Whether you are writing fiction or non-fiction, style is a key element to distinguishing your work. Styles can come from within or be a reflection of the outside. It is a way to convey intelligence, spirit, and personal control. It can also be a marker of identity and community. Whether you are writing a book, a magazine article, or a cover letter, style can change the way readers perceive your work.
A writer’s style is a combination of word choice, sentence structure, and author’s personality. It can be informal or formal, but it can also convey a serious, reflective, or objective voice. Whether the writer is a chef, a mathematician, a scientist, or a writer, style can set their work apart from other authors.
Whether you are writing a novel, a short story, a biography, or a media article, style is crucial to making your work more readable and appealing. In order to develop a writing style that best fits your work, it is important to consider the personality of your protagonist. Your writing style should reflect their worldview. If your protagonist is an optimistic bond salesman, then his personality will be different than that of a lawyer. Similarly, if your protagonist is a history buff, his style of writing will be different than that of a mathematician.
Styles often develop in a series of relatively sudden changes, but they may also change over time. For example, Nick Carraway’s style of writing changes as he experiences the high society of New York. In his next novel, he chooses to immerse himself in the world of high society. Similarly, Hemingway and Steinbeck have different styles.
Another type of style is descriptive. It is used in poetry, novels, and visual art. Descriptive style often includes sensory words, such as “smoke,” “shade,” and “star-veiling.” It paints pictures and helps readers visualize the world as the writer describes it. This type of style is most often used in fiction.
Style is the most important element in fiction writing. It is the reason why people read the books of their favorite authors. If your writing doesn’t convey your personality, your work will be boring. It is also the reason why your work will stand out from the rest of the books on the market. It can be a valuable tool in moving through the world, but it can also be difficult to point out directly. In fact, voice is often left out of the formulas used to score writing tests. It is difficult to accurately measure the impact of voice on writing. Nevertheless, authors do not intentionally strive to develop their style. Instead, their style emerges as a result of their dedication to their work.
Style is also important to the community. When a group of authors or discourse communities agree on a style, it is a way to mark their work as a unique and influential piece of work. Community conventions, such as blogs, peer-reviewed publications, and magazines, are used to define and value styles.