SHORT STORY/NOVEL TERMS
PLOT - a series of events leading to a major crisis or resolution.
PLOT OUTLINE - introduction, trigger incident, rising action,
major climax, falling action, resolution.
INTRODUCTION: setting and characters are introduced.
TRIGGER INCIDENT: the event that introduces a problem or
conflict.
RISING ACTION: events leading to a major crisis.
MAJOR CRISIS: the turning point in the plot.
CLIMAX: the most exciting or emotional high - sometimes occurs
at the same time as the major crisis.
FALLING ACTION: events fall into place.
RESOLUTION: also called conclusion, where the problem or
conflict is completely resolved or better understood.
SHORT STORY TERMS continued
CONFLICT: someone/something opposing someone/something else
TYPES OF CONFLICT:
Internal - personal struggle
Types:
personal vs. self
External - person(thing) struggles against an outside force or person
Types:
person vs. person
person vs. nature
person vs. machine
person vs. society
person vs. supernatural
person vs. technology
nature vs. nature
machine vs. machine
EXPOSITION: giving necessary background information throughout
the story.
SETTING: the time, place and circumstance of the story.
ATMOSPHERE: the mood or general feeling of the story.
TONE: feeling conveyed by the author’s attitude.
THEME: the central idea, general truth or commentary on life or
people, the MESSAGE or MEANING of a piece of work.
TECHNIQUES USED IN WRITING
SATIRE: criticizing anybody/anything by ridiculing them. Blending a
critical attitude with humour and wit.
IRONY: intended meaning is opposite to what is expressed, a situation
which develops in an unexpected way.
FORESHADOWING: a hint of something that will happen in the future.
PERSONIFICATION: human qualities given to non-living things.
SIMILE: comparison of two unlike things using “like”, “as” or “than”
METAPHOR: comparison of two unlike things without using like or as
CHARACTER
In a Short Story there is a main character involved in a single
conflict.
PROTAGONIST: main character
ANTAGONIST: someone or something that opposes the main
character.
DYNAMIC CHARACTER: goes through a CHANGE of character
or LEARNS something.
STATIC CHARACTER: does not learn or change.
Character is revealed by:
1) ACTION - what the character does
2) WORDS - what the character says
3) REACTIONS - by other characters
4) REPORTING - what other characters say
5) NARRATION - what the story teller tells us