VOICE LESSONS – DICTION …otherwise known as word choice Taken from Voice Lessons, by Nancy Dean

What is Diction? Diction is the author’s choice of words Words are the basic tools of a writer They create color and texture of the written work They reflect and determine the level of formality They shape the reader’s perceptions

Students as Readers Never skip over words you don’t know Read with a dictionary next to you This would be like going to a concert wearing earplugs, you are missing the whole effect To understand voice, you must “hear” the words and “feel” their effects Diction reflects the writer’s vision and steers the reader’s thoughts

Effective Voice An effective voice is shaped by words that are clear, concrete, and exact A good writer will avoid using words like: pretty, nice, and bad Rather, they will utilize words that invoke a specific effect Torn vs. tattered Wanting revenge vs. thirsting for revenge Shut vs. thud Specific diction brings the reader into the scene, enabling full participation in the writer’s world

Diction depends on topic, purpose, and occasion Topic often determines the specificity and sophistication of diction Many topics will generate special vocabularies as a connection to meaning For example, if writing about computers you will use specialized language like: E-mail E-shopping Web Interface

Diction depends on topic, purpose, and occasion No matter what the author’s purpose is, it will partly determine diction Is the author trying to convince, entertain, amuse, inform, or plead? Words chosen to impart a particular effect on the reader reflect and sustain the writer’s purpose If the author’s purpose is to inform, you can expect a straightforward diction If the author’s purpose is to entertain, you can expect words to be used in ironic, playful or unexpected ways

Diction depends on topic, purpose, and occasion Occasion will dictate whether you use formal or informal diction Formal diction is typically found in scholarly writing, serious prose, or poetry Informal diction is normally used in expository essays, newspaper editorials and works of fiction Colloquial diction and slang come from informal speech but are used to create a mood or capture a particular historic or regional dialect Appropriateness of diction is determined by the norms of society

Connotation & Denotation Connotation – the meaning suggested by a word Calling a character slender will evoke a different feeling than calling the character gaunt Denotation – the literal meaning A word’s power to produce a strong reaction in the reader lies mainly in its connotative meaning

Final Ideas Diction can impart freshness and originality to writing Words used in surprising or unusual ways make us rethink what is known and re- examine meaning A good writer will opt for complexity rather than for simplicity and for multiple meanings rather than precision Diction, the foundation of voice, shapes a reader’s thinking while guiding reader insight into the author’s idiosyncratic expression of thought: the writer’s voice

Works Cited Dean, Nancy. Voice Lessons. Gainsville: Maupin House, 2000.