Story Elements

Third Person Omniscient

"____________" means all-knowing. If a person is all-knowing, he or she knows the thoughts and feelings of everybody. Third person ________ occurs when a story is told by a narrator who is not part of the story but knows the thoughts and feelings of all the characters in the story. In other words, a third person __________ narrator is inside the hearts and heads of the characters, exposing their thoughts and/or feelings.

Foil

A _______ is a character who contrasts with another character (usually the protagonist) in order to highlight particular qualities of the other character. In some cases, a subplot can be used as a _______ to the main plot.

Round Character

A _________ character is extremely realistic, behaving and speaking in a "real life" manner. The character is complex and increases in complexity throughout the story.

Protagonist

A __________ is the central character or leading figure in poetry, narrative, novel or any other story. A __________ is sometimes called a "hero" by the audience or readers.

Foreshadowing

A literary device in which a writer gives an advance hint of what is to come later in the story. Often appears at the beginning of a story or a chapter and helps the reader develop expectations about the coming events in a story.

Exposition

A literary device used to introduce background information about events, settings, characters etc. to the audience or readers.

Mood

A literary element that evokes certain feelings or vibes in readers through words and descriptions. Usually is referred to as the atmosphere of a literary piece, as it creates an emotional situation that surrounds the readers.

Conflict

A literary element that involves a struggle between two opposing forces usually a protagonist and an antagonist.

Static Character

A literary or ________ character who undergoes little or no inner change; a character who does not grow or develop.

Dynamic Character

A literary or dramatic character who undergoes an important inner change, as a change in personality or attitude.

Theme

A main idea or an underlying meaning of a literary work that may be stated directly or indirectly.

Narrator

A person who narrates something, especially a character who recounts the events of a novel or narrative poem.

Rising Action

A series of relevant incidents that create suspense, interest and tension in a narrative. In literary works, a rising action includes all decisions, characters' flaws and background circumstances that together create turns and twists leading to a climax.

First Person Point of View

A story told from the _________ person point of view involves the narrator as part of the story, and usually features the following pronouns: I, me, mine, our, we, us, etc.

Internal Conflict

A struggle occurring within a character's mind. Things such as things the character vies for, but can't quite reach.

External Conflict

A struggle that takes place between the main character and some outside forces. Therefore, it is outside the body of the protagonist. Usually, it occurs when the protagonist struggles against the antagonist, a character that opposes the protagonist in the main body of the story.

Direct Characterization

How an author tells his or her reader about a character. Occurs when the author specifically reveals traits about the character in a direct, straightforward manner.

Antagonist

In literature, an ________ is a character or a group of characters which stand in opposition to the protagonist or the main character.

Verbal Irony

Involves saying one thing but meaning the opposite.

Unreliable Narrator

Narrorat whos telling of the story is completely accurate or credible, due to either the character being insane, a liar, or they weren't there to witness what happened.

Falling Action

Occurs right after the climax, when the main problem of the story resolves.

Situational Irony

Occurs when events turn out the opposite of what would ordinarily be expected.

Resolution

The literary device resolution means the unfolding or solution of a complicated issue in a story. Most of the instances of _________ are presented in the final parts or chapters of a story. It mostly follows the climax.

Indirect Characterization

The process by which the writer shows the character's personality through speech, actions and appearance.

Subject

The subject is the part of a sentence or clause that commonly indicates (a) what it is about, or (b) who or what performs the action

Setting

The time and place in which the story takes place.

Third Person Limited

Third person ________ is similar to the __________ point of view, but it is a limited viewpoint. The narrator only knows the thoughts and feelings of one character.

Second Person Point of View

This point of view treats the reader as the main character in the story. Other characters refer to the reader as "you." Descriptions are based on what you would see if you were in that situation. This narrative voice is generally reserved for explanatory articles and how-to books, but adventurous writers will occasionally pen a short story or novel in the second person.

Third Person Point of View

Told by a narrator who is not part of the story and generally uses pronouns such as: he, she, it, they, them, him, her, its, etc.

Dramatic Irony

What we feel when we as readers or viewers of a story or drama know more than the characters or can interpret more accurately what they have to say

Flat Character

_______ characters are two-dimensional in that they are relatively uncomplicated and do not change throughout the course of a work.

Plot

________ is a literary term used to describe the events that make up a story or the main part of a story. These events relate to each other in a pattern or a sequence. ... This is known as the beginning of the story where characters and setting are established.

Climax

_________ is a structural part of a plot and is at times referred to as a crisis. It is a decisive moment or a turning point in a storyline at which the rising action turns around into a falling action.