Literary terms

theme The main idea or central message of the story

plot The action of the story

linear plot The events in the plot follow in chronological order

nonlinear plot The plot of a story that does not go in typical time order; contains flashbacks or future visions

author The person who writes the story

narrator The person who tells the story

character A person in a story

1st person narrator The narrator is a character in the story who refers to himself/herself as "I". Expect to hear "I, me, we, and our"

3rd person narrator When a voice outside the story narrates the action.

omniscient narrator A narrator who is able to know, see, and tell all, including the inner thoughts and feelings of the characters

flat character A character who acts stereotypically or expectedly and does not change much throughout the story

round character A character who demonstrates some complexity and who develops or changes in the story

protagonist Main character in a story

antagonist A character or force in conflict with the main character

setting Where and when the story takes place

internal conflict A struggle between opposing needs, desires, or emotions within a single character

external conflict A struggle between a character and an outside force

Klicka