Diction

Diction Joey Sanchez


Struggling with writing style is something almost every writer deals
with. How do we choose the right words to use in our writing pieces?
Choosing what words you use is your diction and even though there is no
one single correct diction in the English language, there are different
words or phrases chosen for different contexts. Who is your audience;
that is who are you communicating with? Are you communicating with a
college instructor, a police officer, your friends or family? You do
not necessarily greet each of the above the same way do you?
Sometimes it seems like my papers aren't clear enough. They lack
clarity when read throughout their entirety. It seems that I may be
writing too casual for my intended audience. I have found myself
talking in my papers as I would talk to one of my friends. It is an
easy problem to get mixed up into but identifying when you are or
aren'€™t choosing the right words is very important. How does one
identify what words they choose to use? To identify this problem you
must ask yourself, is your social context formal or informal? Perhaps
this is the biggest question when dealing with one's diction.
Recognizing formal and informal social context may be the key when
choosing what writing styles to go with.
So is your audience formal or informal? If formal, make sure to avoid
wordy language. Being too broad and vague are enemies of formal
diction. Being clear, specific and almost straight to the point is what
formal diction is all about. You want formal papers to be easily
readable, not just understandable. Anyone can write an understandable
piece of writing but that does not necessarily mean it is easily
readable and clear. Writing formal diction is not personal, it’s
impersonal and that means you should avoid your personal input on the
topic at hand. Stick to the raw information of the topic at hand. What
are the truths of the topic? Write off that first and try to
incorporate complex words, elevated language, and a dignified tone.
Informal diction is plain, everyday language that may consist of slang,
idiomatic expressions, and simple common words. This style of diction
is avoided in most cases although it is one of my worst writing
problems. When I say, “Yo, what’s up man, how’s it going?” I am
speaking informal diction style.
Finally, rhetoric is important because it is the art of using language
effectively. What is your intended purpose? Have you considered your
audience and organized your thoughts? Was your writing clear and
logical? Once your purpose is clear, your writing will flow better.
Understanding your audience will influence your choice of words,
examples, details and tone. Sentences, paragraphs, sequences must be
orderly. From the first word to the last, strive for continuity and
further development. Use transitions in your writing to avoid repeating
yourself. Add unexpected picture to your pieces of writing while
avoiding the already obvious. Say only what absolutely has to be said
on whatever the topic. Avoid everything else. Adding your own style is
important, but in academic writing clarity, simplicity, and orderliness
are key.

Goals & Audience

I understand that the audience for this particular blog are the students of UNM. My goals include keeping a well organized, entertaining writing for the students. As a student, I would want to read fun topics and entertaining ones. In other words, my goal is to make UNM students want to read my blog as well as the rest of the classes blogs. That is, I must reach out and relate to other students because I am one myself and connecting with this audience is key to making them want to read my blog. This prewriting about my goals and audience is helpful in many ways. It helps me put the two together first and foremost. Answering questions such as who is the audience and how can I connect with them get me thinking about how I can make that connection. When thinking of goals, I then think of topics that my audience can relate to. I set goals such as being entertaining and fun when writing for the blog, and then that creates more goals. Prewriting comes along with brainstorming and put the two in action results in a rough draft. Editing and final drafts come next.