| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Short story | A brief, fictional prose narrative, with one main character, a single plot, limited setting, and one main effect. |
| Plot | The sequence in which the author arranges the events. The structuring reveals the central conflict. |
| Subplot | A story that occurs simultaneously with the main story and usually has a direct relationship to the main action. |
| Exposition | Background information necessary for the reader to understand the initial situation and the protagonist's problem. |
| Rising actions | The incidents that precede the climax. Background info is given, characters & conflicts introduced and suspense is built. It is usually longer than the falling action. |
| Conflict | The struggle between opposing characters, forces, concepts. There are three common types. |
| Climax | The highest point of emotional intensity. It's the major crisis in the story and usually marks the turning point in the protagonist's fortunes. |
| Denouement | The "un-knotting" of the plot or conflict. It follows the climax and constitutes all or part of the Falling Action. |
| Flashback | A sudden switch in the plot from the present to the past. This scene will depict events that occurred earlier; it is inserted into the chronological structure of the story for a particular effect. It's used to reveal important background info, to show contrast, to foreshadow, to evoke pathos etc. |
| Foreshadowing | A hint or warning early on that subtly prepares the reader for some significant event that will occur later. Sometimes the hint is so subtle that the reader is not aware at first. Events may be shown through by dialogue, setting, imagery etc. It prepares the reader for the climax, the denouement and any changes in the character. |
| Suspense | The feeling of anxiety and uncertainty experienced by the reader about the outcome of events or the protagonist's destiny. |
| Protagonist | The character in the struggle/conflict who is the chief focus of the author's interest. He/she may be virtuous, flawed or totally corrupt. |
| Characterization | The process through which the author reveals to the reader the qualities of a character. They are either revealed directly (through author's comments) or indirectly (through the character's speech, thought and/or action). |
| Character | Refers to both a fictional person in a story and the moral, dispositional and behavioural qualities of that person. The qualities are generally revealed through dialogue, action and description. There are four classifications. |
| Setting | The time and place of a story. They shape the social, moral and intellectual conditions in which the characters live. It often has a powerful effect on the atmosphere of the story. It can sometimes be symbolic. |
| Atmosphere | The air (calm, sinister, oppressive etc.) breathed by the reader. It creates an emotional response called mood. It may be set up partly by the objects described, setting, diction, dialogue, characterization, imagery etc. |
| Theme | The central idea of the story usually implied rather than directly stated. This idea may be light-hearted or sad. It is the central purpose, the view of life the story supports and reveals insights into life. |
| Tone | The attitude of the author as the reader infers it. It may indicate an attitude toward the subject. |
| Figurative Language | A special approach to writing that departs from the typical concrete, straightforward style. It involves vivid and imaginative statements. There are metaphoric, simile and allusion approaches. It's not logical but it requires an ability to create an imaginative comparison in order to make an idea more striking. |
| Symbol | Something that stands for or represents something else. There are three kinds. |
| Irony | It can be a discrepancy between the literal and the intended meanings of words, a twist of destiny. It can be the author's perceptions of the absurdity of life, or a situation where the audience/reader is aware of something which the character is ignorant; therefore, the character acts in a way that is inappropriate to the situation or expects the opposite of what fate holds in store or says something that anticipates the actual outcome but not at all in the way that he or she means it. |
| Satire | The humorous or critical treatment of a subject in order to expose the subject's vices, follies, shortcomings etc. It's a better weapon than sarcasm in the hands of the writer because satire is used to correct, whereas sarcasm merely hurts. |
| Narrator | The storyteller. In the case of a story told from 1st person, the storyteller is a character. In an omniscient of limited omniscient point of view, the author is the storyteller. |
| Point of view | A piece of literature is told or recorded by someone and that someone has a particular identity, The story is rarely told by the artist speaking in his or her own personality. It can be divided into first person and third person. |
| Genre | A term used to classify different types or forms of literary works. |
| Fiction | Any narrative that is imagined or invented. It may be based on actual happenings, which can, in turn, make it seem realistic. |
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