Literary Terms and Concepts

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Short story

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A sequence of events told in less detail than a novel.

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Fiction

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Not true; tells about imaginary characters and events.

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Non-fiction

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True; presents and explains ideas or tells about real people, places, objects, or events.

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Plot

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The sequence of happenings in a story.

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Exposition

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The beginning of the story; information is given to the reader about the story’s characters, location, and time period.

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Rising Action

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Presents the conflict (problem) and explains how the character struggles to solve it.

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Climax

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The most exciting part of the story in which the conflict is solved; the turning point in the story.

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Falling Action

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Tells what happens as a result of the character’s solution to his or her problem.

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Resolution

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The loose ends of the story are tied up and the story ends.

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Setting

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The time and place in which the events of a work of literature occur.