| A | B |
| plot | the series of related events in a story |
| conflict | the problem which drives the action of a story |
| exposition | the introduction of the story in which characters and the basic situation are revealed |
| inciting incident | the event that starts the main conflict in a story |
| rising action | the conflict becomes more and more complicated |
| climax | the point of highest tension or emotion in the story |
| falling action | the events that occur as a direct result of the climax |
| resolution | how the conflict is resolved in a story |
| point of view | the narrator's perspective; the perspective from which the story is told |
| first-person | a character from the story tells it and takes some part in the action |
| third-person limited | the narrator knows one character's thoughts and feelings |
| third-person omniscient | the narrator knows all of the characters' thoughts and feelings |
| third-person | a voice outside the story narrates |
| person vs. self | the character struggles with an internal problem |
| person vs. person | the protagonist has a conflict with another character |
| person vs. society | the protagonist struggles with a group or social convention |
| person vs. technology | the protagonist struggles with a manmade object |
| person vs. nature | the protagonist struggles with a force of nature |
| person vs. supernatural | the protagonist struggles with an otherworldly force |
| internal conflict | a conflict that occurs within a character's mind or emotions |
| external conflict | a conflict that occurs with an outside force |
| characterization | the methods authors use to create characters |
| flat character | a character who is not well-developed |
| round character | a character who is fully developed |
| static character | a character who does not change |
| dynamic character | a character who goes through some type of change |
| direct characterization | a narrator describes a character directly |
| indirect characterization | the reader infers what a character is like through a character's actions and thoughts |