Grade 8 - Author's Craft

Question 1

Character Traits

Answer 1

qualities that determine how a character thinks or acts.

Question 2

Character Motivation

Answer 2

the reason a character behaves the way he/she does.

Question 3

Conflict

Answer 3

the struggle of the story’s main character, the protagonist, against an opposing force.

Question 4

External Conflict

Answer 4

a conflict that occurs between characters or between a character and a greater force (such as society or nature)

Question 5

Internal Conflict

Answer 5

a conflict that occurs between a character and his own emotions, thoughts, or beliefs.

Question 6

Narrator

Answer 6

the individual who is telling the story

Question 7

Point of View

Answer 7

the perspective or angle from which a story is told

Question 8

First Person Point of View

Answer 8

narrator is one of the characters and refers to him/herself as I.

Question 9

Third Person Point of View

Answer 9

the narrator remains outside the story and refers to the characters with pronouns such as he, she, or they.

Question 10

Third Person Limited

Answer 10

the narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of only one character

Question 11

Third Person Omniscient

Answer 11

the narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of each character

Question 12

Dialogue

Answer 12

refers to the conversation between characters

Question 13

Plot

Answer 13

a series of events arranged to tell the story. It consists of the following parts: exposition, inciting action, rising action, crisis, climax, falling action, resolution

Question 14

Exposition

Answer 14

part of the plot that introduces the setting, characters, and situation.

Question 15

Inciting Incident

Answer 15

event that introduces the conflict and sets it in motion

Question 16

Rising Action

Answer 16

includes all of the events that follow the inciting incident and lead up to the crisis

Question 17

Crisis

Answer 17

major turning point for the protagonist; it affects the outcome of the story.

Question 18

Climax

Answer 18

the moment at which the plot reaches the point of the reader’s highest emotional intensity

Question 19

Falling Action

Answer 19

refers to the events that unfold as a result of the crisis and lead to the conclusion

Question 20

Resolution

Answer 20

outcome, occurs when the conflict is settled in some way

Question 21

Antagonist

Answer 21

primary force or character against whom the protagonist struggles

Question 22

Protagonist

Answer 22

the main character who drives the action.

Question 23

Character Flaw

Answer 23

a negative character trait, whether minor weakness or serious moral fault.

Question 24

Humor

Answer 24

element of writing whereby an author seeks to amuse the reader through wordplay, irony, or other means.

Question 25

Wordplay

Answer 25

the use of words in a clever, entertaining and often humorous way
Irony - language used to convey a meaning other than what is stated; it may also be a contradiction between what is expected and what actually happens.

Question 26

Situational Irony

Answer 26

when a story’s events violate reasonable expectations.

Question 27

Verbal Irony

Answer 27

the intended meaning of a person’s words differs from the literal meaning.

Question 28

Understatement

Answer 28

type of verbal irony, involves the representation of something as less important than it truly is.

Question 29

Worldview

Answer 29

the viewpoint from which a person examines the world and draws conclusions. Worldview includes beliefs about the origin of the world, the nature of good and evil, and the reason that humans exist.

Question 30

Moral Tone

Answer 30

the author’s attitude toward matters of morality.

Question 31

Direct Characterization

Answer 31

ses words or phrases that present straightforward details about a character.

Question 32

Indirect Characterization

Answer 32

presents the character’s thoughts, words, or actions, and then allows the reader to infer the character traits.

Question 33

Author’s Purpose

Answer 33

his/her reason for writing.

Question 34

Author’s Perspective

Answer 34

ideas and feelings he has toward the topic he writes about. The Author’s Perspective can help you understand his/her purpose.

Question 35

Symbol

Answer 35

a person, place, thing, or idea that means something in addition to itself.

Question 36

Symbolism

Answer 36

the use of symbols.

Question 37

Poetic Justice

Answer 37

reward or punishment that a character receives for his virtue or vice, his good or bad traits or actions.

Question 38

Developing Character

Answer 38

a character who changes as the story progresses

Question 39

Static Character

Answer 39

a character who remains essentially the same throughout the story.

Question 40

Imagery

Answer 40

descriptive words or phrases used to create an impression that appeals to one of the five senses.

Question 41

Figurative Language

Answer 41

an artful deviation from literal speech. Figurative language expresses meaning beyond the literal meaning of a word or phrase.