Diction, Imagery, Syntax, Tone and Voice

Diction  Choice and use of words in speech or writing  A way of speaking, usually judged in terms of prevailing standards of pronunciation and elocution

 Diction Word choice, or general character of the language used by the author. Words have three levels, and are selected based on their efficiency in these three areas:  Appearance  Sound  Meaning

Syntax  the study of the rules for the formation of grammatical sentences in a language.  the study of the patterns of formation of sentences and phrases from words.

 Syntax is the order in which you place words, to make a sentence either sound good or convey a certain meaning. "To your house we are going" would be an example of awkward syntax. You understand it, but it sounds odd.  People who are learning a language might have problems with syntax.  If you mess with syntax, you can change the meaning: The young man carries the lady. The lady carries the young man. Syntax matters!

Tone  The way in which an author expresses his or her attitude; the intonation of the voice that expresses meaning.  Tone is described by adjectives, and the possibilities are nearly endless.

 Often a single adjective will not be enough, and tone may change from chapter to chapter or even line to line.  Tone is the result of allusion, diction, figurative language, imagery, irony, symbol, syntax, style, and so on

Imagery  The formation of mental images, figures or likenesses of things, or of such images collectively.

Voice  Your "voice" is the way that you "speak" on paper.  It is how your words come across to the reader, and it will be different for every writer.  Voice depends on the style you choose - formal, informal, technical, chatty, poetic - and the words you choose to express this style - simple words, scientific words, complex words, slang words.  You also use different voices for your characters. A college-educated businessman speaks in a different voice than someone who is in fourth grade, and someone from a different country speaks in a different voice than a world traveler.

 Grandma's hugs burn my skin.  The pitter-patter of the rain against the window.  The gurgling sound of my brother slurping