Literary Terms and Story Elements

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Plot

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The series of events in a story.

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Exposition

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Gives important background information. The setting time and place and the important characters are introduced. The conflict of the story is usually revealed within the exposition.

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Setting time

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Specific time the story takes place. (ex: present day, The Civil War, 2036)

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Setting place

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Specific place the main part of the story is in. (ex: Midlothian, classroom)

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Main Character

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There is usually one main character in a story – This is the Protagonist!

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Narrator’s Point of View

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Who is telling the story? (1st Person, 2nd Person, or 3rd Person)

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Protagonist

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The main character in the story - always involved in the main conflict. The protagonist usually undergoes a change as the plot runs its course.

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Antagonist

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The force that is working against the protagonist in a story. The antagonist can be another character, but can also be any type of external conflict or the internal conflict within the protagonist.

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Conflict

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This is the main problem in the story.

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External conflict

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Character struggles against a force outside himself/herself. ex: nature (tornado, etc.), a physical obstacle, a mob, a robot, or another character. (Types: Character vs. Character, Character vs. Nature, Character vs. Society, Character vs. Technology)