Transcript Diction - October 26

VOICE
Diction
 Diction is one of the elements of the voice
 Diction refers to the author’s choice of
words.
 Words are the basic tools of a writer. Just as
a painter uses color, a writer uses words. In
order to write well, you have to find the
perfect word.
The “Perfect” Word
 The perfect word is clear, concrete, and
exact.
 In other words, it says exactly what you
want it to say, is specific, and creates the
picture you see in your mind.
 A character doesn’t just look for something; she
rummages.
 You don’t hang around the house; you sop
around.
 The perfect word perfectly expresses the
feeling and idea that you want to get across.
Finding “Perfect” Words
 It’s not always easy!
 If you already know it’s not the perfect
word, stretch yourself a little:
 Ask someone for a better word
 Look up the word you know in a dictionary
and look for synonyms
 Try using a thesaurus….but be careful!
Make sure you know how to use the word
properly before using it!
Not-so-perfect Words
 Some words are especially overused and
tired, and certainly not perfect
 These words have lost their freshness and
impact
 These words are general and abstract and
create no clear picture in the reader’s mind
 Consider these words “forbidden,” and
eliminate them from your vocabulary! You
will be a better writer for doing so!
“Forbidden Words”
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Good
Nice
Pretty
Beautiful
Fine
Bad
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Thing
Really
Very
Terrible
Wonderful
A lot
Denotation and Connotation
 Words don’t simply have meaning. Words
also have denotation and connotation.
 Denotation is the literal meaning of the
word.
 Connotation is the meaning suggested by
the word, the feeling evoked by a word.
Denotation and Connotation
Example:
 The words ambitious and eager have
roughly the same denotation (literal
meaning): desirous of reaching a goal.
However, the connotations are quite
different.
 Ambitious carries with it the feeling of wanting
something for selfish reasons and without any
thought of how it may effect others.
 Eager has a feeling of enthusiasm and freshfaced optimism…it is a more positive word.
Denotation and Connotation
Example:
 How about the words: father, dad, and
daddy?
 Denotation?
 Connotations?
Good writers consider audience!
 Words can be formal or informal, depending on the
writer’s audience and purpose.
 Just as you talk differently to your friends and your
teachers, writers choose different words depending on
whom they are writing for and why.
 If you are writing a school paper to convince the principal
that your opinion about school uniforms is the correct one,
you should use formal, strong, and specific words with
clearly understood meanings.
 If you are writing a short story to be read by people your
own age, you might want to use slang and lots of teen
dialect.
A writer’s words should always suit the audience and
purpose of the piece.
Diction Practice

Read and think:
The neatly arranged rows of high-end, brightly-colored spring sandals filled the
massive shoe section of the expensive department store.
1. What picture do you get in your mind when you read
this sentence?
2. How would the meaning of the sentence change if we
changed some of the words?
Play with the sentence and change its meaning by changing the diction
(word choice) in the sentence.
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Change it so that it sounds like the store is not expensive, or not high-end.
Diction Practice
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The sloppy rows of sandals filled the shoe section of the small, crowded store.
More diction practice:
“That movie was sick! It has the sweetest special effects ever!”
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Notice the diction, or word choice, in the sentence above. Change the sentence
so that it sounds like it is coming from your grandmother.
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Now change the sentence so it sounds like it is coming from someone from a
refined background (perhaps Queen Elizabeth).