INSTRUCTIONS: Fill in the blanks below with important terms for discussing fiction.
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_________________: the arrangement of ideas/events that make up a story. Some important elements of plot are:
• ____________________ -‐ Struggle between opposing forces, e.g. person vs. person, person vs. self, person vs.
society.
• _______________________-‐ When the writer gives clues about something that will eventually occur in the story;
it may be explicit (obvious) or implied (disguised).
• _____________________ -‐ The tension that the author uses to create a feeling of discomfort about the unknown.
PARTS OF A PLOT
1. _______________________ or ______________________: the reader meets the main
characters and usually the setting and the atmosphere (mood) are described.
2. ______________________________: the events leading up to the climax of the story.
The author sparks interest by introducing a conflict that must be
resolved. Tension and suspense usually increase.
3. ____________________: Can be one of three things: the highest point of
action or tension in the story, the moment that everything
appears to be aiming at or building towards, or the turning point
4. _____________________________: Occurs near the end of the story. Most or
all of the loose ends are tied up. It becomes clear what the
messages or themes of the story are.
5. ____________________or _________________________: Occurs
when all conflicts in the story are finally resolved
(or not in some cases). It is the very end or final result of a story.
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______________________________: The “people” in a story.
• ___________________________________ refers to how a writer builds
a character and makes them seem real.
IMPORTANT TERMS RELATING TO CHARACTER
• The hero or central character of the story who is faced with a conflict or problem is called the
______________________________.
• The villain of the story or the person who causes the conflict is called the ______________________________.
• ________________________________________: an author tells you what a character is like. For example, “Lisa is so
annoying.”
• ________________________________________: an author shows you what a character is like. For example, “Lisa
poked me five times in the span of 10 minutes. Doesn’t she have anything better to do?”
CHARACTERIZATION CAN BE DONE IN 4 WAYS
1) What a character _________________________
2) What a character ______________
3) What _____________________________ about the character
4) What a character ________________________
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SETTING: the _______________ AND _______________ of the story.
• Provides the historical and cultural context for characters.
• It can often symbolize the emotional state of characters.
• Setting also contributes to the _________________ or
________________________________ of a story.
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____________________: A unifying or significant idea in a text. It is repeated or developed in a way that suggests the
ultimate meaning of the text.
› ___________________ – 1-‐3 words describing what the story is about (e.g. identity, human nature, etc.).
› ___________________ – a lesson or moral that is learned at the end of the story.