My lesson

Theme

The moral, message or lesson learned about life. It can be applied to all people/characters in life, not just the characters in the story/text.

Central idea

The idea that connects all the points of the story/text. It is specific to the story/text (not to people/characters in general).

Author’s craft

The skills and techniques an author uses to tell a story or create a piece of writing.

Plot structure

The arrangement or presentation of events that make up a story/text. It includes the exposition, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution.

Pacing

A stylistic device which shows the speed of how a story unfolds. Some elements that help with pacing include action, cliffhangers, dialogue and word choice.

Flashback

A jump back in time during the story, often done to provide the reader with important background information about a character or past event.

Protagonist

The main character, who has the sympathy and support of the reader. This character tends to be involved in or affected by most of the choices or conflicts that arise in the narrative (the main conflict revolves around the protagonist).

Antagonist

The principal opponent or foil of the protagonist. The antagonist can be a person, a group or a force (peer pressure, as an example).

Character development

The craft of giving a character a personality, depth, and motivations that propel them through a story. Character development is also defined as how a character evolves throughout the course of a story.

Conflict

A struggle between two opposing forces. Conflict provides crucial tension in any story and is used to drive the story forward. It is often used to reveal a deeper meaning while highlighting characters’ motivations, values and weaknesses.

Character vs. self

This is an internal conflict, meaning that the opposition the character faces is coming from within. This may entail a struggle to discern what the moral or “right” choice is, or it may also encompass mental health struggles.

Character vs. society

An external conflict when the protagonist is placed in opposition with society, the government or a cultural tradition or societal norm.