Writing Terms  
 
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In your language arts and English classes, you will encounter many specific terms that relate to writing.  Knowing the meanings of these terms will make you a more effective reader and writer. Here are twenty important writing terms whose meanings you should know.

Anecdote – A short account of a particular incident or event, typically of an interesting or amusing nature.

Autobiography
– A writer's account of his or her own life. This is in contrast to a biography, which is a story of someone's life written by another person.

Characterization
– A process by which a writer reveals a fictional character's personality to the reader.

Cliché – A phrase or expression that has been so overused that it has lost its significance.  Good writing avoids the use of clichés.

Connotation - The emotion or feeling that a word creates.

Denouement
– The final clarification or resolution of a plot in a written work.

Dialog
– A conversation between two or more characters in a literary work.  Dialog is set off by quotation marks.

Didactic – A form of writing that teaches something.

Epigram
– A brief or witty saying or poem.

Hyperbole
– An excessive exaggeration.

Irony
– An outcome of events that is contrary to what was expected to happen.

Juxtaposition
– Placing two words or ideas close together for contrast or interest.

Myth
– A story passed down over the generations that was once believed to be true.

Oxymoron
– Two words of contradictory meaning that are placed next to each other to make a point.

Parable
– A short story that teaches a moral or religious lesson.

Image of Protaganist
Protagonist
– The main character or hero in a story.

Pseudonym
– A false name used by a writer, often referred to as a pen name.

Style
– The manner in which a writer chooses to write to his or her audience.

Theme
– The idea that a writer wishes to convey about a subject.

Tone
– The attitude of a writer toward his or her subject.

Knowing the meanings of these twenty terms will be helpful to you in your language arts and English classes.