Elements of Fiction 4
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Complete list of Terms and Definitions for Elements of Fiction 4

Terms Definitions
dynamic change
believability appropriate setting
bad character antagonist
setting time and place
open resolution not resolved
Resolution The final outcome.
crisis moment of high tension
Round Characters More fully developed
motivation the reasons, justifications, explanations for a character's actions
Diction An author's choice of words
mood a characteristic (habitual or relatively temporary) state of feeling
exposition basic situation;main characters, and conflicts are introduced
time when does the story happen?
narrative relating to tell a story
Metaphor not using like or as
plot the action in a story
character actors in a story's plot
symbol something that represents a meaning larger than itself
author the person who writes the story
General Setting Overall setting; does not change
plot structure expostion, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.
Persona A fictitous character, not the poet
Round Character a complex and many-sided character.
Tone the authors attatuide towards the story
antagonist the character against the main character
conflict the problem or struggle characters face in a story
characterization the act of describing distinctive characteristics or essential features
Internal Conflict A conflict within a character
flat character stereotyped, shallow, often symbolic, has only on of two personality traits
confidant(e)(s) the character with whom the protagonist shares private thoughts with
Flashback The technique of stopping the chronological action in a story and shifting to an earlier period to introduce additional information.
Protagonist The main character in the story
autobiography An account of the writer's own life.
dynamic characters characters who undergo a change throughout the story
falling action where the events and complications have begun to resolve themselves
Motif (n.) a principal idea, feature, theme, or element; a repeated or dominant figure in a design
Epiphany A moment of sudden realization of meaning or significance
reliable narrator narrator is a trustworthy and intelligent guide for the reader
1st person narrator uses I, my, myself, etc.
external conflict the main character struggles against an outside force such as another character, standards/judggement, or nature.
static they undergo no changes in the story
Fantasy stories that take place in unreal settings and/or under impossible circumstances
Theme What the story reveals about life, human nature and the world;Central idea of the story; Reflects the authors view about a subject or topic.
inciting action the event that introduces the protagonist to his conflict (gets the plot going!)
Characters: People,animals or other beings in a story. Protagonist:The hero or heroine in a story. Antagonist:The bad character.
Rising Action events leading up to the climax
dynamic character character who undergoes a permanent change; typically the main character
Characters the people or animals in a story
Indirect Characterization Infer information about the character, educated guess, your judgement about the character
Static Character A character who does not change.
Climax the decisive moment in a novel or play
Point-of-view The perspective the writer uses to tll the story is called_______. ex. first person, third person omnisciet, or third person limited.
simile a comparison of two things that have some quality in common and use the words like, as, or than - "Her smile is as pretty as a flower."
Structure is the form or organization a writer uses for their literary work. There are a great number of possible forms or structures used regularly in literature: parable, fable, romance, satire, farce, slapstick, and so on.
minor characters all have a purpose (foil, symbol, advance action)
a) external man vs. man man vs. nature man vs. society man vs. beast man vs. machine
internal conflict (1 type) man vs self, inner conflict
Parallel time An organizational pattern of text in which events alternate or switch between time periods
Initiating event the situation, moment or event that starts the conflict of a story
point of view The narrator's position or perspective is a story's ______________.
flash back the author interrupts the story to fill in necessary background informatoin about the Character, setting, or the problem/conflict.
Fiction Fiction is a fake, imaginary or made up story.
limited omniscient allows the narrator to share the thoughts an feelings of only one character (main)
Allusion A reference in a work of literature to a character, place, or situation from another work of literature, music, art, the Bible, mythology, or from history.
novel a work of fiction that is longer and more complex than a short story.
man vs. himself character has trouble deciding what to do in a particular situation
MINOR CHARACTER a character that is not important; the story can go on without them
First Person The narrator is a character in the story who can reveal only personal thoughts and feelings and what he or she sees and is told by other characters; he or she can't tell what others are thinking
First Person Narration Point of view from the main character
Third-Person Limited The narrator is an outsider who sees into the mind of one of the characters.
Style the arrangement of words in a way that best expresses the author's individuality, idea, intent
Situational Irony an outcome that turns out to be very different from what was expected
character vs. society a character faces a problem with a larger group.
Omniscient Point Of View the narrator is capable of knowing, telling, and seeing all
• Dynamic character changes in some important way as a result of the story's action
Third Person Narration narrator is outside of the story - an observer of others
limited third-person point of view. narrator reveals only the thoughts and feelings of one character
Author and Me not in the text, the reader has to put together what the author says, and has to use what they already know
First Person Points of View The story is told by one of the characters.
dialouge wrods spoken by a character
Genre a category of literature characterized by similarities in form, style, and subject matter. Some of the most common genres are: traditional literature, realistic fiction, historical fiction, science fiction, fantasy, folktales/tall tales/fairy tales, legends, myths, mysteries, horror, sports, westerns, romance, and graphic novels.
characteriation is techniques an author uses to develope the personality or a character in a literary work
Main Character am important character; story cannot go on without them.
foreshadowing the auther gives hints clues about wats ganna take place in the story.
Conflict/Problem the struggle or problem that triggers the action
FALLING ACTION. THE CONFLICT IS BEGINNING TO BE SETTLED.
Mood/Tone is the feeling that the literary wprk gives to readers.
Authors Purpose the authors reason for creating the piece of work; to explain, to entertain,inform, persuade
dialogue words spoken by a character in a literary work usually they inside quotation marks
Dialect is a form of language that is spoken in a particular place by a particular group of people
3rd person omniscient told by a narrator outside the story who knows what is happening in the minds of all the characters
Plot Diagram is a tool that helps keep track of the parts of the plot.
3rd person told by a narrater who is not part of the story, only knows thoughts of the main character
3rd PERSON LIMITED. TOLD BY A NARRATOR WHO IS NOT PART OF THE STORY; THIS NARRATOR ONLY KNOWS THE THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS OF THE MAIN CHARACTER.
3rd Person Limited told by a NARRATOR who is not part of the story; this narrator only knows the thoughts and feelings of the MAIN CHARACTER ( Author uses SHE, HE, and THEY).