Creative Writing Review

Better know your stuff for the Post-Baseline!

It’s June 8th!

What’s the Term?

A symbolic narrative in which the surface details imply a secondary

meaning. a story in which the characters, settings, and events

represent other events, people, or ideas.

ALLEGORYA symbolic narrative in which the surface details imply a secondary

meaning. a story in which the characters, settings, and events

represent other events, people, or ideas.

What’s the Term?

character that stands in opposition to protagonist; usually the main source of

conflict 

ANTAGONIST

character that stands in opposition to protagonist; usually the main source of

conflict 

What’s the Term?

height of conflict; peak or high point; most

important part of the story 

CLIMAXheight of conflict; peak or

high point; most important part of the story

 

What’s the Term?

A word or phrase used every day in plain and relaxed speech, but rarely found in formal writing; slang, especially specific to a particular region.

COLLOQUIALISMA word or phrase used every day in plain and relaxed speech, but rarely found in formal writing; slang, especially specific to a particular region.

What’s the Term?

repetition of consonant sounds within or at the ends of words, even if the vowel sounds differ; eg. linger, longer, and languor or rider, reader, raider, and ruder

CONSONANCErepetition of consonant sounds within or at the ends of words, even if the vowel sounds differ; eg. linger, longer, and languor or rider, reader, raider, and ruder

What’s the Term?

The intentional repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of two or more successive lines. For instance, Churchill declared, "We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on the end. We shall fight in France. We shall fight on the seas and oceans. We shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air. We shall defend our island, whatever the cost shall be."

ANAPHORAThe intentional repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of two or more successive lines. For instance, Churchill declared, "We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on the end. We shall fight in France. We shall fight on the seas and oceans. We shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air. We shall defend our island, whatever the cost shall be."

What’s the Term?

an incompatibility between two or more characters or forces,

which drives the plot

CONFLICT

an incompatibility between two or more characters or forces,

which drives the plot

What’s the Term?

a word or phrase (as time is running out) that has lost its metaphoric force by being overused; a metaphor that has occurred so often that it has become a new meaning of the expression (he is a snake).

DEAD METAPHORa word or phrase (as time is running out) that has lost its metaphoric force by being overused; a metaphor that has occurred so often that it has become a new meaning of the expression (he is a snake).

What’s the Term?

The speaker; the voice or character one takes on in writing; can be autobiographical or an imagined self

PERSONA

The speaker; the voice or character one takes on in writing; can be autobiographical or an imagined self

What’s the Term?

The angle of vision or perspective from which a story is narrated; narrator.

POINT OF VIEW

The angle of vision or perspective from which a story is narrated; narrator.

What’s the Term?

the pattern of rhymes at the end of each line of a poem or song. It is usually referred to by using letters to indicate which lines rhyme; lines designated with the same letter all rhyme with each other. “Roses are red/ Violets are blue/ Sugar is sweet/ and so are you” would be represented as abcb

RHYME SCHEMEthe pattern of rhymes at the end of each line of a poem or song. It is usually referred to by using letters to indicate which lines rhyme; lines designated with the same letter all rhyme with each other. “Roses are red/ Violets are blue/ Sugar is sweet/ and so are you” would be represented as abcb

What’s the Term?

the writer’s attitude toward and treatment of the subject about which he or she is writing; eg., sad, hopeful, pensive, matter-of-fact, confident, proud, etc.

TONEthe writer’s attitude toward and treatment of the subject about which he or she is writing; eg., sad, hopeful, pensive, matter-of-fact, confident, proud, etc.

What’s the Term?

The repetition of consonant sounds, especially at the beginning of words. Example: "Fetched fresh, the flounder feast was phenomenal."

ALLITERATIONThe repetition of consonant sounds, especially at the beginning of words. Example: "Fetched fresh, the flounder feast was phenomenal."

What’s the Term?

the act of calling out to or addressing some abstraction or personification that is not physically present

APOSTROPHE

the act of calling out to or addressing some abstraction or personification that is not physically present

What’s the Term?

The associations called up by a word that goes beyond its dictionary meaning; the psychological, emotional, social, or cultural connections made to words

CONNOTATIONThe associations called up by a word that goes beyond its dictionary meaning; the psychological, emotional, social, or cultural connections made to words

What’s the Term?Repetition of a concluding word or phrase: "He's learning fast; are you earning fast?" 

