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The series of events in a story or play, sometimes called the story line.

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Story Elements - Plot - Main Events - Literacy Short Clips

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The beginning of the story. It is where the characters and settings are introduced

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The point in the story where the conflict is starts to lay out.

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That point in a plot that creates the greatest intensity, suspense, or interest.

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TOY STORY 2 CLIMAX WITH - WOODY ,BUZZ ,JESSY, BULLZAI

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The period after the dramatic confrontation of the climax.

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The conclusion of a story, when all or most of the conflicts have been settled

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The time and location in which a story takes place.

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Protagonist: Is the leading character or one of the major characters in a drama, movie, novel, or other fictional text.

Antagonist: Is a person who actively opposes or is hostile to someone or something; an adversary.

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A serious disagreement or argument with oneself or outside causes.

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Internal conflict is when a character struggles with their own opposing desires or beliefs.

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External conflict refers to conflict between the main character and any external force, such as a villain, government, or nature.

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Man vs. man is a type of conflict where two characters are in direct opposition to each other.

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When a protagonist has a strong belief against the majority of the community or surroundings and decides to act on it.

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Is an external struggle positioning the character against an animal or a force of nature.

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Is a type of literary conflict in which a character faces technology (such as a robot, a machine, or a mechanical failure) and must prevail against it.

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The theme or subject of a story.

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A speaker's or writer's choice of words.

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The arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in a language.

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Connotation and Denotation are two principal methods of describing the meanings of words.

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The stylistic means by which an author conveys his/her attitude(s) in a work of literature.

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Mood in literature is the overall emotion and atmosphere the author intends the reader to feel while reading the book.

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A flashback is a scene that takes place before a story begins.

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Oregon State University - School of Writing, Literature and Film

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"What is a Flashback?": A Literary Guide for English Students and Teachers

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Foreshadowing is a literary device used to give an indication or hint of what is to come later in the story.

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Oregon State University - School of Writing, Literature and Film

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"What is Foreshadowing?": A Literary Guide for English Students and Teachers

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Parallelism, in rhetoric, component of literary style in both prose and poetry, in which coordinate ideas are arranged in phrases, sentences, and paragraphs.

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POV, Is the perspective of a character we get depending on the story.

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A first-person narrative is a mode of storytelling in which a storyteller recounts events from his or her own point of view.

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The second-person point of view is a form of writing that addresses the onlooker or reader directly

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The narrator reports the events that take place without knowing the motivations or thoughts of any of the characters

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What is an example of third person objective?

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Where the narrator tells the story from the perspective of a single protagonist, referring to them by name or using a third person pronoun such as they/she/he.

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The third-person  omniscient point of view is a method of storytelling in which the narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of all of the characters in the story.

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Example of 3rd person omniscient point of view

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A simile is a figure of speech that describes something to be something else, but uses the words “like” or “as” to do so.

ex: That cat looks like whip cream

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OSU School of Writing, Literature and Film

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"What is a Simile?": A Literary Guide for English Students and Teachers

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Metaphor: Comparing one thing or another.

Extended metaphor:  An extended metaphor is a version of metaphor that extends over the course of multiple lines, paragraphs, or stanzas of prose or poetry.

ex: The snow looked as if the ice age was back.

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Personification is when you give an animal or object qualities or abilities that only a human can have.

Ex: The duck walked up to the lemonade stand and asked the man running the stand.

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Is a figure of speech in which an author or speaker purposely and obviously exaggerates to an extreme.

EX: He's stronger than a mighty worrior.

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The use of symbols to represent an idea or quality

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A paradoxical phrase or pair of words that contradicts itself

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What is an Oxymoron? | Literary devices GCSE | EnglishGrammar| Hyperbole for kids #shorts #Lessonade

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The use of a word or phrase to avoid saying another word or phrase that may be unpleasant or offensive

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An implied or indirect reference to a person, event, or thing or to a part of another text.

Ex: He is a real Romeo.

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the repetition of the same or similar vowel sounds within words, phrases, or sentences.

Ex: The tide rises, the tide falls.

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What is Assonance? || Literary Device Lectures

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The repetition of an initial consonant sound in words that are in close proximity to each other.

