The 5-Paragraph Essay
This sentence, usually found at the end of the introduction, states the main point or argument of your entire essay.
What is a thesis statement?
Flash fiction is known for being extremely short. What is the typical maximum word count for this genre?
What is 1,000 words?
In the sentence "The cake was eaten by the dog," is the voice Active or Passive?
What is Passive?
A comparison between two unlike things without using "like" or "as."
What is a metaphor?
In a news story, the "Lead" should ideally answer the 5 W's. What are they?
Who, What, Where, When, and Why?
This is the main purpose of a topic sentence at the start of a body paragraph.
What is to state the main idea of that specific paragraph?
Because flash fiction is so short, it usually focuses on only one of these.
What is a single plot point or "moment in time"?
Identify the helping verb in this sentence: "The students have finished their essays."
What is 'have'?
The "Five Senses" (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch) used in writing to create a mental picture for the reader.
What is imagery?
This famous playwright wrote Romeo and Juliet and is known for contributing over 1,700 words to the English language.
Who is William Shakespeare?
These are the words or phrases (like "Furthermore" or "However") used to link ideas between paragraphs.
What are transitions?
This is the literary term for the "twist" or "big reveal" often found at the end of flash fiction.
What is an epiphany or situational irony?
In the sentence "The prompt was so ambiguous that half the class wrote a story while the other half wrote an essay," what does 'ambiguous' mean?
What is unclear or open to more than one interpretation?
To "foreshadow" means to do what?
What is to give hints or clues about what will happen later?
If a narrator is "omniscient," it means they are _______.
What is all-knowing?
This type of characterization happens when the author shows a character’s personality through their actions, speech, or thoughts rather than telling the reader directly.
What is Indirect Characterization?
To save space, flash fiction writers often start their stories In Media Res. What does this Latin phrase mean?
What is "in the middle of the action"?
Complete this analogy: Protagonist is to Hero as Antagonist is to ________.
What is Villain/Enemy/Opponent?
When the audience knows something that the characters in the story do not, it is called this type of irony.
What is Dramatic Irony?
I have many keys but can't open a single lock. I have a space but no room. You can allow me in, but you can never leave. What am I?
What is a keyboard?
After providing a quote in an essay, this is the part where the writer explains how the quote proves their thesis.
What is commentary or analysis?
In Flash Fiction, "Subtext" refers to this.
What is the underlying meaning or "what is unsaid" between the lines?
Rewrite this sentence in the Active Voice: "The goal was scored by Sarah."
What is "Sarah scored the goal"?
An object, person, or situation that has another meaning other than its literal one.
What is a symbol/symbolism?
Unlike traditional poetry, Slam Poetry is specifically designed for this.
What is performance? or What is being read aloud?