One’s writing style could mean slightly different things to different editors. First, the work must be free of grammatical and spelling errors. The sentences should flow easily, they should show a certain rhythm or cadence.
The writing should reflect the character’s voice. That means the person’s manner of speech, favorite or representative expressions, tone of voice, vocabulary, or even attitudes toward topics. The purpose of each paragraph informs the style. The four main types of writing style are persuasive, narrative, expository, and descriptive. In other words, is the author’s goal to persuade, tell, reveal or describe?
In addition, does one’s style of storytelling put us into the scene, as if we are there? Reader engagement usually happens when the writer is doing more showing than telling. Are all the senses engaged, within the scene? Do we know how things feel to the touch, how they smell and look? All these elements contribute to good writing.
You can identify an author’s style by sentence structure, sensory details, rhythm, dialogue, word choice and the use of local cultural expressions.
Why is writing style’s important? Because different type’s of writing require different styles. An essay or nIn writing genre fiction, the sentence structure, tone, and rhythm will be influenced by the particular category in which you are writing. For example, a romance novel has a different voice than a sci-fi fantasy or horror story.
You may also ask:
What is meant by writing style?
what are examples of writing style?
How do you identify an author’s writing style?
Why is writing style important?
Keep writing and reading Authorlink for more tips.
The really big one, with fiction, is whether to write in the past or present tense. Traditionally, stories are told in the past tense. They are something that has happened and now the writer is telling the story. It’s comfortable and cosy that way, because that’s what we are used to.
On the other hand, the present tense is very active. It pushes the reader’s adrenaline. Instead of something that happened once upon a time, the reader is riding shotgun with the protagonist. This can be tricky for an editor to navigate, so it would be worth the writer’s while to explain exactly what they are trying to achieve by adopting the present tense.
Thanks for your insights, David.