Although more flexible, narrative nonfiction generally involves real people, just like fiction.
Plot
Like fiction, narrative nonfiction involves some type of complication or conflict, rising action and a climax.
Setting
Although narrative nonfiction is focused on reality, it too relies on setting to establish background and atmosphere.
Theme
Themes are typically found in both fiction and narrative nonfiction. Just because narrative nonfiction is focused on real people and real events doesn’t mean it is without a point or moral. Themes are what readers and literature professors talk about when discussing the overall meaning of a piece of writing.