| Term | Definition |
|---|
| plot | the series of related actions or events in a literary work |
| sequence | the arrangement of events in a literary work |
| conflict | struggle between opposing forces; any problem that must be solved |
| .internal and external | the two major types of conflict |
| internal conflict | a problem or struggle within a character |
| external conflict | a problem or struggle between a character and someone or something outside of the character |
| exposition | establishes the setting, identifies the characters, introduces the basic situation (problem may be revealed here) |
| initiating incident | introduces the central conflict (sometimes it occurs before the opening of the story) |
| rising action | any events leading up to the climax |
| climax | the point of highest interest, the conflict must be resolved one way or another or a character begins to take action to end the conflict |
| falling action | events that occur between the climax and the conclusion |
| resolution/conclusion | the story's end |
| setting | the time and place of the story (where and when it takes place) |
| author's purpose | the author's intent either to inform/ teach, to entertain, or to persuade/ convince the audience |
| suspense | the quality of the story that makes the reader curious and excited about what will happen next |
| foreshadowing | an author's use of hints or clues to suggest events that will occur later in the story |
| flashback | presents events of the past in the midst of a story in the present |
| mood | the feeling created in a reader by a literary work or passage |
| voice | the fluency, rhythm and liveliness in writing that make it unique to the writer |
| tone | the attitude toward the subject and audience conveyed by the language and rhythm of the speaker in a literary work |
| satire | literary tone used to ridicule or make fun of human vice or weakness |
| character | a person or animal who takes part in the action of a literary work |
| protagonist | the main character in a literary work |
| antagonist | a character or force in conflict with the main character |
| round character | this character is fully developed – the writer reveals good and bad traits as well as background |
| flat character | this character seems to possess only one or two personality traits – little or no background is revealed |
| dynamic character | this character changes as a result of the action in the story |
| static character | this character stays the same throughout the story |
| character trait | one of the qualities that makes up a character's personality |
| character motivation | a reason that explains, or partially explains a character's thoughts, feelings, actions or speech |
| dialogue | conversation between characters |
| dialect | a form of language spoken by people in a particular region or group |
| jargon | the special words or terms used by the members of a particular profession or class |
| slang | an informal, often short-lived kind of language used in place of standard words |
| informal language | the language of everyday speech, may use contractions and slang |
| formal language | the standard language of written communication, formal speeches, and presentations; may not use contractions or slang |
| narrator | the speaker or character who tells the story |
| point of view | the relationship between the narrator and the story he/she is telling – the perspective from which the story is told |
| primary source | text that tells a first-hand account of an event; original works used when researching (letters, journals) |
| secondary source | text used when researching that is derived from something original (biographies, magazine articles) |
| prose | the ordinary form of writing; most writing that is not poetry, drama, or song |
Combine with other sets
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