A major division of a play
An act
The main problem or struggle the characters face in a story
The conflict
Story told from the viewpoint of one of the characters using the pronouns "I" and "We"
First person
To draw back suddenly, as though in pain or fear
Wince
The sequence of events that form a story
Plot
A subdivision of an act in a play
A scene
The first event in which the conflict becomes apparent
Inciting incident
Someone on the outside is looking in and telling the story as she/he sees it unfold. Not a character in the story
Third person
An emotional state of mind or feeling
Mood
The speaker or character who tells a story
Narrator
Conversation between characters
Dialogue
Background information presented in a literary work
Exposition
The narrator tells the story using the pronouns "you", "your", and "yours" to address the reader or listener directly.
Second person
Open resistance: bold disobedience
Defiance
A word that takes the place of a noun
Pronoun
An essential component of drama, such as plot, characters, theme, and costume
Dramatic elements
The final outcome of the story's conflict
The resolution
A story in which the narrator not only describes the action and speeches of all the characters, but also enters their minds to explain their thoughts.
Third person omniscient
Clearly visible or understood; obvious; synonym of explicit
Apparent
The most exciting moment in a story leading to the resolution
Climax
The instructions written by a playwright to describe the appearance and actions of the characters as well as the sets, props, costumes, sound effects, and lighting
Stage directions
The series of conflicts or struggles that build a story toward a climax
Rising action
The narrator only knows the thoughts and feelings of one character
Third person limited
To puzzle completely or confuse
Bewilder
A narrative technique in which the novel's storyline is told by more than one character in the plot
Multiple points of view