Short Story terms

Protagonist

The Main Character; the central character.

Antagonist

The forces arrayed against the protagonist.

Conflict (Man vs Man)

An external conflict involving one or more people.

Conflict (Man vs Himself)

An internal conflict involving physical, mental, or moral struggles.

Suspense

The quality in a story that makes readers ask questions and read on to find answers; can involve mystery (wanting an explanation) or dilemma (a difficult choice).

Surprise

Occurs when the story departs radically from our expectation.

Irony of Situation

When the opposite of what you expect to occur, occurs; a discrepancy between what is and what seems appropriate.

Symbol

Something that means more than what it is.

Climax

The point in the story that resolves the conflict introduced at the beginning.

Developing Character

A character that undergoes a change, either small or large.

Static Character

A character who does not change; the same at the end as they were at the beginning.

Flat Character

A minor character defined by only one or two traits; remains unchanged.

Omniscient POV

3rd person; narrator can reveal thoughts and feelings of all characters and go anywhere.

Limited Omniscient POV

3rd person; narrator reveals thoughts and feelings of only one character.

Natural Ending

An ending where things are neatly tied up with no real surprises.

Story Structure

The sequence of events: Introduction/Exposition → Rising Action (Conflict → Suspense) → Climax → Denouement.