Hint Fiction Mini-Unit

Ah yes. You will be reading 10 stories (possibly more!) over the next 5 or 6 days. Don't panic! (or panic, the choice is yours!) The stories themselves are only 25 words...or less. I find this to be a creative way to explore several important concepts: diction (word choice), significance of titles, and story gaps. Hint fiction also challenges your notion of what can be considered a story.

As we read these stories, really try to monitor your reactions and feelings toward them: can you accept these 25 puzzlers as valid stories? why or why not? At the end of the mini-unit, we will attempt a Radio Show formatted discussion over the issue of what counts as a story.


Diction-the choice and use of words in speaking or writing.

Words carry weight with them. No, not that kind of weight. Rather, they carry emotional, cultural, or social weight. Yup. Even if two words are fairly similar in their literal meanings,  we often associate different  feelings or ideas with those words. Take a look at the following word pair: self-confident---cocky. Which word has the more positive feeling?

Can you think of two words that are essentially similar in meaning, but suggest different feelings or ideas?


What we're talking about here is the difference between connotative meaning and denotative meaning:


NOTES:

Connotative meaning: an implied meaning that comes from the emotional weight, social overtones, or cultural implications of a word, which is different from its literal meaning.

Denotative meaning: the literal, dictionary definition of a word, without any extra cultural or contextual meaning.

EXAMPLE:

White House: connotes  (suggests, implies) the place where the president resides and operates.

The denotative meaning for "White House", however, is simply a house that is actually painted white.

MORE PRACTICE

For each pair, place a plus sign after the word that conveys a more favorable attitude

and a minus sign after the word that carries a less favorable attitude

• refreshing – chilly

• plain – natural

• clever – sly

• cackle – giggle

• snob – cultured

• cop – officer

• skinny – slender

• statesman – politician

• smile – smirk

• domineering – assertive

The point is this: the author's word choice can change the meaning or our experience with a text. Diction, or word choice is SIGNIFICANTLY MORE IMPORTANT in short stories, especially hint fiction, where every word LITERALLY counts.

Think about Hemmingway's six word novel. Think about his word choice. What does the word, worn, imply, versus the word, used?

Hemmingway’s Six Word Novel

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