How to Master Your Writing, Outlast the Online Competition, and Survive the Panda Prowl

Online writing is a business, and business is warfare, in terms of competition and the “element of Google-surprise”.  Arsenal (writing) strength determines survival.

Writing.

That wonderful craft of word-assembly, transferring thoughts to print.

Writing is a career for some, therapy for many, and enjoyment for others. In most cases, it’s “all the above”.

However, all good writers are—or should be diction-savvy wordsmiths.

After crafting a draft, we read over it and find ourselves crossing out sentences that don’t quite say what we want them to say; some sentences don’t belong at all.

In other words, we aim for good diction or the best choice of words, expressed in appropriate tone and style—to convey the message or purpose of the writing.

Choosing the best words is central to writing the best piece.

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This subject is vast and detailed. We will continue the discussion in “parts”, as not to omit any “rungs” in the ladder, as we climb to a Google vantage point in this rigorous online content scrimmage.

Writing with a purpose to serve a purpose creates a “supply” for the “demand” of unique and valuable information on various subjects.

Contrary to popular belief, there is NO "backdoor" method to ranking highly in Google or other search engines. And if there is, you have to ask, "What's wrong with the front door?"

However, I digress.

Let's talk about Diction.

Denotations and connotations of words

Naming things—plants, instruments, people, automobiles—is the most familiar use of words.  

When we use words in this way, the things they refer to are called denotations.

For instance, the word “fetus” most commonly denotes a growing baby in the womb.  

The denotation of “rain” is liquid drops of water that fall from clouds.  In other words, the denotation is a word’s explicit meaning.

Therefore, when talking about the “growth of a fetus”, you are not only describing the process, you are also expressing medical and physical facts, and thereby, inviting your reader to share an attitude toward the process.

On the other hand, some words acquire connotations as well as denotations. 

Connotations are “implications”—implied or suggested feelings or attitudes that are referred to and not clearly stated.  

Imply different attitudes of similar events

Example:

•  Jason complained that the workers were “scrubbing” the paint off his automobile.  Henry assured him they were just “washing” the vehicle.

• Mrs. Poole accused the gardener of “drowning” her roses.  The gardener convinced her he was merely “thoroughly soaking” the ground around them, after a hot, dry spell.

The above examples are between favorable and unfavorable connotations.  Drowning and watering refer to similar actions; however, the first implies “carelessness”, and the second suggests “caring for roses”.

If we are to succeed at writing…

• the words we choose must support the purpose
• to report objectively, we must select words that suggest a neutral attitude: take medication, not abusing drugs.
• to convey a tolerant or approving attitude, we must use words that invite a tolerant or approving response: watering the garden, washing the vehicle.
• to suggest disapproval, select words with unfavorable connotations: drowning roses, scrubbing paint off.

Each method is deliberate, tolerant and approving; intolerable and disapproval.  Skillful writers can provoke reader response using both methods. 

Nevertheless, we must ALWAYS be deliberate with diction—never careless.  

The message we convey must be the intended purpose. Otherwise, haphazard writing sends mixed messages, with words, tone, and style that suggest many purposes, when there should only be one.

Three Qualities of Effective Diction

Writing is a meticulous endeavor that takes readers on treasure hunts; sends couples honeymooning on exotic islands; lays out how-to tips; explains the theory of mathematics; and tells intriguing stories. 

Choice of diction is always made with reference to a particular sentence and to the total context of a piece of writing. Unfortunately, the dictionary or thesaurus will not give you “the right word”.

Dictionaries give us various meanings of words; the thesaurus provides a list of synonyms, words with slightly varying meanings. 

You, the writer, must decide which word and meaning fits into your purpose.  To do this, we must know and consider the qualities of effective diction, which are:  appropriateness, specificity, and imagery.

Look for the post entitled "Appropriateness", one of the three qualities of effective diction.