Elements of Fiction

Mrs. DiLauro (United States of America)
31 words 282 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. plot
    the story that is told, as in a novel, play, movie, etc.
  2. setting
    the context and environment in which something is situated
    This includes time and place for a piece of writing.
  3. atmosphere
    a particular environment or surrounding influence
  4. protagonist
    the principal character in a work of fiction
  5. antagonist
    someone who offers opposition
  6. conflict
    a state of opposition between persons or ideas or interests
  7. point of view
    a mental position from which things are perceived
  8. omniscient
    knowing, seeing, or understanding everything
    All knowing narrator (can change points of view at will)
  9. limited
    small in range or scope
    Cannot change points of view at will, stuck with one or two characters.
  10. symbolism
    a system of arbitrary signs
  11. theme
    a unifying idea that is a recurrent element in literary work
    A central message about a topic in a piece of literature. "Money is the root of all evil."
  12. motif
    a recurrent element in a literary or artistic work
    Love, hate, peace, etc.
  13. style
    a mode of expression typical of a person, group, or period
  14. tone
    a quality that reveals the attitudes of the author
  15. mood
    a characteristic state of feeling
  16. imagery
    the ability to form mental pictures of things or events
  17. narrative
    an account that tells the particulars of an act or event
  18. structure
    a complex entity made of many parts
  19. science fiction
    genre involving the imagined impact of technology on society
  20. short story
    a brief but fully developed prose narrative
  21. allegory
    a short moral story
  22. genre
    a kind of literary or artistic work
  23. historical
    of or relating to the study of recorded time
  24. mystery
    something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained
  25. romance
    an exciting and mysterious quality
  26. fantasy
    imagination unrestricted by reality
  27. suspense
    excited anticipation of an approaching climax
  28. thriller
    a suspenseful story, play, or movie
  29. western
    lying toward or situated in the west
  30. horror
    something that inspires dislike; something frightful
  31. irony
    incongruity between what might be expected and what occurs
Created on Tue Nov 12 10:09:42 EST 2013 (updated Mon Mar 15 10:16:37 EDT 2021)

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