To be updated at my leisure as additional vocabulary occurs to me (or you).
Authorial intent, MacGuffins, POVs, narrative structures, Soft and Hard magic systems, and dashing Heroes' journeys. The lingo of a writer is mysterious and wonderful.
Writers Vocabulary— A List
Antagonist
A character who opposes the main character/ protagonist. Most often, the bad guy or girl who cast as the villain of the story.
Authorial intent
The express meaning or intent of an author that is implied in their work.
Action Tag
An action tag, like a dialogue tag, is used before, after, or in the middle of dialogue to indicate who the speaker of the dialogue is. An action tag is not included inside the quotation marks of the dialogue but is included on the same line or paragraph at a natural pause point in the dialogue. i.e., Jane threw her hands in the air, "action tags are the best."
Call to Adventure
Often the inciting incident, the call to adventure, is a primary plot point that urges the character into the plot. An event, conflict, or problem that required action.
Character arc
The transformation/ change of a character throughout a narrative.
Character archetypes
A character archetype is a universally recognizable character type that requires little information to be readily understood by the audience. I.e., hero, villain, damsel in distress, etc.
Character foil
A character foil is a supporting character whose personality compliments and enhances the story's protagonist, often through contrasting personalities or values.
Character trait
A distinctive characteristic or quality of a person that makes up their personality. i.e., loyal, kind, funny, etc.
Character
A person (and sometimes thing) in a story.
Cliché
A cliche is a common phrase or opinion that has been used repeatedly and lacks originality.
Climax
The climax is the pivotal peak of a narrative plot. The highest point of tension where the rising action begins to turn into a falling action.
Close Third
A narrative POV where the narrator exists outside the story, referring to the characters in the third person. Also commonly called Third Person Limited. He, she, they.
Crutch Words
Words or phrases that an individual uses as filler or placeholders in speech or in writing.
Damsel In Distress
The traditional damsel in distress is a sweet, innocent, fragile and most of all beautiful young girl who falls into some kind of danger and who the (mostly) male protagonist must save to win the day.
Dark night of the soul
The darn night of the soul is a narrative device. The 'all is lost moment' in a narrative where the main character undergoes substantial change and introspection.
Dialogue
Verbal communication between two characters.
Dialogue Tag
A dialogue tag is a phrase used before, after, or in the middle of dialogue to indicate who the speaker of the dialogue is. A dialogue tag is not included inside the quotation marks of the dialogue but is included on the same line in natural pause points in the dialogue. i.e., He said, she asked, they exclaimed.
Exposition
A method of conveying essential information to the audience.
Falling action
The period after the climax of a story. A decrease in tension.
Filter Words
Filter words are often redundant words that filter the perceptions of your characters. e.g., she saw, he heard, they looked
First Person Point of View
A literary style where the narrative is conveyed from the narrator's perspective. I, me, we.
Check out Everything You Need To Know About First Person Point of View for more in-depth information.
Foreshadowing
Foreshadowing is when suggestions and indications are layered into the narrative to hint at larger future events.
Formulaic storytelling
Formulaic storytelling encompasses a narrative that includes plot structures, arcs, and characters that have been used so many times as to become easily recognizable and sometimes repetitive for the audience.
Gary Stu
A character who is perceived as too perfect and, therefore, uninteresting and unrealistic. A Gary Stu is predominately male, the female variation of Mary Sue.
Hard magic system
A magic system with a clearly defined set of rules. As opposed to a soft magic system
Head Hopping
Head hopping is the negative term for a switch in perspective without warning or adhering to writing rules and the narrative and POV types internal logic.
Heroes Journey
A common narrative structure.
Inciting incident
An event that begins the narrative journey of the characters.
Kick the dog/ Save the cat
When a character does something cruel or kind for no other purpose than to convince the audience of their personality.
Lampshading or Lampshade Hanging
Writer's trick of deliberately drawing attention to something the audience may not approve of. A writing and narrative trick that reassures the audience that the writer is aware of the 'problem,' thereby hanging a 'lampshade' on a glaring problem and masking it.
Literary theme/s
The main idea or underlying meaning that is being explored in a narrative.
Love interest
A character who is the romantic interest of the primary character. Often they have no other purpose.