Ex: She Sells Sea Shore by the Sea Shore.

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Alliteration | Award Winning Alliteration Teaching Video | What is Alliteration?

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An idea or expression that has been used too often

Ex: Pretty as a picture

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VocabularyHelp - Learn English Words With Meaning

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Learn English Words - Cliche (Vocabulary Video)

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Are word combinations that have a different figurative meaning than the literal meanings of each word or phrase.

Ex: It's raining cats and dogs.

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Idioms | Award Winning Teaching Video | What Is An Idiom? | Figurative Language

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A form of word play that exploits multiple meanings of a term, or of similar-sounding words

Ex: Puns involving animal's are amooseing

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A situation in which something which was intended to have a particular result has the opposite or a very different result.

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When someone says one thing but really means the opposite.
ex. Awesome! Another test!

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Takes place when the opposite of what is expected actually happens.
ex. Bill Gates uses an Apple computer.

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A situation in which the audience or reader has a better understanding of events than the characters in a story do.
ex. In snow White, the audience knows apple is poisoned, but snow white does not.

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The act of characterizing or describing the individual quality of a person or thing.

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A method of describing the character in a straightforward manner

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Direct Characterization Mean Girls Edited

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A type of literary device that reveals details about a character without stating them explicitly

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A literary or dramatic character who undergoes little or no inner change; a character who does not grow or develop.

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a character who undergoes significant internal change throughout the course of a story

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Answer: A dynamic character is one who changes over the course of a story. Something might alter about their personality, attitudes, or overall worldview. Usually, this happens gradually, but some characters may have a revelation that suddenly flips how they see things, or how they behave.

In this section of our characters guide, let's dig into the world of dynamic characters. We'll reveal why almost all protagonists belong to this category and give you some prime examples from popular culture.

Characters at a crossroads

In everyday life, human beings do change, but usually over a long period of time - or because they reach a particular turning point, such as college or retirement. The narrative arcs found in fiction, however, are all about exceptional moments: the moments when characters are confronted with drastic circumstances and forced to adapt.

For example, in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Christopher finds out that his dad killed a dog and that his mum is not dead, as he previously thought, but instead living with his neighbor's ex-husband in London - events that would surely change anyone's perspective on life.

Christopher only has these revelations because he discovers a dead dog at the beginning of the novel and decides to find out who killed it. His quest for answers sends him on quite the journey, during which he has to overcome several personal obstacles. To surmount those obstacles and solve the mystery, then come to terms with everything that's happened, Christopher has to become less naive and more independent - changes that inspire new hope for his future.

Christopher and his dad in the stage adaption of The Curious Incident [Image: National Theatre]

Christopher's is exactly the kind of trajectory you'll find in lots of novels: a condensed, dramatic transformation, kick-started by a character's goal, and brought about by the personal obstacles they face while trying to achieve that goal. So not the sort of change that happens during the life of your average Joe.

Writing a book? Tell us a little bit about it and we'll give you the perfect backing track for your writing sessions.

Small personal changes can still be significant

As a coming-of-age novel, The Curious Incident is particularly introspective and character-focused. But not every dynamic character needs to experience an earth-shattering change. In fact, characters in serialized narratives probably shouldn't have life-changing epiphanies in every installment, lest they transform into an incredibly demented version of themselves.

Demelza from Winston Graham's series is a great example of a serialized dynamic character. At the beginning of Demelza's story, Captain Ross Poldark saves her from a brawl in the streets and employs her as his maid. Dirty and ragged, Demelza needs cleaning up before she can work in the house.

Here the reader might expect an ugly duckling transformation, but it doesn't happen like that. Demelza grows more into herself, helping Ross to see her beauty, but it's a gradual change: though she's trying to fit into her new world, she continues to be awkward and different.

Even when she marries Ross and learns how to read and behave like a lady, she still retains a lot of what makes her character so unconventional. She stands out as brave, brazen, and strong (in an important juxtaposition with Ross' previous love interest), yet also grows in her social capabilities - achieving her goal of belonging among her new society in her own way.

Eleanor Tomlinson as Demelza [image: BBC]

What Demelza shows is that it's possible for a character to undergo meaningful change - no matter how many books they star in - without losing what makes them interesting, or becoming a caricature.

