Humans have been telling stories for as long as they’ve been around. As such, the ability to tell a compelling story is vital for anyone, regardless of background, profession, or interests. And although stories can take an infinite number of forms, most are made up of common factors. What are story elements?
What are story elements?
The 7 Elements of a Story
No matter what form a story takes— whether it be a film, a book, a poem— it will contain the following seven elements:
These factors are the building blocks of a powerful narrative. A storyteller may be focused on one of these things more than the others, but it is difficult to create a complete story without at least touching on each item on this list.
So with that in mind, let’s look at each element in more detail, beginning with perhaps the most obvious: plot.
What are the elements of a story?
1. Plot
Story and plot may feel synonymous. But plot refers to how a story is told– essentially, it is the what happens and when.
Take the tortoise and the hare, for example. The story is that a tortoise beats a hare in a race. The plot is the series of events: the tortoise and the hare begin the race, the hare leaps ahead, the hare stops for a break, and the tortoise surpasses him.
Plots have arcs: a beginning, middle, and end. Typically, the arc has this kind of structure.
Let’s break down what each of these stages means.
Exposition
Exposition helps situate an audience in a storyworld. It refers to all the information an audience needs to know in order to follow the narrative.
Sometimes, this is a lot of information. If you’re writing a fantasy that takes place in a world unlike our own, you’ll need to establish the rules of the world. But if you’re writing something more rooted in reality, your exposition may be more character-focused, establishing who people are and what they want.
Rising action
Rising action is where a plot really gets underway. Our characters undertake their journey, and move (whether they know it or not) towards the climax. Typically, the rising action is the meatiest part of a plot.
Climax
This is the big pay off. Everything has been leading to this. The climax should feel both satisfying and unexpected. It should feel right that the characters made it here, but the outcome should be all but certain.
Falling action
After the massive revelations of the climax, it’s time to see the fallout. What effect did the climax have? Falling action will help show just how high the stakes of the climax were, and how everything has now changed.
Resolution
Time to tie up the loose ends and close the curtains. The resolution is the answer to the rising action’s questions. Has the character found what they’re looking for? What have they learned? All this and more can be found in the resolution.
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Setting in storytelling
2. Setting
A story has to take place somewhere, and that somewhere is referred to as setting. Sometimes, the setting required for your story is obvious. For example, if your narrative is about astronauts on their way to the moon, then your setting is likely going to be a spaceship. But even then, there are more considerations to make. Is it a futuristic craft where trips to the moon are routine? Or perhaps it’s a ricketty ship that will just barely make it, if it makes it at all?
Just from these two options, you can see how much a setting can influence your story. This is also true for stories where there is less of a clear choice for setting. A story about a mother mourning the loss of her son, for example, could take place anywhere. In these cases, setting can be used to inform character, theme, or tone. A mother mourning at a carnival will feel a lot different than a mother mourning in a decaying mansion.
Character elements of a good story
3. Character
Who is your story following? That’s your character. Characters are pivotal in getting an audience to care about a story. Without them, there’s nothing for us to latch onto.
The most important character in your story is the protagonist. This is the person (or animal, object, etc.) that the narrative revolves around. To write a compelling protagonist, you should be able to answer two questions:
Who are they?
What do they want?
The first question is answered through backstory. What’s led them to this moment? What do they care about? What do they not care about? What’s made them the way they are?
The second question drives the plot. Your character’s want carries us from point A to point B— without it, it can be difficult to understand why they’re doing what they’re doing.
Of course, there are other kinds of characters as well, from the big bad (the antagonist) to the foil. Filling your story out with memorable characters is a surefire way to get your audience invested.
The battle element of a story
4. Conflict
We’ve established that story is driven by a character’s want. But if a character can easily achieve what they want, then it’s not much of a story.
Say your character’s main want is a cheeseburger. If the story takes place at a burger joint and the character walks up and orders one, then you’ve just told a very uninteresting story. But if the character orders the burger and the employee manning the register informs him that there’s a state-wide burger shortage, now you’ve got the beginning of a more compelling narrative.
The difference between these two examples is conflict. Conflict is when a character’s want meets an obstacle. This obstacle may be a person, a place, an idea, or even the protagonist themselves. Often, the more seemingly insurmountable the obstacle is, the more gripping the story.
Elevating your story with elements to story
5. Theme
Theme is often the difference between a good story and a great story. Having a firm command of your narrative’s themes will make it feel more cohesive and purposeful. A theme can be thought of as the Big Idea. What are the larger concerns of your story?
Let’s return to the example of the story following the mother dealing with the loss of her son. The theme of this story might be something like “How to live with grief.” This elevates the story, allowing it to leave a larger impact on the reader.
In other words, the theme answers the “so what?” question. It is why the story needs to be told.
How a story is told
6. Point of view
Every story has a point of view, whether the storytelling knows it or not. Point of view, often abbreviated to POV, refers to the perspective from which the story is told.
In writing, this can be differentiated through first person, second person, and third person. Third person can be further subdivided into omniscient and limited.
Point of view is crucial to how a story is relayed to an audience. A first person perspective may be biased, or may not have all the information. A third person omniscient, meanwhile, can be more objective, or can hop from perspective to perspective.
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The final basic elements of a story
7. Tone
Tone, too, is present in a story whether you like it or not. Tone is the feeling your narrative creates. It can be ominous, lighthearted, heartbreaking, or breakneck.
Tone is affected by all of the elements we’ve listed so far— it is perhaps most reliant on the contents of the story being told. Stories can often naturally lend themselves to a certain tone.
But you can further manipulate tone through storytelling choices like word choice (if you’re writing) or shot selection (if you’re filming). Take the classic opener “It was a dark and stormy night…” The tone is already spooky and the story hasn’t even begun.
Each of these seven story elements can take a lifetime to master. Together, they form one of the most indelible aspects of human life: the story.
Up Next
Narrative pacing
One aspect of storytelling we didn’t touch on (yes, there are story aspects we didn’t touch on) is pacing. How quickly, or slowly, different parts of your story take place is crucial in how it is perceived by an audience. We break down how to be in control of pacing.
