Unit 1: Craft and Structure

27 words 83 learners

Learn words with Flashcards and other activities

Definition First
Print Flashcards

Other learning activities

Answer a few questions about each word. Use this to prep for your next quiz! Compete with other teams in real time to see who answers the most questions correctly! Test your spelling acumen. Read the definition, listen to the word and try spelling it!

Teaching tools

Create and assign quizzes to your students to test their vocabulary. Assign learning activities including Practice, Vocabulary Jams and Spelling Bees to your students, and monitor their progress in real-time.

Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. short story
    a brief but fully developed prose narrative
    A short story is a brief work of fiction that can usually be read in one sitting.
  2. character
    an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction
    Characters are the personalities that take part in the action of a story.
  3. characterization
    a vivid verbal description
    An author portrays characters by using a set of techniques that are collectively called characterization, or character development.
  4. setting
    the context and environment in which something is situated
    The characters in a story interact within a setting, or a particular time and place.
  5. conflict
    opposition in a work of fiction between characters or forces
    In every story, characters face a conflict that sets the plot in motion.
  6. plot
    the story that is told, as in a novel, play, movie, etc.
    The plot is the sequence of interrelated events that make up the action.
  7. climax
    the decisive moment in a novel or play
    As events unfold, the plot develops to a climax, or high point of tension.
  8. resolution
    something settled
    The tension subsides as the plot reaches the resolution, when events come to a close.
  9. theme
    a unifying idea that is a recurrent element in literary work
    A theme is not a summary of a story's events. Instead, it is a generalization about what the events mean.
  10. genre
    a kind of literary or artistic work
    A genre is a classification of literary works that share certain elements, such as character types and common plot patterns.
  11. structure
    the building of something and the arrangement of its parts
    A story's structure is the way in which the events of the plot unfold and the reader learns about characters and situations.
  12. realistic
    aware or expressing awareness of things as they are
    Realistic Genre: A story that portrays believable characters facing a true-to-life conflict in a realistic setting
  13. speculative
    not based on fact or investigation
    Speculative Genre: A story, often set in the future, in which actual or imagined science and technology play a central role
  14. historical
    of or relating to the study of recorded time
    Historical Genre: A story set in the past that combines fictional characters with historical figures or events
  15. humorous
    characterized by the power to cause laughter
    Humorous Genre: A story with comical characters and situations intended to amuse readers
  16. parody
    humorous or satirical mimicry
    Parody Genre: An imitation of another story or writing style, intended to comment on or poke fun at the original
  17. static
    showing little if any change
    Static Characters: Do not change during the story
  18. dynamic
    characterized by action or forcefulness of personality
    Dynamic Characters: Change as a result of the experiences they undergo in the story
  19. motivation
    psychological feature arousing action toward a desired goal
    All characters have motivations, or reasons for feeling and behaving as they do.
  20. direct
    straightforward in speech, manner, or behavior
    In direct characterization, the narrator—the character or voice telling the story—directly states a character's traits.
  21. narrator
    someone who tells a story
    In direct characterization, the narrator—the character or voice telling the story—directly states a character's traits.
  22. indirect
    not straight in manner or language or behavior
    In indirect characterization, the narrator reveals a character's personality by describing a character's appearance, feelings, behavior, and thoughts, as well as his or her interactions with other characters.
  23. dialogue
    the lines spoken by characters in drama or fiction
    Dialogue, the words that characters speak, is one of the key tools an author uses to reveal character traits.
  24. chronological
    relating to or arranged according to the order of time
    Chronological order, in which events unfold in a sequence from beginning to end, is the most common structure.
  25. flashback
    a transition in a story to an earlier event or scene
    Flashbacks interrupt the flow of a chronological sequence to describe earlier events.
  26. parallel
    of the simultaneous performance of multiple operations
    Parallel plots occur when an author develops two distinct storylines, with two sets of characters, in a single work.
  27. pace
    the relative speed of progress or change
    Pacing, the speed or rhythm of the writing, influences how readers experience a story.
Created on Thu Oct 15 08:43:57 EDT 2020 (updated Mon Oct 19 11:19:48 EDT 2020)

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.