What You Need to Know

Key Concept Diagram

A well-developed character has specific traits, desires, and flaws

Setting is established using sensory details — what characters see, hear, smell

A narrative arc includes an introduction, rising action, climax, and resolution

Show don't tell: describe actions and feelings rather than stating them directly

Key Vocabulary

Character

A person, animal, or being who takes part in the events of a story

Setting

The time and place in which a story takes place

Narrative arc

The shape of a story from beginning through conflict to resolution

Show don't tell

Revealing information through actions and details rather than direct statements

Knowledge Check

Select the correct answer for each question. Click "Check Answer" to see if you are right.

Question 1

Which sentence SHOWS rather than tells that a character is nervous?

"Her hands trembled and she kept checking the door." "She felt scared." "She was very nervous." "She was not calm."

Question 2

Which detail best establishes a spooky setting?

"It was a house." "The floorboards groaned underfoot as cold air seeped through the cracked windows." "The house was old and scary." "The house was not nice to look at."

Question 3

Where in a narrative does the climax occur?

At the very beginning At the end as a conclusion At the highest point of tension, near the end In the middle as background information

Creative Story Writing