Elements of short stories and books

Soliloquy

When a character speaks, their inner most thoughts out, loud typically alone.

Sonnet

A 14 lyric poem in predominantly iambic pentameter with a formal rhyming scheme

Verbal irony

When you say one thing and you mean the other

Metaphor

A figure of speech comparing two things

Theme

The central idea about life that’s in the book

Simile

A figure of speech in which two things are compared using the words like then or as

Personification

A figure of speech where you give human qualities to a non-human thing

Conflict

The force that moves the plot along and the struggles within the plot. These can include character vs self, character vs character, character vs society and character vs nature

Tragedy

A play story or drama that ends in great suffering, disaster, or death for the main characters

Foreshadowing

A technique in which authors drop hints or warnings about events yet to come in a story

Setting

Time and place

Climax

The most suspenseful moment or height of the action

Pun

A joke or play on words

Point of view

The view I story is told from. Such as first person, second person, and third person

Exposition

Background information provided by the author at the beginning of the story or book

Denouement

The unknotting of the plot or conflict following the climax

Character

Fictional people created by the author

Mood and/or atmosphere

Overall emotional impression or prevailing feeling

Comic relief

After a tense or serious seen, an incident that will provoke laughter from the audience

Suspense

The uncertainty of the outcome

Act

A major section of the play

Scene

A smaller part with an act