Author's Craft

• Reading Like a Writer: Examining an Author's Craft - Diction, Detail, Imagery, Syntax, Tone, Structure

• Read Like a Writer from Katie Wood Ray’s Wondrous Words (1999) - with example author's craft annotations by Penny Kittle

• The Writer's Craft - Textbook Chapter 3

• Diction: a person’s style and choice of words in writing or speech; word choice

• Syntax: the arrangement of words and phrases to create a particular effect or meaning

Dictionary & Thesaurus Apps

Dictionary and thesaurus apps and websites are great tools for understanding and fine-tuning diction.

• https://www.dictionary.com/

• https://www.thesaurus.com/

• https://www.merriam-webster.com/ 

• Glossary of Poetic Terms from Poetry Foundation

• Glossary of Selected Literary Techniques

• AP Literary Terms

• Rhetorical Devices List

• Writing Style & Author's Craft Elements

• LiteraryTerms.net

• Literary Terms list from Purdue Online Writing Lab

• Literary Elements and Devices from SuperSummary - includes rhetorical devices and other terminology

• The Essential Poet's Glossary by Edward Hirsch

• A Dictionary of Literary Terms by J.A. Cuddon

Literary Terminology Lists on Quizlet

• Literary Terms Level 1

• Literary Terms Level 2 - (not finished)

Literary Devices Cards

Figurative Language

• Metaphor

• Simile

• Personification

• Hyperbole

Watch the following 4 minute video on diction.

When you have finished, take the quiz.

Watch the 5 minute video demonstration of how to analyze diction and tone.

When you are finished, take the quiz.

1. Watch this 5 minute video to see how to annotate for diction and tone.

2. Choose ONE of the following readings:

   • Dear Ijeawele, or A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions (excerpt), by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

   • "Taking selfies in the wrong places" by Leonard Pitts Jr.

   • “American Like Me” (excerpt) by Viet Thanh Nguyen

3. Save a copy and annotate the reading using Google Docs comments and highlighting.

4. Share your annotated copy of the reading.

See my example

1. Group Leader:

   • Make a copy of The Danger of Silence, by Clint Smith, and save it in your Writing Portfolio.

   • Share the document to all of the group members and to me. (You only need to submit one copy per group.)

2. Everyone: Read, annotate and discuss. I am looking for all of the following annotations in your shared document:

   • Vocabulary study (at least 5 words, comments should include definition and connotation)

   • Main message phrases (identify and write a comment explaining what main idea is reflected)

   • Literary Devices (identify at least 5 literary devices that you noticed)

   • Diction (identify words and phrases that seem important and write a comment explaining why)

   • Tone (explain the author’s tone--use this list of tone words to help you--and identify text evidence that supports your claim)