Author's Craft Flashcards
alliteration
Alliteration is when words close together start with the same sound.
allusion
An allusion is an indirect reference in a text. An allusion can call to mind something from mythology, a religious idea, a famous quote, an idea from popular culture, even a person.
characterization
Includes both descriptions of a character’s physical attributes as well as the character’s personality. The way that characters act, think, and speak also adds to their characterization.
climax
The climax is the moment of highest emotional intensity in a text (usually near the end). It is often the moment at which a character changes forever (there is no going back to the way things were).
conflict
A conflict is typically a problem. It is a struggle between two sides due to a disagreement in values, desires, motivations etc.
dialogue
Dialogue is any conversation that happens between two or more characters.
Internal dialogue is when a character has a conversation with themselves. In other words, it is the character’s thoughts and feelings. Internal dialogue reveals point of view!
Implied dialogue is when a conversation is hinted at or explained, but the actual words of the characters are not included.
expostition
The exposition is at the beginning of a story, where the writer establishes the status quo of the story and introduces basic details about setting and character.
denouement or falling action
The falling action or denouement
is where the action of a story slows down. In French, “denouement” literally means “the action of untying.”
flashback
A flashback takes the reader out of the present story and jumps back into an earlier time period.
figurative language
Figurative language is language with layers of meaning (see metaphor, simile, personification, hyperbole)
forshadowing
Foreshadowing is a literary device in which a writer gives an advance hint of what is to come later in the story. Foreshadowing often appears at the beginning of a story or a chapter and helps the reader develop expectations about the coming events in a story.
hyperbole
A hyperbole is an exaggeration for effect.
“I have a ton of homework.”
“I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.”
idiom
Idioms are used in daily conversations. They are phrases that are not meant to be taken literally but that have a widely understood meaning. Idioms are often hard to understand if you are not familiar with the culture in which the idiom is used.
“This costs an arm and a leg!”
“It’s raining cats and dogs!”
“We need to break the ice!”
imagery
Imagery is writing that creates a picture in the reader’s mind. Imagery can evoke ALL of the five senses and helps readers imagine and experience the world of the text. Imagery may include figurative language!
initiating incident
The initiating incident is near the beginning of a story where the conflict (the problem a character is trying to solve) is introduced and the status quo of the story is disrupted.
This is where a character’s normal life changes.
irony
Verbal irony is when you say the opposite of what you mean, typically for a humorous effect; sarcasm
Situational irony is when something unexpected happens.
Dramatic irony is when the reader knows something that a character doesn’t.
juxtapostion
Juxtaposition is when a writer puts opposite or very different ideas or images together. This contrast can help a writer explore contradictions and inconsistencies and emphasize hypocrisy.
metaphor
metaphor: a comparison of two unlike things without using “like” or “as”.
“Hold fast to dreams/for if dreams die/life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.”
–Langston Hughes
mood
Mood is the emotional “temperature” an author deliberately creates in a text. It is a powerful tool for foreshadowing and building suspense.
motif
A motif is any repeated image, symbol, or idea that recurs throughout a text and helps the author convey the theme of a literary work.
narrative arc
The narrative arc/structure is the shape of the action in a story. It is often comprised of the following basic elements:
Exposition
This is where the writer establishes the status quo of the story and introduces basic details about setting and character.
Initiating Incident
This is where the conflict (the problem a character is trying to solve) is introduced and the status quo of the story is disrupted.
This is where a character’s normal life changes.
Rising Action
This is where the conflict becomes more complicated and the action becomes more intense.
Climax
This is the moment of highest emotional intensity in a text.
It is the moment at which a character changes forever (there is no going back to the way things were).
Falling Action or Denouement
This is where the action of a story slows down.
Resolution
This is where the conflict of a story is comes to an end (…or doesn’t!) and a new status quo is established
onomatopoeiea
Onomatopoeia is a word that sounds like what it is describing. Here are some examples:
sizzle
slush
whoosh
slurp
personification
Personification is a type of metaphor in which a non-human object or abstract idea is given human qualities.
“The lightning danced across the sky.”
Death is often personified in the character of the Grim Reaper.
point of view
Point of view is the perspective from which a story is told. It reveals the thoughts and feelings of characters.
first person:
The narrator is a character INSIDE the story.
Provides the inner feelings of ONE character.
The story is limited to what only one character knows.
Pronouns: I, we, us
third person limited:
The narrator is OUTSIDE the story.
Readers know the inner thoughts of only ONE character.
Pronouns: he, she, them
third person omniscient:
The narrator is OUTSIDE the story.
Readers know the inner thoughts of MORE than one character.
Pronouns: he, she, them
repetition
Repetition is when an author repeats words, phrases, or even ideas. A motif is a kind of repetition!
resolution
The resolution is where the conflict of a story comes to an end (…or doesn’t!) and a new status quo is established
rising action
The rising action is where the conflict becomes more complicated and the action becomes more intense.
simile
A simile is a comparison of two unlike things using “like” or “as”.
“I wandered lonely as a cloud.”
–William Wordsworth
setting
The setting is where and when a story takes place.
symbolism
A symbol is an object, place, image, or event in a text that represents a different idea or relationship.
