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Glossary


Browse the glossary using this index

Special | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | ALL

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P

Political

Where the action centres around a real or invented political scenario, usually nationally or internationally, perhaps taking place in a parliament, or during a political campaign.

Psychological thriller

Where a mood of high tension and excitement is created mainly as the result of psychological drama and dilemma.

R

Realism

Fictional writing that aims to represent ‘everyday’ scenes, speech and behaviour through faithful depiction of ‘real life’ details, without recourse to obvious literary devices or conceits. Also known as ‘truth to nature’.

Romance

In its broader, historical sense, ‘romance’ refers to novels where the stories are exaggerated or remote from everyday life. Now it is often more taken to refer to a novel where the fiction centres on one or more love stories.

S

Science fiction

Where an alternative reality is created, usually in outer space, or on another planet, often involving a high degree of scientific or technical data about that ‘other world’.

Setting

The environment and atmosphere in which characters operate.

Short story

A length of prose up to approximately 20,000 words in length, most usually of between 1,000 and 5,000 words.

Simile

A comparison usually using ‘like’ or ‘as’, e.g. ‘ The clouds were like cotton wool’.

Story

A narrative of events arranged in their time-sequence.

Syntax

The grammatical structure in sentences.


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