Comprehensive Study Guide to Fiction Signposts, Figurative Language, and Narrative Elements

Contrasts and Contradictions: Occurs when reading and a character says or does something that is opposite of what he has been saying or doing all along, OR is different from (contrasts) our way of thinking.
Aha Moment: Occurs when reading and suddenly a character realizes, understands, or finally figures something out; OR when you as a reader have a sudden realization about something occurring.
Tough Questions: Occurs when reading and the character asks himself a really difficult question.
Words of the Wiser: Occurs when reading and a character (who is probably older or wiser) takes the main character aside and gives serious advice.
Again and Again: Occurs when reading and you notice a keyword, phrase, object, or situation mentioned over and over.
Memory Moment: Occurs when reading and the author interrupts the action to tell you a memory.

Metaphor: A comparison of two unlike things not using like or as.
Simile: A comparison of two unlike words using the words like or as.
Personification: Giving a nonhuman thing human-like traits.
Hyperbole: An extreme exaggeration.
Onomatopoeia: Words that mimics the sound it describes.
Alliteration: The repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of two or more words.
Idiom: A common figurative phrase.

Plot: The series of events in a story.
Exposition: The beginning; introduces characters, setting, and background information.
Initiating Event: The event that starts the conflict and sets the plot in motion.
Rising Action: Events leading up to the plot; tension builds.
Climax: The turning point of a story.
Falling Action: The events between the climax and resolution; tension deescalates.
Resolution: The end of a story where loose ends are tied up.

Conflict: A struggle between two opposing forces.
Person vs. Person: A conflict between two characters or groups.
Person vs. Self: A character struggles with their emotions, a decision, their traits, etc.
Person vs. Society: A character against the norms, rules, or expectations of society.
Person vs. Nature: A conflict in which a character goes against the forces of nature (storms, a river, etc.).

Point of View: The perspective from which a story is told.
First Person: The narrator is a character in the story; the words I, we, me, etc. are used frequently.
Second Person: The reader is made to be a character in the story; the word you is used frequently.
Third Person Limited: The narrator is not a character; only the thoughts and emotions of the protagonist are known.
Third Person Omniscient: The narrator is not a character; the narrator knows the thoughts and emotions of all.

Protagonist: The main character in a story.
Antagonist: The character or force that opposes the protagonist.
Static Character: A character that does not change over the course of a story.
Dynamic Character: A character that learns or changes over the course of a story.

Tone: The author’s attitude toward the subject of a text.
Mood: The atmosphere or feeling of a text.
Theme: The moral or lesson of the story.
Imagery: The author’s use of descriptive language to create a picture for the reader.
Foreshadowing: When the author gives hints or clues of what is to come; builds suspense.
Symbolism: The use of recurring symbols to signify a deeper idea or meaning beyond the literal symbol itself.