1. Anecdote- a Short Narrative Telling the Details of a Single Event

Literary Terms

1. Anecdote- a short narrative telling the details of a single event

2. Antagonist- opponent; in literature it’s the character who is directly opposite the protagonist

3. Atmosphere- the mood or feeling evoked by a piece of writing

4. Climax- the highest point of interest in a narrative fiction

5. Conclusion- also called resolution, it is the events which wrap up or end a narrative

6. Conflict (Types)- the struggle or problem in a piece of writing. There are at least three types of conflict: character vs. character, character vs. society, and character vs. self

7. Denouement- this is the falling action in the story, the explanation of what happens after the climax

8. Epiphany- when a character suddenly realizes something major that changes everything

9. First Person Point of View- a story told by a character who refers to himself by “I.” We can see the thoughts of this character

10. Flashback- the interruption of a story to explain something that happened earlier

11. Flat- a character that doesn’t develop much. We don’t feel that we get to know this character well 12. Foreshadowing- a hint or clue about something that will happen later in the story

13. Genre- a type or category for literature

14. Irony- a form of speech or situation in which the actual intent is expressed in ways which carry the opposite meaning

15. Local color- writing that focusses on the speech, mannerisms, dress, and habits of thought specific to a certain area

16. Mood- the tone or atmosphere of a piece of literature

17. Motivating incident- the event which creates the conflict in a story

18. Mystery- a story where a mystery is presented and solved

19. Narrator- the person who is telling the story

20. Omniscient- the point of view where the author is capable of knowing seeing and telling whatever he wishes in the story

21. Plot- the planned series of events that make up a story

22. Point of View- the position of the narrator in a story

23. Prose- spoken or written language that is not in verse form 24. Protagonist- the main character in a story, often a hero

25. Rising Action- the part of the plot where the events build up in interest toward the climax.

26. Round (dynamic)- this term describes a character who seems very real; we know a lot about this type of character

27. Setting- where and when a story takes place

28. Suspense- something happening which holds the reader’s interest by adding an element of uncertainty to the story

29. Theme- the central or dominating idea or meaning of a piece of writing. The theme may not be expressed in one word; it has to be a complete thought.

30. Third person limited- a method of storytelling in which the narrator knows only the thoughts and feelings of a single character.

31. Tone- the mood of a piece of writing