Style is a kind of self-image and independence in a certain time and context and in a certain situation, of attire, footwear, clothing, makeup, hairstyles, body language, and personal accessories. In its general usage, the word basically means a style determined by the fashion business as what is fashionable at that time. It also refers to particular designs and styles of accessories and clothes. The term is used to refer to cultural traits or personal preferences. There is no universal meaning for style; it depends on each person’s personal interpretation of fashion.
In defining a style, two broad categories are used: there are terms that refer to an actual style and those that refer to a trend (which may be called a fad or a style because it lasts for a long time). Then, there are words that can be used to categorize the different styles: appearance and attitude. A description of a trend is more descriptive than a description of an individual’s individual style. So, the term style, as used in literature and conversation, refers both to the actual and to the trend styles.
The term “identity style” describes an imaginary style whose definition is attributable to a single author, who is attributed with such a style by a second author, who is not credited as originating the style. The second author might claim that he changed the style, while still retaining some attributes of the original style. But, if the attribution is not absolute, then the style attributed to the first author can be called “identity style,” just as “style without a change” is also a valid style. “Identity style,” therefore, refers to one author controlling the style through his or her writing, while leaving the other author’s style free to continue unchecked. The author, who controls the style is called the “identity style’s template.”
Each of these four style categories has its own strengths and weaknesses. Literary writing styles, for example, offer a clear direction from the point of view of the writer; whereas dramatic writing styles are more concerned with using very vivid imagery. Dramatic writing styles are very precise and require a keen attention to detail. This type of writing often requires a good knowledge of word choice and sentence structure.
However, literary style is usually very formal, characterized by a clear and definite direction from beginning to end. In this case, each paragraph corresponds to a specific movement of the plot, with the introduction of main characters, the main action, and the climax occurring in the last paragraph of each section. Dramatic language is more descriptive, involving greater verbal images and a very definite direction in which the story must move.
Each of the four basic style types – narrative, essay, and creative writing – have their own strengths and weaknesses. For each of these styles, different authors use different word choices and develop different structures, resulting in different plots and different characters within the stories. The most successful novels, of course, are those written by one author with a similar style. However, some of the most popular novels are written by several authors with very different styles – as long as the main characters are not radically different.