Short Story Terms Elements of Fiction: plot, conflict, character, setting, and atmosphere

Storytelling What is the purpose of telling a story? Why do we value stories?

What is the plot or series of events in a story?

Exposition and inciting incident The explanation of a past or present event or series of events (background info) The event or series of events (problem/s) that set the plot of a story in motion. For example, the death of King Hamlet and the marriage of Claudius and Hamlet’s mother set the play, Hamlet, in motion.

Rising Action The action and/or events that lead to the climax, or the highest point of intensity in a story.

Climax It is the point of greatest intensity, interest, or suspense, and often reveals the turning point in the story. A decision is often made by a character prior to the climax. It doesn’t just involve a change in thought, but a change in action. In the Three Little Pigs, the decision to trick/kill wolf by putting a boiling cauldron of soup beneath the chimney, and inviting the wolf in by coming down the chimney precedes the death of the wolf.

Anti-climax In opposition to the climax, there is a sudden shift from an elevated and serious tone to a more casual tone that is often humorous because it comes on unexpectedly. For example: "In moments of crisis I size up the situation in a flash, set my teeth, contract my muscles, take a firm grip on myself and, without a tremor, always do the wrong thing" (George Bernard Shaw).

Falling Action Follows the climax (or crisis), and results in a reversal of fortune for the protagonist.

Resolution or Denouement This is the conclusion of the plot of a story. Loose ends are tied up whether they are resolved or left unresolved