Elements of Fiction

 Plot: The overall structure of a story, including the sequence of events.

 Exposition: Introduces the setting, characters, and initial situation.
 Rising Action: The events and conflicts that build suspense and lead to the
climax.
 Climax: The turning point of the story, the moment of greatest tension or
suspense.
 Falling Action: The events that resolve the conflict and lead to the conclusion of
the story.
 Resolution: The final outcome of the story.

Character Elements

 Protagonist: The main character of the story, who drives the plot forward.
 Antagonist: The character who opposes the protagonist and creates conflict.
 Dynamic Character: A character who undergoes significant change or
development over the course of the story.
 Static Character: A character who remains relatively unchanged throughout the
story.
 Characterization: The methods used by the writer to develop a character (direct
description, dialogue, action, thoughts of other characters).
 Flat Character: A character with a limited number of personality traits.
 Round Character: A complex character with many personality traits.
 Stock Character: A character who represents a stereotype (e.g., the damsel in
distress, the wise old mentor).

Setting

 Time: When the story takes place.

 Place: Where the story takes place (physical location and social/cultural
environment).
 Mood: The feeling or atmosphere that is created by the setting.

Point of View

 First Person: The narrator is a character in the story, using "I" to tell the story.
 Second Person: (Rare) The narrator directly addresses the reader using "you."
 Third Person: The narrator is outside of the story, using "he," "she," or "they" to
tell the story.
 Limited Third Person: The narrator has access to the thoughts and feelings of
one character.
 Omniscient Third Person: The narrator has access to the thoughts and feelings
of all characters.

Figurative Language
 Simile: A direct comparison between two things using "like" or "as."
 Metaphor: A comparison between two things where one thing becomes the other,
without using "like" or "as."
 Personification: Giving human qualities to non-human things.
 Hyperbole: An exaggeration used for emphasis, not meant to be taken literally.
 Imagery: The use of vivid language to create sensory experiences for the reader
(sight, sound, smell, taste, touch).
 Symbolism: When an object, person, or place represents something else, like an
idea or a feeling.
 Allegory: A story that has a hidden meaning, with characters and events that
symbolize something else entirely.

Other Literary Devices

 Foreshadowing: Hints or clues about what will happen later in the story.
 Flashback: A scene that interrupts the present timeline of the story to show an
earlier event.
 Foreshadowing: Yes, it's listed twice because it's that important!
 Allusion: A reference to a person, place, thing, concept, or other literary work that
a reader is likely to recognize.
 Anachronism: An object, event, or concept that is placed in a time period to which
it does not belong.
 Anaphora: Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses.
 Assonance: Repetition of vowel sounds within words close together.
 Consonance: Repetition of consonant sounds within words close together.
 Apostrophe: Addressing a person or thing that is not present or personified as if it
were present.
 Euphemism: A mild or indirect way of expressing something unpleasant.
 Irony: A contrast or contradiction between what is expected and what actually
happens. (Verbal, Situational, Dramatic)
 Motif: A recurring element or theme in a story.
 Oxymoron: A figure of speech that combines contrasting or contradictory terms
(e.g., deafening silence, jumbo shrimp).
 Paradox: A statement that seems contradictory but may be true.
 Satire: A work that criticizes human vice or weakness using humor, irony,
exaggeration, or ridicule.
 Theme: The central message or idea of a story. A story can have multiple themes.
 Tone: The attitude of the writer towards the subject matter (serious, sarcastic,
playful, didactic, etc.).