Three things: plot, characters, theme. What happens, to whom, and why. The last is a bit meta, since the direction of the plot and the development of the characters is decided upon by the author based on how he wants to reinforce his theme.
Plot is not the story itself, but how the story is told. It can be (and is nowadays often) non-linear, beginning in medias res. This gives the author the advantage of starting the narrative from the most important (or striking) scene.
Characters are the actors in the story, meaning the ones who commit the action in order to get the thing going. In plot-driven stories (like murder mysteries) the characters are there to move the plot along. In character-driven stories, the plot is written to foster character growth. When done badly, characterization and plotting give rise to plot holes and melodrama -- contrived situations in order to move the story along.
Deus ex machina is a common contrivance in bad fiction where an improbable solution comes out of nowhere to untangle the plot. In the "Matrix" series of films the main character unleashes a literal deus ex machina (a god from a machine) that is also a literary deus ex machina.
Theme is what the story is about. It is not necessarily the lesson of the story (because good stories need not teach anything) but rather what the story wants to tackle. It can be as broad as "fame" or "redemption" or "justice."
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Next meeting: short quiz and discussion on "Quality" by John Galsworthy. Pay attention to the theme and how the setting contributes to this.
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