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.