ELEMENTS OF FICTION

Name: ___________________________________________ Per. _____ Date:____________________

1. fiction includes any work of prose (writing other than poetry and drama) that tells an invented or imaginary story
2. short story a brief prose narrative that usually presents only a single plot, one or two main characters, and one important
setting
3. novel a long work of prose fiction (often having several plots, many major and minor characters, and numerous settings)
4. historical fiction a story that combines actual historical events with imagined ones
5. popular fiction invented stories including subgenres such as mystery, horror, science fiction, fantasy, and westerns
6. mystery the main character takes on a detective role and tries to uncover clues to a crime or some baffling event
7. horror includes ghosts, monsters, or other dangerous characters that may lurk within these stories, whose purpose is to provide a
good fright
8. science fiction highly imaginative fiction containing fantastic elements based on scientific principles, discoveries, or laws in
which technology is a strong element
9. fantasy stories that rely on magic and magical beings instead of technology
10. western refers to short stories set in the western United States where the main character is usually a cowboy fighting for survival
against the wilderness or evildoers
11. plot the series of events related to a central conflict or struggle
12. characters the individuals who take part in the action of a story
13. protagonist the most important character in the story
14. antagonist a character who is in conflict with the main character
15. major characters characters who play significant roles in the action
16. minor characters characters who play lesser roles
17. setting the time and place (environment) in which a literary work happens
18. point of view the vantage point from which a story is told
19. first person point of view told by someone who participates in or witnesses the action (narrator) and uses such words as: I and
we
20. third person point of view the narrator stands outside the action and observes and uses such words as: he, she, it, and they
21. third person limited the thoughts of only the narrator or a single character are revealed
22. theme the central idea (or perception about life that is revealed) in a literary work
23. conflict a struggle that takes place in a story
24. external conflict a struggle that takes place between a character and some outside force
25. conflict with another character the main character struggles with another character in the story
26. conflict with nature the struggle is between the main character and a force of nature
27. conflict with society the main character struggles with an element of society or culture
28. internal conflict a conflict or struggle that takes place within a character
29. chronological order events that are presented in the order in which they occur in time
30. flashback tells about something that happened in the past
31. foreshadowing giving hints or clues about what is going to happen in the future