Check Out This Glossary of Storytelling Techniques

The Storytelling Technique Glossary

• Character:
  • Types of Characters: Beyond the basic protagonist/antagonist division, think of characters as fulfilling roles within the story's structure.
    • Round vs. Flat: Round characters are complex, with motivations and flaws. Flat characters serve a specific purpose but aren't fully developed.
    • Static vs. Dynamic: Static characters remain the same throughout the story. Dynamic characters undergo significant change or growth.
    • Stock Characters: These are archetypal figures (e.g., the wise mentor, the damsel in distress) that audiences easily recognize.
  • Character Development: How are characters revealed? Methods include:
    • Direct description (physical appearance, personality traits)
    • Actions the character takes
    • Internal dialogue or thoughts
    • Dialogue with other characters
• Conflict:
  • Types of Conflict: Conflict comes in various forms:
    • Person vs. Person (your classic hero vs. villain)
    • Person vs. Nature (characters grappling with a natural disaster)
    • Person vs. Society (a character challenges social norms)
    • Person vs. Self (internal struggles over decisions or beliefs)
  • External vs. Internal Conflict: External conflict is driven by outside forces, internal conflicts come from within a character's mind.
• Plot:
  • Structure The most common plot structure is Freytag's Pyramid:
    • Exposition: Introduces setting, characters, and background information.
    • Inciting Incident: The event that triggers the main conflict.
    • Rising Action: Build tension through obstacles and complications.
    • Climax: The turning point, the moment of highest tension.
    • Falling Action: The consequences of the climax unfold.
    • Resolution: The conflict is settled, leading to a new sense of normalcy.
  • Nonlinear: Events are presented out of order, using flashbacks, flash-forwards, or other techniques.
• Point of View (POV):
  • Impact of POV: POV choice radically shapes the reader's experience:
    • First-person offers intimacy but can be limited or unreliable.
    • Third-person limited allows deeper exploration of a single character's mind.
    • Third-person omniscient provides a broad overview, but can feel less immediate.
  • Multiple POVs: Stories can shift between different POVs, especially across chapters. This provides a multi-layered view of events.
• Setting:
  • More Than Backdrop: Setting deeply influences a story:
    • Historical Setting: Impacts character behavior, social rules, and available technology.
    • Social Setting: The cultural values and beliefs of the place where the story happens shapes the characters' interactions.
    • Symbolic Setting: Setting can mirror characters' internal states or foreshadow developments.
• Theme:
  • Identifying Theme: Think about lessons learned, recurring ideas, or questions raised by the story. Themes are rarely stated outright, but inferred by the reader.
  • Theme vs. Subject: Subject is the topic (love, war), theme is what the story says about that topic (love conquers all, war is destructive)