| A | B |
| characters | People, animals, or imaginary creatures that take part in the action of the story |
| main characters | The character that the story centers around |
| minor characters | Characters that interact with the main character and one another |
| protagonist | The main character in the story, often a good or heroic type |
| antagonist | The force that works against the hero of the story; if a person, often a villain type |
| setting | The time and place of the action of the story |
| plot | The sequence of events in a story, built around a conflict |
| conflict | A problem or struggle involving two or more opposing forces |
| exposition | The part of the story, usually near the beginning, in which the characters are introduced, the background is explained, and the setting is described |
| rising action | The central part of the story during which various problems arise and suspense builds |
| climax | The point of greatest interest or suspense in the action of the story, the turning point |
| falling action | The action and dialogue following the climax that lead the reader into the story’s end |
| resolution | The part of the story in which loose ends are tied up, and the action comes to a satisfying end |
| theme | The main message in a story; the lesson |
| point of view | The angle from which a story is told |
| narrator | The person who tells the story |
| first person POV | When a character in the story is the narrator |
| second person POV | When the narrator of the story directly addresses the reader |
| third person POV | When someone from outside of the story is the narrator |
| main idea | What the story is mostly about |