| A | B |
|---|
| fiction | writing that tells an imaginary story |
| short story | a work of fiction that centers on a single idea that can be read in one sitting |
| novel | a long work of fiction; considerably longer than a short story |
| nonfiction | writing that tells about real people, places and events. |
| characters | the people, animals, or imaginary creatures who take part in the action of a work of literature |
| character traits | the qualities shown by a character |
| point of view | the method of narration used in a written work |
| protagonist | the main character in a story, play or novel |
| antagonist | is a force working against the protagonist or main character |
| setting | the time and place in a story |
| internal conflict | a struggle between opposing forces that occurs within a character |
| external conflict | involves a character who struggles against a force outside himself or herself |
| plot | the series of events in a story |
| exposition | the first stage of a story that provides background information, introduces setting, and important characters |
| rising action | the stage of the plot that develops the conflict or struggle |
| climax | the point of greatest interest in a story, usually toward the end |
| falling action/resolution | the stage of the plot in which the story begins to draw to a close |
| theme | a message about life or human nature that the writer shares with the reader |
| flashback | an interruption of the action to present events that took place at an earlier time |
| dialect | a form of language that is spoken in a particular place or by a particular group of people |
| stereotype | characters who are defined by a single trait |
| foreshadowing | when a writer provides hints that suggest future events in a story |
| hyperbole | a figure of speech in which the truth is exaggerated for emphasis or humorous effect |
| symbol | a person, place, object or activity that stands for something beyond itself. ex: white dove represents peace |
| irony | special type of contrast, usually one where reality is the opposite of what it seems |
