| Term | Definition |
| CONFLICT | a struggle between opposing forces |
| SETTING | the time and place of a story |
| PLOT | the series of events of a story |
| SEQUENCE | the order in which things happen |
| FORESHADOWING | a hint or clue about what will happen later |
| CAUSE | the reason why something happens |
| EFFECT | the result of something that happens |
| FLASHBACK | a break to tell about something that happened at an earlier time |
| EXPOSITION | story intro-setting, characters, conflicts |
| RISING ACTION | conflict unfolds, builds suspense |
| CLIMAX | most exciting part, turning point |
| FALLING ACTION | plan to resolve conflict, eases suspense |
| RESOLUTION | ties up loose ends of story |