Dynamic characters can resist change

As mentioned in the previous post, it's certainly possible for a main character to be well-rounded without changing at all - but it's rare. Among the protagonists we call "static", you'll find several examples of characters who resist fundamental change, clinging even more closely to who they are. So does this mean they haven't changed at all? Let's take a look at a couple of examples.

From the outside,The Hunger Games' Katniss Everdeen wouldn't be your first example of a dynamic character. She starts out courageous, resourceful, and principled, and stays that way throughout the story. Even after the Games put her ideals to the ultimate test, it's only through her goodness and resourcefulness can she beat the system and leave with them intact.

Matt Damon as Mark Watney in The Martian [Image: 20th Century Fox]

In Andy Weir's The Martian, supremely chill botanist Mark Watney is trapped on Mars. He quickly realizes that only his ingenuity and scientific knowledge can save him. He then encounters a chain of disasters that threaten to break his resolve - but by maintaining his trademark cool and returning time and time again to science, Watney is able to survive and ultimately escape the Red Planet.

Both Katniss and Mark Watney find the strength to survive by sticking to their guns and having faith in their unique skills and beliefs. But this doesn't mean they haven't changed at all - it's just that the primary change they've undergone is a strengthening of their character traits.

In other words, Katniss and Watney aren't what you'd call "exemplary" dynamic characters, but they're not totally static characters either. And clearly their journeys were compelling enough to engage readers, since both The Hunger Games and The Martian became mega-hit bestsellers and blockbuster movies!

Heroes can evolve into villains

Much like in real life, saying someone has "changed" isn't always a good thing. Dynamic characters sometimes fall to the "dark side" over the course of a story, like Walter White in TV's Breaking Bad.

For those who haven't seen it, Walter White starts off as a devoted family man and high school chemistry teacher with terminal cancer. To make money before his death, he starts manufacturing drugs and becomes involved with the criminal underworld.

Over the course of the series, Walter White's morality is put to the test in ever more extreme scenarios. Each external conflict Walter faces has an internal result, and throughout the series we watch him toe the line between good and evil. His original intentions - to protect his family even after his death - are noble, but his means to this end are nefarious. As a result, Walter "breaks bad" in what has become a modern paragon of character evolution.

INFOGRAPHIC: An Illustrated Look at Three Dynamic Characters

Speaking of Walter White, let's take a look at an infographic (featuring three of your favorite characters) we've put together to help you nail down the arc of a dynamic character.

To see how a protagonist's desires, strengths, and flaws influence how a story plays out, we took Han Solo, Walter White, and Katniss Everdeen, and placed them in an unfamiliar setting. Let's see how they develop over the course of a narrative.

If the characters in your story don't follow typical character arcs, you may find it's harder to nail down exactly how their internal flaws and external conflicts should play out. But even in unconventional narratives, you can almost always rely on the basics. What does your character want? What's stopping them from getting it? And will they find the strength to change? These questions will help you - and your characters - find the right way.

Of course, too many dynamic characters can spoil the broth. To learn how to flesh out your story with purposeful static characters, read on to the next post!

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What is a Dynamic Character? Definition and Examples

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Answer: A dynamic character is one who changes over the course of a story. Something might alter about their personality, attitudes, or overall worldview. Usually, this happens gradually, but some characters may have a revelation that suddenly flips how they see things, or how they behave.

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Flat characters are two-dimensional in that they are relatively uncomplicated and do not change throughout the course of a work.

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Round characters are major characters in a story, who encounter contradictory situations, and undergo transformation during this phase.

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Rhetoric is the art of convincing and persuading people by language through public speaking or writing.

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The character or emotions of a speaker or writer that are expressed in the attempt to persuade an audience

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Ethos: Explanation, Effects, Example | AP Lang Rhetorical Strategies

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means to persuade an audience by purposely evoking certain emotions to make them feel the way the author wants them to feel.

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Pathos: Explanation, Effects, Example | AP Lang Rhetorical Strategies

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The term logos is used to refer to the use of logic and reasoning in crafting a piece of persuasive writing or rhetoric.