Style (literary composition)

Style is a factor in literary composition that relates to the way a writer assembles words and sentences. Although style is present in almost all written works, it is most important in fiction and other narrative writings. Many elements of writing, including fluency, word choice, and voice and tone, contribute to a writer's style. A successful style suits the intended readers of a work as well as the purpose of the work, though styles are subjective and may have different effects on different audiences.

Overview: Style and Its Importance

Style, a feature of literary composition, involves the manner in which a writer assembles words, sentences, paragraphs, and written works as a whole. Style is a critical aspect of writing. The style of a piece of writing can have an important effect on the audience, helping the reader to engage with the material, believe in the author's credibility, or be persuaded or moved to action. For that reason, finding the most appropriate style for a written work—a style that will suit the intended purpose and audience—is a crucial task for a writer.

Most commonly, style is a factor in fictional works such as novels and short stories, but it applies to other written expression as well. Biographies and other forms of narrative nonfiction require special styles of writing. Even writers of technical and educational nonfiction must choose styles that convey the necessary information clearly and establish the writers' credibility. Writers who develop unique and effective styles may become well-known. Many of history's most prolific and successful writers in all genres are famous today in part for the distinctive styles they developed.

Components of Style

A writer's style may be easily discovered in a piece of writing, but the exact nature of style may be harder to define. Writers and educators sometimes disagree on which elements combine to create style, and these elements may vary according to the writer, the genre, and the intended purpose of the work. Some of the most important factors generally accepted as contributing to style include fluency, word choice, and voice and tone.

Fluency in a written work involves the rhythm of the words and sentences, as well as the way they flow together when read. Generally, works should exhibit varied and interesting rhythms and smooth flows to increase accessibility and enjoyment for readers. Rhythms and flows may be altered to achieve certain effects. One common modification is to vary the length of sentences. A writer may favor long, detailed sentences to create leisurely feelings. Alternately, several short sentences may create a feeling of urgency or excitement in a work.

The author's word choice, also known as diction, is another important factor in style. Author word choices can make writing more effective by helping readers visualize the ideas and internalize the messages in a work. Although many words seem to have similar meanings, most words differ in certain ways. Sometimes a single word may have several meanings, such as a denotation (the proper definition from a dictionary) as well as a connotation (a more subjective emotional meaning connected to the word). Choosing the most direct, appropriate, and effective words can have a powerful effect on readers. For instance, the sentence "Anna sauntered up the pretty hill" is similar to "Anna scaled the awesome mountain," but the word choices convey very different feelings to readers.

An author's voice and tone also have strong impacts on writing style. Voice and tone are very similar factors that relate to the way the writer conveys his or her feelings. The voice in a piece of writing helps to show the author's personality. A writer may use a casual, chatty voice when writing a personal letter to a friend. Alternately, he or she may use an objective, authoritative voice when writing an instruction manual or technical document. These two kinds of voices are called informal and formal writing. Meanwhile, the tone of a work relates to the attitude of the author and the perspective of the work. A tone of quiet reflection may be most suitable for a poem about admiring the colors on an autumn afternoon. Alternatively, a tone of bitterness may be most appropriate for a novel about someone who is betrayed by her friends.

Teaching and Evaluating Style

Style is a critical feature of writing and an element that should be mastered by effective writers. It is, however, an inexact science. Style is subjective, which means there is no clear right or wrong way to choose or employ it. A stylistic approach that works for one reader may not work for another. For this reason, many educators have difficulty attempting to assess student writing styles. Instead, teachers may simply provide guidelines to help students choose the most effective and appropriate stylistic approaches. Overall, styles are most effective when they are direct and consistent, eliminating wordiness and avoiding stylistic variations that can confuse readers.

Educators may help students learn to master style through a variety of exercises. Plenty of practice in writing for different classes and genres can hone varied stylistic skills. In addition, short questions and quizzes may help to make students aware of the tasks of refining style. To improve fluency, students may correct wordy sentences by removing repeated or unnecessary information. Students may practice word choices by choosing among connotative and denotative meanings of words or by identifying and removing slang terms and clichés from formal writings. Interpreting the attitudes of written works and identifying stylistic changes that could shift those attitudes may help students understand the importance of voice and tone in writing style. Learning about style and finding ways to alter its components to improve writing can make writers more effective and successful.

Bibliography

Cali, Kathleen and Kim Bowen. "The Five Features of Effective Writing: Style." Learn NC. University of North Carolina School of Education. Web. 2 Dec. 2014. <http://www.learnnc.org/lp/editions/few/684>

Strunk, William Jr., E. B. White, and Maira Kalman. The Elements of Style – Illustrated. New York: Penguin Books, 2007. Print.

"Style, Diction, Tone, and Voice." Wheaton College Writing Center. Wheaton College. Web. 2 Dec. 2014. <http://www.wheaton.edu/Academics/Services/Writing-Center/Writing-Resources/Style-Diction-Tone-and-Voice>

"Style." The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The Writing Center. Web. 2 Dec. 2014. <http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/style/>

Trimble, John R. Writing with Style: Conversations on the Art of Writing. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2000. Print.