A person’s style has as much to do with their inner values and personality as it does with the clothes they wear. Developing your personal style takes time and requires an understanding of who you are. There are plenty of quizzes out there that can tell you in 5 seconds whether you’re a boho babe or a classic girl, but style is much more than just the clothes on your body. Your style is the way you carry yourself, how you communicate, and your choices about sustainability, finances, and other aspects of daily life.
Writing style refers to the author’s particular diction, tone, and pacing in their work. It’s what makes their writing unique, and it helps readers identify their writing from others. The style of an author can also change the way a story is interpreted. For example, Ernest Hemingway’s writing style is characterized by simple words and direct statements. This style gives Hemingway’s work a sense of authority and credibility, and it’s what sets him apart from other authors.
In literature, style has a similar role to fashion in the world of clothing. Each author has their own distinctive writing style that they bring to their works, which allows them to stand out and differentiate themselves from other authors. If all writers had the same writing style, it would be impossible for readers to distinguish one author from another, and literature wouldn’t be as interesting.
When writing, an author’s style should always serve the purpose of conveying a message or creating a mood. When a writer’s style becomes excessively decorative or overpowers the subject, it’s called “purple prose,” and it can detract from the reader’s experience. However, when a writing style serves its purpose well, it’s what sets a great author apart from the rest.
If you’re looking to improve your own writing style, it’s important to experiment with different forms and genres of literature. Each form demands a unique set of stylistic choices, so the words you choose in a love sonnet will be different from those you use in a science fiction novel. Also, try reading other authors’ work and paying attention to how they’ve chosen their words. Look for themes and recurring motifs that you can apply to your own work to refine your own writing style.
To develop your own personal style, start by identifying the specific terms you want to be described in. These can be aspirational or descriptive, but they should be words that you truly want to embody. From there, it’s a matter of finding the ways that your style choices reflect those qualities in your day-to-day interactions with people. For example, if you want to be seen as bubbly and friendly, you’ll want your clothing and demeanor to match that. Likewise, if you’d like to be seen as sophisticated and daring, your style should reflect that too. By repeatedly practicing and evolving your style, you can develop the look that will define you as an individual.