By Cami Walters-Nihipali
If we want to talk about craft and explore varied ways to approach writing, we should probably share a common vocabulary. So, with that in mind, here’s a list about writing and story terms that I’ll use in subsequent posts (please note, it isn’t an exhaustive list). Ready?
Story: A work that follows the plot structure introducing a character facing a conflict in which that conflict is solved leading to an end.
Plot: The basic structure of a story from beginning to end.
Parts of the plot:
Introduction: (which is pretty self explanatory right?) The initial contact a reader makes with the characters, the setting, the tone, the conflict.
Rising action: Action in the story that heightens the tension.
Climax: The point in the narrative when the conflict has reached the point of change.
Falling Action: Action in the story wraps up by tying up loose ends and achieving goals.
Conclusion (denouement): The end.
Narrative: A written or spoken account of events.
Elements of a Story
Story Elements: the foundational parts of a story like character, point of view, conflict, setting, and theme.
Characters: The entity who moves the reader through the story. This is who the story is about.
Setting: Where and when the story takes place. Setting is often one component of a story’s category for sales.
Point of View: How the story is narrated (or told).
Conflict: The problem in the story that is often a struggle between two opposing forces that must be addressed by the character.
Theme: An overall message conveyed by the story to the audience.
Literary Devices
Literary Devices: the techniques a writer uses to convey the meaning. There are a billion and one, but here’s a few that might come up frequently:
Allusion: A brief reference (to a known person, place, or event often historical, literary or religious) that adds to the layers of meaning.
Anaphora: The repetition of a group of words at the beginning of a sentence to emphasize meaning. A good example of this is Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. Often used in rhetoric, but can also be found in literature.
Archetype: When a character is created to embody a collective set of characteristics culturally agreed upon to convey universal themes. For example, the hero, the lover, or the jester archetypes.
Assonance: The repetition of vowels sounds in successive words in close proximity to draw attention to their meaning.
Connotation: Meaning that is implied due to its emotional, historical, cultural implications rather and explicitly stated.
Consonance: The repetition of consonant sounds in successive words in close proximity in order to draw attention to their meaning.
Denotation: Explicit, literal meaning derived from an objective, common definition. A tree is just a tree.
Dialogue: Creating a conversation between two or more characters in the story.
Flashback: Inserting past events in a narrative in order to provide context or background.
Foreshadow: Hints left by the author for the reader to provide clues about what is coming later.
Imagery: Language used to appeal to a reader’s 5 senses.
Irony: When the reality of the presentation of events reveals truth that appears to be different from the expectations. For example in Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado”, the character Fortunato meets with a very unfortunate end.
Juxtaposition: Writing two entities side by side in contrast to one another to create the comparison thereby adding a layer of meaning.
Metaphor: A direct comparison between two dissimilar objects heightening the comparison by claiming they are the same.
Mood: Using language to invoke a feeling or a vibe.
Motif: Repetition of specific images in order to add to the overall theme of the work. Usually an object or an idea.
Simile: Two dissimilar objects are compared to one another using the words “like” or “as” to assert similarity.
Style: The way a writer writes.
Symbolism: The stand in representation of one object for another to convey a specific meaning that is beyond the literal meaning and stretches into the figurative.
Tone: The attitude of the writer as conveyed to the reader. A passage will have a theme, but the writer has a belief about it conveying that feeling with tone.
Trope: A figure of speech that is used to convey meaning that might be the opposite of what is being communicated. For example in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the playwright uses the irony trope to convey that “Two households alike in dignity…” are neither noble in their actions. In the writing community, this word has also come to represent common frameworks for types of stories, for example in the romance category, the “office romance trope.”
Story Structure
Story Structure: The means with which a storyteller constructs the story.
Three Act Structure: Most stories are predicated on three acts. Act 1 sets the story with character, setting and conflict. The second act takes the character(s) deeper into the peril of the conflict to the “dark night” moment when they must make a decision. The third act is the final battle in which the conflict is resolved through victory or defeat.
Hero’s Journey: Based on the work of Joseph Campbell and later adapted by Chris Volgler to screenwriting, The Hero’s Journey is a storytelling framework predicated on archetypal characters that address the beats of a story within the three-act structure.
Frame Story: A story that is told within another story.
Chronological Story: A story told in a series of events in chronological order.
For a more exhaustive list of literary devices, click here.