In the beginning...
The story begins by giving the reader general background about the town, explaining that it has always been quiet and peaceful—until one unusual event changes everything.
General Statement
“I waited so long for the bus that I could have grown a beard, graduated college, and retired before it arrived.”
Hyperbole
A character gets angry at someone who cut them in line and starts fighting them. What type of conflict is this?
Man vs Man
Instead of simply saying, “Maya was nervous,” the author describes Maya tapping her foot, avoiding eye contact, and repeatedly checking the clock. What characterization technique is being used?
Indirect Characterization
“I don't know what you're talking about,” Marcus whispered.
What is the italicized portion?
Dialogue tag
“The neon sign flickered above the empty diner, casting blue light across the cracked windows.”
Sight/visual
The story ends by returning to an important image, situation, or idea from the beginning.
Circular Ending
A story begins with a character saying, “Don't open that door.”
Dramatic Dialogue
“The cafeteria was a battlefield, and every lunch table was its own little kingdom.”
Metaphor
A character becomes lost during a dangerous snowstorm and must fight to survive the freezing temperatures.
Man vs Nature
An author writes, “Marcus was the most stubborn person in the entire school.” The narrator directly tells the reader what Marcus is like.
Direct Characterization
A character is silently thinking:
I can't believe I forgot my homework again.
What does this statement need to be formatted correctly?Italicized
“The hallway smelled of fresh paint mixed with the dusty scent of old books.”
Scent/Smell
The story ends with the main conflicts resolved, and the character learns a lesson or changes.
Falling Action & Conclusion/Resolution
A story begins by giving the reader a clue about something important that will happen later.
Foreshadowing
“The leaves went crunch, crunch, crunch beneath her shoes.”
Onomatopoeia
A character is struggling against another character who is trying to stop them from achieving their goal.
Man vs Man
Typically the main character of the story.
The Protagonist
“Get out of my room. Now!” Jenna screamed and pointed toward the door.
What does this reveal about the character?
Emotion
“The first bite was bitter, leaving a sharp taste at the back of his tongue.”
Taste
Maya finally defeated the villain and rescued her brother. As they returned home, the town celebrated their victory. That night, Maya received a mysterious text from an unknown number: You thought it was over?
Partial Cliffhanger
A writer begins with a detailed background of an abandoned amusement park: broken rides, weeds growing through the pavement, and faded signs hanging from the buildings.
Description
I was feeling under the weather, but I had to bite the bullet and go to work anyway.
Idiom
A character desperately wants to tell the truth, but is afraid of what will happen if they do. The battle is happening inside the character.
Man vs Self
The character that goes against the main person in the story.
The Antagonist
How do you correctly format dialogue when a new character begins speaking?
New paragraph
“The warm cinnamon drifted from the kitchen and made his stomach growl.”
Smell/Scent
After everything that had happened, Daniel finally understood. He had spent years trying to find a place where he belonged, only to realize that home had been beside him all along.
Dramatic Statement
“Where’s Papa going with that axe?” Fern asked as her family sat down for breakfast.
Dramatic Dialogue
“The moon was a silver coin hanging above the city, while the buildings whispered secrets into the night.”
Which two figurative language elements are in this example?
Metaphor and Personification
A teenager challenges a school rule that unfairly prevents certain students from participating in an activity. What type of conflict is this?
Man vs Society
A character starts the story brave, faces several challenges, and remains essentially the same person by the end.
Static/flat character
“I’m not going,” Liam said.
“Yes, you are,” Jake said.
“No, I’m not,” Liam said.
“Yes, you are,” Jake said.
“No, I’m not,” Liam said.
Identify the issue with the dialogue tags in this example.
"Said"/repetition of dialogue tag
“A locker slammed somewhere down the hall, followed by the squeak of sneakers against the polished floor.”
Auditory/Sound
Maya reached the locked room at the end of the hallway. She could hear her brother calling for help from inside. She raised the key toward the lock when suddenly—
Full Cliffhanger
“The moment the alarm went off, Jordan jumped out of bed and ran.”
Instead of spending several paragraphs describing Jordan's bedroom, the author immediately starts the action.
In Media Res
“She had finally reached her Achilles' heel, and the crashing, clanging machinery seemed to laugh at her.”
What three figurative language elements are present?
Allusion, Alliteration, and Personification.
A character's phone suddenly stops working during an important emergency. They try to restart it, but the technology continues to interfere with their ability to solve the problem.
Man Vs Technology
A character begins the story selfish but eventually learns to care about other people and changes their behavior.
Dynamic/round character
Dialogue should serve...
...a purpose!
“The summer pavement radiated heat through the thin soles of her shoes.”
Touch/Feel
A character spends the entire story trying to escape a difficult situation. Just when all seems lost, a completely unrelated character suddenly arrives with exactly the information needed to solve everything—even though there was no previous indication that this character or information existed.
Deus ex Machina