Love triangle
A romantic relationship or dynamic that involves three or more people. Most often, including the main character.
MacGuffin
A MacGuffin is a plot device used to move the story forward, usually lacking any intrinsic importance to the overall story except as a catalyst for the characters.
Magic system
A set of rules that govern how magic is used in a narrative.
Marty Stu
A character that is perceived as too perfect, therefore uninteresting and unrealistic. Predominately male, the female variation of Mary Sue.
Mary Sue
A character who is perceived as too perfect and, therefore, uninteresting and unrealistic. Predominately female, the male variation is sometimes called a Mary Stu or a Gary Stu.
Midpoint
The midpoint occurs in the middle of a story. It caps the story's first half and sets up the plot for the second half.
Narration
A literary device for telling a story. The story's narrator can be the main character, a side character, someone who tells the story but never enters it, or the author.
viewpoints
Narrative structure
The narrative structure is the underlying structure and organization method used to relay a story to the audience. The structure can be organized chronologically, through multiple POVs, or through established structures such as the hero's journey.
Not Like Other Girls (trope)
The Not Like Other Girls girl is a female character who identifies more closely with traditional male characteristics than conventional female characteristics.
Omniscient Point of View
All-seeing, all-knowing narrator. The omniscient POV is frequently written using the pronouns he, she, and they.
Ordinary World
The established existing life/ world of the primary character.
Pantser Writer
A pantser writes, “by the seat of their pants.” i.e., they don’t plan, plot or outline their writing. Instead, they just write.
Pacing
How slow or fast the narrative's progression.
Plot device
A plot device is a tool or technique used to move a narrative forward.
Plot hole
An inconsistency or gap in storyline, character, or established rules and world-building.
Plot point
A significant element of a narrative that has an impact on the story as a whole. A plot is made up of multiple plot points.
Plot
A logical series of events that, when placed in sequence, make up a story or narrative.
Plotter Writer
Plotters are distinguished by their preference for mapping out their story ahead of time, creating detailed outlines before they begin writing.
POV
Point Of View or POV is the perspective a story or narrative is being told from and how it is being told. Some POVs include first-person, second-person, third-person, and omniscient POVs.
Premise
A premise is a foundational idea that explains a story's plot in simple terms. Often in only one or two sentences.
Prologue
A prologue is a section of 'extra' writing at the beginning of a story, before the first chapter.
Protagonist
A protagonist is the ‘chief actor’ in a narrative, they make the primary decisions and drive the plot forward through their actions.
Red herring
A misleading or false clue.
Refusal of the call (to adventure)
The refusal of the call is directly connected to the 'call to adventure.' The primary character declines the call to adventure, most often as a result of fear, sometimes because of external forces.
Resolution
The conclusion of a story's plot. The main issues, problems, conflicts, plot points, and character arcs are wrapped and resolved.
Rising action
A building series of events that build to create tension.
Second Person Point of View
A literary style where the narrative is addressed directly to the reader. Second, Person POV most often uses the pronoun 'You.'
Setting
Location and time of a narrative.
Soft magic system
A magic system with an unclear, changeable, or 'soft' set of rules. As opposed to a hard magic system.
Suspension of disbelief
Voluntarily allowing oneself to believe and enjoy something that is not true.
The Five act structure
A model or narrative structure divides a narrative into five distinct parts. Exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution.
The Four act structure
A model or narrative structure divides a narrative into four distinct parts. Setup, rising action, crises, and resolution.
The Six act structure
A model or narrative structure divides a narrative into three distinct parts, setup, confrontation, and resolution, with two sub-sections per part.
The Three act structure
A model or narrative structure divides a narrative into three distinct parts. Setup, confrontation, and resolution.
Third Person Limited
A POV where the narrator exists outside the narrative but relays the story through the perspective of a single character at a time. He, she, they.
Third Person Point of View
A POV where the narrator exists outside the narrative, referring to the characters in the third person. Also commonly called Close Third. He, she, they.
Trope
A trope is a common, recurring, recognizable device, such as themes, plot lines, characters, places, etc., that have been used repeatedly.
World Building
The construction of a world, real or imaginary, within a narrative.
If you can think of any additional words, phrases, or ideas that might be useful for new or established authors and writers, please comment below so I can add them. Thanks!
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