EPISTROPHERepetition of a concluding word or phrase: "He's learning fast; are you earning fast?" 

What’s the Term?I ; in a story, the events being told from this perspective are revealed through the narrator’s direct personal experience, making the narrator personally involved

FIRST PERSONI ; in a story, the events being told from this perspective are revealed through the narrator’s direct personal experience, making the narrator personally involved

What’s the Term?Writing in which a character's perceptions, thoughts, and memories are presented in an apparently random form, without regard for logical sequence, chronology, or syntax. The character’s inner mind is revealed, often in a chaotic way.

STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS

Writing in which a character's perceptions, thoughts, and memories are presented in an apparently random form, without regard for logical sequence, chronology, or syntax. The character’s inner mind is revealed, often in a chaotic way.

What’s the Term?

A conspicuous recurring element, such as an image, words, phrase, action, idea, object, or situation which appears frequently in works of literature; this helps reveal the theme of the work.

MOTIF

A conspicuous recurring element, such as an image, words, phrase, action, idea, object, or situation which appears frequently in works of literature; this helps reveal the theme of the work.

What’s the Term?

An object or action in a literary work that means more than itself, that stands for something beyond itself. The glass unicorn in The Glass Menagerie, the rocking horse in "The Rocking-Horse Winner," the road in Frost's "The Road Not Taken"--all represent something else in this sense.

SYMBOL

An object or action in a literary work that means more than itself, that stands for something beyond itself. The glass unicorn in The Glass Menagerie, the rocking horse in "The Rocking-Horse Winner," the road in Frost's "The Road Not Taken"--all represent something else in this sense.

What’s the Term?

main character on which a story tends to focus

PROTAGONIST

main character on which a story tends to focus

What’s the Term?

first section of a story that includes the introduction of setting, characters, and conflict

EXPOSITION

first section of a story that includes the introduction of setting, characters, and conflict

What’s the Term?

A type of poem in which a speaker addresses a silent listener. As readers, we overhear the speaker in a dramatic monologue. Robert Browning's "My Last Duchess" represents the epitome of the genre.

DRAMATIC MONOLOGUE

A type of poem in which a speaker addresses a silent listener. As readers, we overhear the speaker in a dramatic monologue. Robert Browning's "My Last Duchess" represents the epitome of the genre.

What’s the Term?

a story’s narrator is said to be this, because it is from the perspective of only one character; specifically, this narrator is not able to know the thoughts of other characters

LIMITED (POV)

a story’s narrator is said to be this, because it is from the perspective of only one character; specifically, this narrator is not able to know the thoughts of other characters

What’s the Term?

All-knowing; a type of narration that reveals the inner thoughts and motives of characters

OMNISCIENT

All-knowing; a type of narration that reveals the inner thoughts and motives of characters

What’s the Term?

The dictionary meaning of a word.

DENOTATION

The dictionary meaning of a word.

What’s the Term?

events that happen right after the climax of a story

FALLING ACTION

events that happen right after the climax of a story

What’s the Term?

A comparison between essentially unlike things without an explicitly comparative word such as like or as. An example is "My love is a red, red rose,"

METAPHOR

A comparison between essentially unlike things without an explicitly comparative word such as like or as. An example is "My love is a red, red rose,"

What’s the Term?

He or she; the events of the story being told are outside of the narrator’s direct personal experience, making the narrator an impersonal reporter of facts

THIRD PERSON (POV)

He or she; the events of the story being told are outside of the narrator’s direct personal experience, making the narrator an impersonal reporter of facts

What’s the Term?

Words spoken by an actor directly to the audience, which are not "heard" by the other characters on stage during a play.

ASIDE

Words spoken by an actor directly to the audience, which are not "heard" by the other characters on stage during a play.

What’s the Term?

intensification of the conflict; part of the story where the “plot thickens.”

COMPLICATION

intensification of the conflict; part of the story where the “plot thickens.”

What’s the Term?

The repetition of vowel sounds in a sentence or a line of poetry or prose; eg:

"I rose and told him of my woe."

ASSONANCE

The repetition of vowel sounds in a sentence or a line of poetry or prose; eg:

"I rose and told him of my woe."

What’s the Term?

The selection of words in a literary work; an author’s word choice.

DICTION

The selection of words in a literary work; an author’s word choice.

What’s the Term?

solution to the conflict; final section of a story in which there is a conclusion

RESOLUTION

solution to the conflict; final section of a story in which there is a conclusion