her to marry someone else.
Conflict-For there to be a narrative, the main character, or protagonist, has to have a
conflict, or problem. Sometimes the conflict involves the protagonist and another person
(man versus man). Sometimes the conflict involves the protagonist and the environment
or nature (man versus nature). At other times, the conflict involves the protagonist
against himself (man versus self), as he attempts to overcome a weakness or flaw.
Example: Romeo and Juliet's conflict is that their families are in a feud, and they are not
allowed to be with each other.
Setting-Narratives have a time and place where the action is set.
Example: Romeo and Juliet is set in Verona, Italy.
Theme-Narratives have a theme, or main idea/underlying meaning. Theme should be
stated in a complete sentence.
For example, Romeo and Juliet is not just about "love," but you could state the theme
as "Love overcomes hate."