Diction

by Adam Huddleston

This week’s literary term is: diction. It can be roughly defined as an author’s word usage. Over time, a writer’s choice to use shorter or longer words, specific dialects, or even certain phrases, can distinguish them from their peers. For example, when attempting to affect a Shakespearian sound, an author may utilize familiar words from Old English such as thee, thy, and thou.

When analyzing my word usage, it seems that I prefer a mix of word length, southern dialects (surprise, surprise), and a lot of description regarding the setting’s temperature. I’m looking forward to honing my craft by altering my diction from time to time.

Happy writing!