Story Elements

round character

A character who demonstrates some complexity and who develops or changes in the course of a work

flat character

A character who embodies a single quality and who does not develop in the course of a story

Person vs. Society

A struggle between a character and a community or society.

Person vs. Person

A struggle between a character and another character.

Person vs. Nature

A struggle between a character and the natural elements.

Minor Character

Characters have a smaller role in the plot and help the main character solve the central conflict.

Figurative language

Descriptions that are used to evoke imagery or make writing more effective and impactful for the reader.

Mood

Feeling or atmosphere that a writer creates for the reader

Internal Conflict

How the main character feels about the central conflict in the story

Exposition

Occurs at the beginning of a short story. The characters and setting (time and place) are introduced.

External Conflict

Other problems that occur in the story as the characters attempt to solve the central conflict

Tone

The attitude towards the subject as it is emitted through the speaker

Theme

The main point or lesson in the story

Central Conflict

The major problem, obstacle, or issue that the main character must solve.

First Person Point of View

The narrator IS the character in the story - told from "I, me, my" perspective - reader only has access to the thoughts, feelings, and motives of the character.

Third Person Limited Point of View

The narrator is a person OUTSIDE the story who has access to only the thoughts, feelings, and motives of ONE character in the story. Uses "he, she, they" language.

Third Person Omniscient Point of View

The narrator is a person OUTSIDE the story who has access to the thoughts, feelings, and motives of ALL the characters. Uses "he, she, they" language.

Second Person Point of View

The narrator uses "you" language and often gives instructions or speaks directly to the reader.

Main Character

The plot revolves around this character and they carry out most of the action in the story. It is also up to the main character to solve the central conflict, often with the assistance of the minor characters.

Resolution

The story comes to a reasonable ending. This part of the plot is typically the last few sentences in the story (i.e. And they all lived happily ever after...)

Climax

This is the turning point of the story. Usually the main character comes face to face with the central conflict and FIGURES OUT how to solve it. Usually, the main character will have a change of heart, gain some skill or knowledge, or acquire a special tool or weapon that will assist them in solving the central conflict.

Falling Action

This part of the plot tells what happens to the characters after the central conflict and minor problems are solved. Often times this stage sets the reader up for the ending of the story.

Rising Action

This part of the story that introduces and begins to develop the central conflict. Suspense builds and other conflicts arise as the characters attempt to solve the central conflict.

Setting

When and Where the story takes place

Static Character

characters that do not undergo any significant internal (behavioral, attitude, emotional) changes throughout the course of the story

Dynamic Character

characters that experience internal (behavioral, attitude, emotional) changes throughout the course of the story

antagonist

the adversary of the hero or protagonist of a drama or other literary work

protagonist

the leading character (or one of the major characters) in a drama, movie, novel, or other fictional text. This character is often referred to as the hero of the story.

Plot

the organized pattern or sequence of events that make up a story. This is made up of a series of incidents that are related to one another.

Author's purpose

the reason why an author has written; to entertain, to persuade, to inform

Person vs. Self

the type of struggle in which an individual is in direct conflict with his own desires or beliefs

Author's Influence

when the author puts events from their life into their stories