| A | B |
|---|
| The related series of events that make up a story | Plot |
| The beginning of a story in which the main characters, conflicts, and setting are introduced | Exposition |
| The action that takes place before the climax; the plot becomes more complicated, leading to the climax | Rising action |
| The turning point of the story; emotional high point for the protagonist | Climax |
| The action that takes place after the climax leading to the resolution | Falling action |
| The end of a story; problems are solved, and the characters; futures are foreshadowed | Resolution |
| The struggle between opposing forces | Conflict |
| A character's struggle with himself or his conscience | Internal conflict |
| A character's struggle with an outside force, such as another character, nature, or his environment | External conflict |
| The individuals involved in the action of the story | Characters |
| The central character in a story | Protagonist |
| The conflicting force against the main character | Antagonist |
| The time and place, or where and when, the action occurs | Setting |
| The perspective from which a story is told | Point of view |
| The "voice" that tells a story; may or may not reflect the opinions and attitudes fo the author himself | Narrator |
| A narrator that uses the first-person pronouns when telling the story; focuses on the thoughts, feelings, and opinions of a particular character | First person |
| A narrator that uses the third-person perspective with the third person pronouns; observes the action as an outside observer, revealing the thoughts, feelings and opinions of only one character | Third person limited |
| The narrator observes the action as an outside observer, revealing the thoughts, feelings, and opinions of several characters | Third person omniscient |
| The main idea behind a literary work; the message in the story | theme |
