40 Literary Terms

imaginative writing about the future

an expression that does not mean what its words literally say

the first stage in a story's plot

how writers choose to narrate a story

writing that tells a made up story

a short work of nonfiction that deals with a single subject

the message or life lesson of a story

the lesson a story teaches

when a writer hints about what is going to happen

the voice that tells a story

a feeling of growing tension

a person's story or his or her life

a long work of fiction

written conversation between characters

a story passed down from generation to generation

highly imaginative, even magical, fiction

A person's story written by someone else

the main character a story revolves around

a comparison that uses "like" or "as"

the instructions to actors in a play

the stage of a story when the suspense grows and the conflict intensifies

informational writing about real people and events

the stage of a story when the story begins to come to a close

A struggle between opposing forces in a story

the force working against the main character in a story, novel, or play

the feeling a writer creates for the reader

a daily record of a write's thoughts, experiences or feelings

a story or novel based on events in history

a category of writing or film

giving human quantities to nonhuman things

an expression that does not mean what its words literally say

a play written to be a movie

the series of events that occur in a story

The way a writer creates and develops characters

a traditional story that answers questions about human nature or how the world began

a comparison that does not use "like" or "as"

the point of greatest interest in a story (turning point)

the time and place of a story

an exaggerated figure of speech

a quick story intended to make a point