![]() In brief, a style is always the outward and visible symbol of a man, and cannot be anything else.” -H.L. It is, in fact, quite as seriously an integral part of him as that skin is. “The essence of a sound style is that it cannot be reduced to rules–that it is a living and breathing thing with something of the devilish in it–that it fits its proprietor tightly yet ever so loosely, as his skin fits him.“When we see a natural style, we are astonished and delighted for we expected to see an author, and we find a man.” -Blaise Pascal.“Style is the dress of thoughts and let them be ever so just, if your style is homely, coarse, and vulgar, they will appear to as much disadvantage.” -Philip Dormer Stanhope, Earl of Chesterfield.What Authors Say About Writing Styleīefore we move on, let’s illustrate this point about authors’ writing styles in another way: different quotes from authors on writing styles themselves. It is the gestalt of every decision, both conscious and unconscious, that the writer makes in the text. Writing styles showcase how a writer reaches their point, encompassing the totality of the author’s word choice, sentence structures, use of literary devices, etc. Such differences in expression are the essence of style. His sentences are less laden with imagery and description they are merely vehicles to his conclusion that the world is “an endless battle of contrasting memories.”Įach author takes his own route, and each excerpt will connect with the reader in different ways. ![]() Haruki Murakami, by contrast, uses far fewer words to illustrate the same idea. He uses dialogue and describes the gestures of his characters to punctuate his ideas, and he ends by suggesting that, if we do not remember, then we are infinitely more vulnerable to the metaphorical “wolf at the door.” John le Carré illustrates his point by examining historical, world-altering events. Yet they approach the topic in different ways. That’s what the world is, after all: an endless battle of contrasting memories.”Įach quote addresses a similar theme: how the perpetrators forget, but the victims always remember, and how that remembering shapes the world. Their memories are passed on from parent to child. But the surviving victims can never forget. They can turn away from things they don’t want to see. “The ones who did it can always rationalize their actions and even forget what they did. To ignore history is to ignore the wolf at the door.” “Tomorrow was created yesterday, you see. Tomorrow’s another day!’ But it isn’t, Mr. But ask an Englishman-” He flung up his hands in mock ignorance. And when he has one, his great-grandchild will tell you too. ![]() Ask an Iranian what the English did to him in 1953 and he’ll tell you. Ask an Irishman what the English did to him in 1920 and he’ll tell you the day of the month and the time and the name of every man they killed. That’s one of the great problems of our modern world, you know. Each excerpt talks about the same dilemma-the endurance of memory-but approaches that dilemma in uniquely stylish ways. To illustrate what we mean by style, let’s compare two writing styles examples from two different works of fiction. Style is like an author’s thumbprint-a unique and indelible mark on the voice and personality of the work.Īuthors doesn’t only hone their style deliberately: writing styles emerge as a result of dedication, the author’s own personality, and a continuous experimentation with language and meaning. If a writer’s work is a house, style is what adorns that house: the window blinds, the doormat, the freshly painted eaves. Think of writing style as the author’s thumbprint-a unique and indelible mark on the voice and personality of the work. We’ll analyze the different types of writing styles, look at writing styles examples from various famous authors, and suggest different ways to experiment in your own work.īut first, let’s clarify what we mean when we say “writing styles.” What is style in writing? What is Style in Writing? This article provides tips for honing style in your own work. It’s also emergent: when you parse the elements of writing styles, you lose something that lives in how you put them together. Though two given writers might dwell on similar themes, every writer expresses a unique writing style, conveyed through elements like word choice, narrative structure, and the author’s own voice.īut what is style in writing? On some level, style is ineffable. Writing styles may be hard to define, but something separates Hemingway from Steinbeck, Atwood from LeGuin, or Keats from Wordsworth.
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