Lesson 2: Elements of Fiction
When you read a mystery or a subgenre, do think about the setting, theme, characters, plot, or do you just read for pleasure?
Reading for pleasure is okay, but if you are interested in finding a deeper meaning to the story, then you will want to concentrate more on the elements of fiction.
Think about the elements of fiction as you read. Why did the author choose this particular setting? What about the characters? What are they like? What is the main idea the author is trying to reveal to readers? What about the plot? Were the clues to easy to figure out? Were they hidden or revealed? All of these questions are basic elements of writing. You will be learning the definitions and how to analyze them in the stories you read for this course.
Introduction
When you start to read, make sure you have a spiral notebook and a pen where you can write down the list of elements such as setting, theme, characters, plot, and clues. You will also want to write down the solution and how the protagonist solved the crime.
Here are some questions for you to think about as your are reading and writing down your information.
Who is the protagonist? Is it a female or male? Is the protagonist a detective, amateur sleuth, private investigator, or uniform police officer, etc.?
What about the villain? What type of character is this person? What crime did he or she commit? Do you think this person will escape or be caught?
What about the other characters? Who are they? What are they like? Are any of them suspects?
What about the genre? Is it a suspense, detective fiction, thriller, or what? Knowing the type of genre or subgenre is important to the development of the plot. What about the clues? Are they hidden or revealed?
If the themes, settings, characters, and plots are well developed, then you won't want to stop reading. You will keep turning those pages until the last page.
