Story: elements

Story vs RPG Series

Story: Elements

Story vs RPG Part 2: Main Characters - Protagonist, Antagonist, PC, NPC

Story vs RPG Part 3: Character Information

Story v RPG Part 4: Potential Pitfalls of using a RPG session for a Story.

Story v RPG Part 5: Personality Types

Story v RPG Part 6: Alignment, Morality, and Ethics

Story vs RPG Part 7: Character Needs
Story vs RPG Part 8: Character emotions
Story vs RPG Part 9: Lies - Our characters darkest secrets
Story vs RPG Part 10: Setting - cultures
Story vs RPG Part 11: Pair Dynamics
Story and Game Structure: Storylines
Story vs RPG Part 12: Larger groups - conformity & deviance

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This post is meant as the beginning of a springboard into a series covering stories and role-playing games (RPGs). Although normally considered separately from RPG gaming, written stories share some common elements. I will look at the similarities, differences, and even consider mixing of the two mediums in future posts. And maybe consider adding more story mechanics into my RPG system being created the ABS12 system.

But for now, I begin with working definitions, synonyms, and assumptions.

What is a story?
A story takes a character(s) shown from a point of view from a beginning setting through a plot(s) with conflict to an ending setting which tells a theme all created personal style.

Story
A story is an account of real or imaginary people and events told for the specific purpose of entertainment.

Story, tale, narrative, account, anecdote; informal: yarn, spiel

Elements
An element is an aspect or part of something abstract that is essential.

Element, component, constituent, part, section, portion, piece, segment, bit; aspect, factor, feature, facet, ingredient, strand, detail, point; member, unit, module, item

Character
A character is a person in a story: novel, movie, comic, (video)game, or play.

They can range in importance from brief passing characters to the main characters. Based on their importance, their individual nature or particular aspects may be known - more important characters revealing more character information over the course of the story.

Character, persona, role, part; dramatis personae

Plot
A plot is an interrelated series of events through cause and effect that affect other events.

Plot, storyline, story, scenario, action, thread; formal: diegesis

Setting
A setting is the place and time that a story takes place.

Setting, surroundings, position, situation, environment, background, backdrop, milieu, environs, habitat; spot, place, location, locale, site, scene; area, region, district

Conflict
Conflict is a disagreement, argument, struggle, or clash of opinions, beliefs, principles, interests, wishes, or needs.

war, campaign, battle, fighting, (armed) confrontation, engagement, encounter, struggle, hostilities; warfare, combat
dispute, quarrel, squabble, disagreement, dissension, clash
clash, incompatibility, incongruity, friction; mismatch, variance, difference, divergence, contradiction, inconsistency

Theme
A theme is the subject or symbols of the story.

Theme, subject, topic, subject matter, matter, thesis, argument, text, burden, concern, thrust, message; thread, motif, keynote

Symbol, emblem, token, sign, representation, figure, image; metaphor, allegory; icon

Point of View
The narrator perspective in telling the story.

Point of view, opinion, view, belief, attitude, feeling, sentiment, thoughts; position, perspective, viewpoint, standpoint, outlook

Style
A style is the way or manner of making the story. Storytellers have a unique individual style.

Style, manner, way, technique, method, methodology, approach, system, mode, form, modus operandi; informal: MO

Synonyms are from the Google's dictionary.