| A | B |
|---|
| plot | the series of related events in a story |
| exposition | the beginning of the story where we learn about setting, character, and initial conflict; also called the basic situation |
| complication | this is the part of the story where characters try to solve the conflict; this leads up to the climax and is also called the rising action |
| climax | the most intense part of the story; the reader sees how the main conflict will be resolved |
| resolution | the end of the story where loose ends are tied up; conflicts are resolved; also called the denouement |
| conflict | a struggle or clash between opposing forces |
| external conflict | a conflict between a character and another character or between a character and something non-human (man vs. a storm, man vs. a dog, man vs. God) |
| internal conflict | a conflict that happens within a character's mind |
| setting | the time, place, and mood of a story |
| suspense | the anxiety a reader feels about how the story will turn out |
| foreshadowing | a hint or clue about what will happen later in the story |
| character | a person in a story |
| characterization | the process of revealing a character (appearance, thoughts, beliefs, personality, etc.) |
| direct characterization | when the writer tells us exactly what traits a character has |
| indirect characterization | when the writer shows us a character's traits through description, action, dialogue and/or thoughts |
| dynamic characterization | a character who changes through a story |
| static character | a character who stays the same through the story |
| flat character | a character with only one or two traits |
| round character | a character with many traits, like a real person |
| theme | a main idea or underlying truth in a story |
| symbol (symbolism) | something that stands for something else (dove = peace) |
| fiction | stories based on a writer's imagination (short stories, novels) |
| short story | a short fictional story that usually takes up ten to twenty pages |
