Elements+of+a+novel

Great stories involve characters whom you cannot forget. They are larger than life. They act, speak, and think in ways you or I do not. A great novel must have unforgettable characters. That often means intriguing, complicated characters that grow or mature; they emerge from the story as changed people. Characters take on many different [|Characteristic]s.
 * Character ** - //people, animals or imaginary creatures in the story//

Characters don’t perform on an empty stage. Your favorite novels probably whisked you into their worlds, transported you to other times or places, and held you captive there. That means setting is more than just a stage. It incorporates a broader sense of culture and environment, so integrated into the story that setting almost becomes another character. Here are some [|sensory words] that helps setting come alive.
 * Setting ** - //places & times in which the story takes place//

The characters must do something important. In great novels what happens to the characters in the course of the story is unusual, dramatic, and meaningful. A great story involves great events. Here is a common way authors organize the [|parts of a plot].
 * Plot ** - //the chain of events that happen or the story line(s)//

A great novel is more than just entertainment. Great novels challenge us to think about the world and the way we live. Sometimes they even alter the reader’s way of seeing the world.
 * Theme ** - //big ideas about how we see our world, how we live and perhaps how we should live//

Style is the "how" of fiction, reflecting a myriad of choices made by the author, from individual word choice to sentence variety to setting the tone to choosing who tells the story or point of view. Great books cleverly employ a variety of literary devices like symbolism, metaphor, irony, flashbacks and foreshadowing to make reading a wonderful and engaging experience.
 * Style ** - //the way the author writes the novel//