What does 'diction' refer to in an author's craft?

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Diction is the author's word choice and how those words shape tone and meaning. The specific words an author selects carry both their literal definitions and the feelings or associations they evoke in readers. This choice affects the overall mood or attitude—the tone—whether formal or casual, somber or witty, precise or vague—and it guides how we interpret the ideas and themes being conveyed. By choosing words with particular connotations, an author can highlight certain nuances, create rhythm, and influence how readers perceive characters and events.

This idea differs from other craft elements: plot structure is about how the events are arranged; imagery focuses on the sensory pictures created by details; and the physical layout concerns typography and formatting. Diction sits in the actual language itself—the vocabulary and phrasing—so it directly shapes tone and meaning without depending on what happens in the plot, the images described, or how the text is laid out.