Creative Writing Vocabulary

Character: featured in a story and used as a medium to communicate/interact with the reader; he or she is given a specific attitude or attitudes, appearance, name, etc. Characters can be major or minor and static (unchanging) or dynamic (capable of change).

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An allegory is a symbolic representation, or expression by means of symbolic fictional figures and actions, of truths or generalizations about human existence.

In fiction, an allegory is often a symbolic narrative in which the surface details imply a secondary meaning and in which the characters represent moral qualities.

In fiction writing, writers will play off a word's denotative meaning against its connotations or implied associational implications.

Example: A four-leaf clover, rabbit's foot, and wishbone are all considered things that can bring good luck, but they themselves are not luck.

Although Scribendi has an extensive glossary of general writing terms, this one is specific to fiction writing terms and is therefore geared toward authors and writers.

For an author, fiction writing terms are important because they provide the tools necessary to make the most out of a literary work.Conflict: a struggle, disagreement, or difference between opposing forces in a literary work, usually resolved by the end of the work.Connotation: in a literary work, an idea or quality that a word makes you think about in addition to its dictionary definition; an implication that goes beyond the actual meaning of a word.Fable: a narration intended to enforce a useful truth.Fables frequently involve animals that speak and act like human beings. Falling Action: the action in a story that occurs after the climax, thus moving it toward its resolution.Complication: a situation or detail of a character that complicates the main thread of a plot.A complication builds up and develops the primary or central conflict in a literary work.Connotations can be positive (childlike [innocent, happy], dove [peaceful] or negative (chicken [cowardly]).Example: Shakespeare's Sonnet 18: "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Convention: a traditional or common style often used in literature, theater, or art to create a particular effect.By being aware of certain terms specific to fiction writing, authors will be able to get a better idea of what they should include in their fiction writing, which will then allow them to make their stories more vibrant and appeal to a wider audience.The following is a glossary of terms specific to fiction writing.