Short Story Terms and Storytelling Arc

Vocabulary flashcards covering short-story literary terms and elements of the storytelling arc.

Protagonist

The main character or hero of the story.

Symbol

A word or phrase that is used for an idea.

Denouement

The outcome or unraveling of the plot.

Tone

An author's attitude or point of view.

Theme

The central or dominant idea of the story.

Framework Story

A story contained within another story.

Satire

Ridicule, sarcasm, or irony used to expose man's follies; in the exaggeration of the situation, the author intends the reader to laugh and think about the situation.

Style

The author's form of expression as determined by his or her syntax and diction.

Antagonist

The hero's adversary.

Rising Action

That part of the story that leads up to the climax.

In Medias Res

The author plunges into the middle of story and fills in the necessary details later.

Suspense

Mental uncertainty leading up to the climax.

Climax

The decisive point of the story; the point of highest interest.

Exposition

That part of the story that provides the background of the characters or situation.

Verbal Irony

The writer says one thing and means another.

Locale

The scene or setting.

Incident

An event or occurrence in the story.

Dialect

Language of a particular region.

Character

A person in the story.

Flashback

A scene representing an earlier event.

Three Types of Irony

Verbal irony, dramatic irony, and situational irony.

Exposition (Storytelling Arc)

The initial step of the storytelling arc which includes setting, characters, and the protagonist's ordinary life.

Conflict Introduced

Something changes in our protagonist's life, setting the story in motion; could be a good or bad thing, but is definitely something other than the ordinary life.

Rising Action (Storytelling Arc)

All the steps and adventures that the protagonist faces on his/her/their journey to the story's climax.

Climax (Storytelling Arc)

The moment we've been waiting for where the conflict must be faced, and hopefully the protagonist will triumph.

Falling Action

Loose ends are tied up, and supporting characters and side issues are resolved.

Resolution

Life for the protagonist finds a new normal and continues in an altered path, reflecting growth or change in the protagonist from exposition to resolution.

Epilogue / Denouement (Storytelling Arc)

Extra 'after' story information given by the author following the main plot.

Short-Story Terms Worksheet

A practice sheet matching key short-story terms like protagonist, symbol, theme, and irony with their exact definitions.

Storytelling Arc Diagram

A visual guide illustrating the 9 steps of narrative structure from Exposition to Resolution.