As a writer, we write not for ourselves (entirely), but for our audience. We must shape our work according to the audience we are appealing to. Considering, we cannot have a dual dialogue with our readers, we, as authors, must provide them with clear reports on the happenings within our work. Creating clear and concise details regarding tone, language, article progression, and sources, are vital parts of the writing process. By using particular diction, the writer is able to establish tone for the plot, as well as individual characters.
Understand Language and Rhetoric
Jargon: the technical terminology or characteristic idiom of a special activity or group (Merriam-Webster). Jargon, similar to Lexis, are specific words and phrases used by specific groups which have particular meaning to those organizations. When creating “genre”, authors use jargon to establish a tone and fit character archetypes within their stories. For the same reason, authors occasionally omit some aspects of a story to allow for a more inquisitive outlook, causing the reader to seek more. In order to align with tone, euphemisms are frequently used throughout a story. One must consider the events prior and the knowledge of the character and setting to determine how they may go about saying things. Like euphemisms, colloquialism is can be used depending on the situation and environment one is in. “Colloquial refers to language that is informal and usually spoken but not written (such as “ain’t” and “gonna”),” (Boyd, Murder-Rhetorically-Speaking). Being able to shape language usage by pathos, ethos, and logos, can affect genre and the interpretation of the reader.
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