Definitions I Taught My Students That Are Helpful For Writers to Know

I took a lot of great things from my college and teaching days that still help me a ton with my writing process. Today, I’d like to go through some definitions I shared with my students (and how I shared with them) that can be super helpful to know as an author.
 
1. Plot is the series of events that take place in a story. Plot is ALL of the events together in order.

• Exposition is the beginning (sometimes) of a story. Exposition happens when we get information about the setting, the characters and their backstories, and the quest. Exposition can also come up naturally throughout the story. Sometimes it’s better to weave it in throughout than giving an info dump at the beginning of the story.
• Rising Action is the build-up of tension as the hero begins their journey. Rising action includes all the obstacles and challenges the hero faces.
• Climax is the most dramatic part of the story. The tension has boiled all the way up, and something has to change.
• Falling Action is everything that happens after the climax that leads to the end of the story. Even though there are still obstacles and challenges, the story is winding down.
• Resolution is how the story ends. How does that big problem get solved? All loose ends are tied up, and that big conflict is resolved or addressed.​

2. The setting of a story is where and when the story takes place. A story can have many settings.

• The mood of a story is the emotional atmosphere the author creates through his or her descriptions. “It was a dark and stormy night…”

3. The conflict of a story is the problem the character faces. Conflict can be internal or external.

• Internal conflict happens when a character is troubled emotionally or mentally. This is when a character cannot make a decision or fights with themselves.
  
• External conflict is when the problem comes from outside the main character. Someone or something is causing the issue.

4. Characterization is what happens when the author creates and develops the characters in a story. There are many ways to do this.

• Direct characterization is when the author directly states how a character is or what the character looks like.
  
• Indirect characterization is when the author shows readers what a character is like by describing what the character says or does.
  
• Dynamic characters are characters who change throughout the story.
  
• Static characters stay exactly the same throughout the story. They do not change or grow.
  
• Round characters are a lot like real people. They have good and bad traits. These characters are not perfectly good or perfectly bad, but have a mix of positive attributes and faults.
  
• Flat characters are those who only have either good characteristics or bad characteristics.
  
• An antagonist is the character, thing, or situation that opposes the main character. The antagonist gets in the way of the main character getting what they most desire. An antagonist is often a character, but can be weather, drama, or other obstacles.
  
• The protagonist is the character the reader is typically cheering for. This is usually the main character.

5. A monologue is when a character gives a long speech without anyone else talking. Often monologues occur when the main character has reached their breaking point, or when the antagonist or villain describes why they are doing what they are doing.

That’s it for today! If you enjoyed this blog post and would like to be notified when I post more writing-related content, sign up for my email list today!