Elements of Fiction Vocabulary

1. character- a person who takes part in the action

2. protagonist- the good guy- usually the main

character

3. antagonist- the bad guy

4. dialogue- what is being said among the characters

5. character traits- words that are used to describe the

character’s personality

6. conflict- struggle or problem

7. external conflict-character struggles against an

outside force

a. character vs. character

b. character vs. nature

c. character vs. society

8. internal conflict- struggle that takes place within the

character’s mind, usually a decision

a. character vs. character

9. plot - chain of events in a story built around conflict

10. setting- when and where a story takes place

11. exposition - background information at the start of the story

12. rising action - where suspense builds

13. climax! - turning point- most exciting part!

14. falling action - little events after the climax

15. resolution- conflict ends, problem is solved

16. theme- lesson learned

16.main idea - what the story is mainly about, or a brief

summary of the story

17. point-of-view- how the story is told, who is telling it?

18.1st person - author uses “I, me, we”

19.3rd person- author uses “he, she, they”

20. tone- the writer’s attitude/mood towards his subject

Ex. humorous (funny), melancholy (sad), suspenseful

(mystery), serious, fast-paced, etc.