Narrative and Storytelling Principles Flashcards
7 cards from real CPW practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Narrative and Storytelling Principles flashcards as text
Which narrative element establishes the rules, norms, and atmosphere of the story world before the main conflict begins?
Answer: Exposition
Exposition provides essential background information—setting, character introductions, and world rules—that orients readers before the central conflict unfolds.
A character who remains essentially unchanged from beginning to end of a story is called a(n):
Answer: Static character
A static character does not undergo significant internal change throughout the narrative, maintaining the same values, attitudes, or personality.
The technique of interrupting the main narrative to portray an event from the past is called a(n):
Answer: Both B and C
Flashback and analepsis are synonymous terms describing a narrative interruption that depicts events occurring before the story's present timeline.
In narrative theory, 'story' refers to the raw events in chronological order, while 'discourse' refers to:
Answer: How events are arranged and presented
Discourse (or sjuzhet) is the narrative's structure and presentation—the order, pace, and manner in which the underlying story events are told.
Which type of story ending leaves the central conflict unresolved to reflect the ambiguity of real life?
Answer: Open ending
An open ending deliberately withholds full resolution, trusting readers to interpret the outcome and reflecting the messiness of real experience.
The principle that a story's theme should emerge organically from character and action rather than being stated explicitly is called:
Answer: Thematic implication
Thematic implication means the story's central meaning arises from the accumulated weight of events and characters rather than authorial declaration.
When a narrator addresses the reader directly using 'you,' the story employs which point of view?
Answer: Second person
Second-person narration places the reader in the protagonist's role using 'you,' creating immersion or an unusual, distancing effect depending on its use.