plot

A series of related events in a story, each connected to the next.

sequence

The order in which a story's events take place

conflict

A struggle between two forces.

external conflict

internal conflict

an internal conflict is a struggle that takes place within a character's mind or heart.

climax

the most exciting part of a story; the moment when the outcome of the conflict is determined.  The climax usually comes near the end of a short story.

Resolution

(also called denouement) The very end of the story, when loose ends of the plot are tied up.

flashback

An action that interrupts the story to introduce an event that took place in the past.

flash-forward

An action that jumps ahead of the story to narrate an event that happens at a later time.

foreshadowing

Hints in a story that certain events are going to happen later.

setting

The time and place in which the story happens.

atmosphere

mood or feelings brought on by a story's setting

characterization

the way writers create characters in a story

direct

characterization

when writers tell us directly what a character is like (good, evil, or lazy). 

indirect

characterization

when the reader uses clues in the story to decide what kind of person a charcter is.  Clues may be descriptions of how the character acts, speaks, and thinks and how other people respond to the character.

protagonist

the main character in the story

antagonist

the character that the main character (protagonist) struggles against.

subordinate

characters

minor characters in the story

motivations

the reasons behind a character's actions and feelings

flat character

a character who is not fully developed in the story.  A flat character is almost never the main character.

round character

a character who is fully developed, just as a person in actual life is

dynamic character

a character who changes during the story.  The change might involve recognition of some truth about life.

static character

a character who does not change during the story

dialogue

the conversations characters have with other characters

first-person

narration

a story told by an "I" narrator.  An "I" narrator is a character in the story who reveals only what he knows or chooses to reveal.  Some first-person narrators are credible or trustworthy. Other are unreliable and may not always tells the truth about characters or events in the story.

narrator

the teller of a story.  A narrator tells the story from one of three points of view.

onmiscient

point of view

this point of view allows the narrator to tell the reader everything about the characters, including how they think and feel.  This character is not a character in the story.

third-person-limited

narrator

an omniscient narrator that focuses on only one character's actions and feelings.

diction

the writer's choice of words

tone

the writer's attitude toward the subject of a story, toward a character, or toward the reader.  A story's tone can be described by words like humorous, serious, sad, sarcastic, sympathetic.

voice

the writer's use of language and overall style, created by tone and choice of words