Piedmont
The series of events in a story
Plot
Time and Place
Setting
The struggle between opposing forces in a story; includes man vs. man, man vs. self, man vs. nature, and man vs. society
Conflict
The struggles within a character; man vs. self; could be a tough decision
Internal Conflict
The struggles outside of a character; man vs. man, man vs. nature, or man vs. society
External Conflict
The central character or hero; audience identifies with this character; this character is faced with a conflict which must be faced or overcome. "The good guy."
Protagonist
The major character who works against the protagonist; may be an obstacle or force rather than a character. "The bad guy."
Antagonist
The angle from which a story is told
Point of View
A story uses the word "I" and is told from the perspective of a narrator who is a character
1st Person Point of View
A story is told by an outside observer, but shows events through the eyes of only one character
3rd Person Limited Point of View
A story is told by a god-like narrator who could include the perspectives of all characters
3rd Person Omniscient Point of View
The players (whether human or not) who take part in the action of the story
Characters
The first part of the plot; also known as the "basic situation"; introduction
Exposition
A high point of action in a story in which things must go one way or another
Climax
The main idea or an underlying meaning of a literary work that may be stated directly or indirectly
Theme
The attitude an author adopts with regards to a character, place, or development. Can portray emotion
Tone
This influences the readers understanding of the story; influenced heavily by setting; the feeling created in the reader through words and description
Mood
An object, setting, event, animal or person that functions in the story both as you'd expect, but also stands for something else.
Symbol
A contrast between what is stated and what is meant, or between what is expected and the actual outcome
Irony
This is when the speaker says one thing and means another. Example: Sarcasm
Verbal Irony
The reader or audience perceives something that a character doesn't know
Dramatic Irony
A discrepancy between the expected and actual events
Situational Irony
The major category into which a literary work fits. The basic divisions of literature are prose, poetry, and drama.
Genre
The sensory details or figurative language used to describe, arouse emotion, or represent abstractions. On a physical level, this utilizes terms related to the five senses: sight, sound, touch, taste and smell
Imagery
Writing or speech that is not intended to carry literal meaning and is usually meant to be imaginative and vivid
Figurative Language