Key terms & definitions

Writing that tells a sequence of connected events involving characters.

The way a story is organised and communicated, including the order of events, information revealed and roles of characters.

A film’s storyline and the way it is presented, including its structure, order and viewpoint.

A character's ability to make choices and take actions that influence the story.

A significant moment or sequence in which the narrative’s developing action or conflict reaches a culmination.

The way a narrative resolves its central conflicts and brings its events towards an ending.

The resolution of a narrative’s main conflicts and questions.

The shortening of narrative time, so that a long period of events is covered in relatively little text.

The speed at which a story moves through events, shaped by the balance between detailed scenes, summaries and omitted periods.

The apparent speed at which a narrative unfolds, shaped by how much attention the writer gives to action, description, dialogue and particular moments.

The speed at which a narrative presents events, shaped by the amount of description, dialogue or summary devoted to them.

The perspective through which events are presented. A third-person narrator tells these chapters, often focusing on Utterson’s perceptions and thoughts.

The perspective from which events are presented, such as a participant telling the story using ‘I’ or a third-person narrator describing a character.

A poem that tells a story through a sequence of events.

A conclusion that resolves the main conflicts and shows the outcomes of the story.

A character’s function in a story, such as opposing the hero, providing help or sending the hero on a mission.

The order and arrangement of events, information and sections within a literary work.

The deliberate arrangement of events, details and shifts in a piece of writing to guide the reader’s experience.

The methods a storyteller uses to organise and present events, including viewpoint, dialogue, pace and the release of information.

The perspective through which a story is told. In The Sign of Four, Watson’s first-person narration means that readers encounter Mary through the observations and judgements of a man who falls in love with her.

The position from which a text presents events, such as a first-person participant or a third-person narrator.

The perspective and manner in which a story is told, including the narrator’s tone and choices about what to report.

The distinctive personality or perspective conveyed by a narrator’s language and observations.

The voice that tells a story, which is not necessarily the author’s own voice.

The voice that tells a story; the narrator is not necessarily the author.

The voice that tells a story. A narrator may participate in events or describe them from outside.

A moment when the narrator draws attention to their own voice by commenting explicitly on the story or its characters, rather than simply recounting events.

The doctrine that each Imam nominates his successor by divine designation, rather than merely choosing a leader through personal preference.

An open-air swimming pool in a Roman bath complex.

Iraq’s national representative assembly, elected in January 2005 as part of the transition towards elected Iraqi government.