The players (whether human or not) who take part in the action of the story
characters
100
A person who created a written work
author
100
The first part of the plot; also known as the "basic situation"; introduction
exposition
100
A high point of action in a story in which things must go one way or another
climax
100
A discrepancy between the expected and actual events
situational irony
200
The interruption in action of the story to tell what happened at an earlier time
flashback
200
The use of clues that hint at what is going to happen in a story
foreshadowing
200
The build up of anticipation in the reader as to the outcome of the story
suspense
200
The main idea or an underlying meaning of a literary work that may be stated directly or indirectly
theme
200
The attitude an author adopts with regards to a character, place, or development. Can portray emotion
tone
300
The reader or audience perceives something that a character doesn't know
dramatic irony
300
This is when the speaker says one thing and means another
verbal irony
300
A contrast between what is stated and what is meant, or between what is expected and the actual outcome. You expect one thing and you get another.
irony
300
An object, setting, event, animal or person that functions in the story both as you'd expect, but also stands for something else
symbol
300
This influences the readers understanding of the story; influenced heavily by setting; the feeling created in the reader through words and description
mood
400
A device used to produce figurative language. Many compare dissimilar things. These include apostrophe, hyperbole, irony, metaphor oxymoron, paradox, personification, simile, and understatement.
figure of speech
400
Writing or speech that is not intended to carry literal meaning and is usually meant to be imaginative and vivid
figurative language
400
Sometimes an event or circumstance causes another event or circumstance to occur. The first one is called the cause or reason for the second one. The second one is called the effect or result.
cause and effect
400
A person or animal in a story or other writing/the manner in which an author creates the persona of a character, either in the form of description or the character does or says or thinks or what other characters think or say about the character
character/characterization
400
A long poem that tells a story; usually has strong rhythm and rhyme
ballad
500
The strict, literal, dictionary definition of a word, devoid of any emotion, attitude, or color.
denotation
500
The non-literal, associative meaning of a word; the implied, suggested meaning
connotation
500
Related to style, this refers to the writer's word choices, especially with regard to their correctness, clearness, or effectiveness.
diction
500
From the Greek for "good speech," these are a more agreeable or less offensive substitute for a generally unpleasant word or concept - POLITICALLY CORRECT
euphemism
500
A statement about a whole group that is made based on information about part of the group