Tuesday, 19 August 2014

Daily Devices: Diction.


Diction: the term used to describe a distinctive tone or mood set by an author’s writing techniques. Diction is not just a writer's choice of words but can include the atmosphere, assertiveness, dialogue and style of writing. Diction is the mark of quality writing, usually judged by the prevailing standards of proper writing and speech of current trends. It is also understood as the selection of certain words or phrases that become standard features employed by a particular writer.


Example: Writers working in the fantasy genre may employ archaic terms such as ‘thy’, ‘thee’ and ‘wherefore’ to imbue a Shakespearean mood to their story. George R. R. Martin creates his own terms like ‘Ser’ and ‘Maester’ that allude to fantasy origans but hold a unique place in his world.

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