Style

 I do not think I have any style in my writing. The confidence is not there, or so I think today. Yes, I know that style is a reflection of personality. I should have one of those, shouldn't I? Well, mine feels right this moment to be of a plodder, a muddle-headed fool who livers too much in the reflections of his own mind, thick-tongued without any touch of grace. Too old, too. 

Melissa Donovan, again, has something to say on the subject of style, Literary Style in Storytelling. Some highlights follow:

Literary style is the aesthetic quality of a work of literature—the distinct voice that makes each author unique. It’s the way we string words together, the rhythm of our prose, the catchphrases that pepper our language.

Literary style includes every element of writing in which an author can make stylistic choices from syntax and grammar to character and plot development.

Could be the legal writing led me to a rhythm of 4/4 time. Laying each sentence down like the parts of an argument. I do not move like Bo Diddley, and certainly not like Marcel Proust. It is Proust, whose rhythms bowled me over when I finally found him. Before him, the first inkling I had of rhythmic prose was Thomas Wolfe, who resembles, to me, a fire hose of words. I feel I read more like Theodore Dreiser, who moves like a glacier - his words piling up always forward, always implacable, until the reader is buried below the ice.

Miss Donovan concludes with what I think is the clincher for working on style:

Many readers may not even be aware of their own stylistic preferences. They’ll scan the first few paragraphs and find something they like about the narrative voice (or something they don’t like), which informs their decision to buy and read the book, which is why literary style is an important element of storytelling.

I wish I had started earlier, I might have had a chance. You, those starting out younger than me, pay heed to this message.

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What’s your writing personality? from Best Writing seems better to note here than in a separate post:

As writers, we have our buzzwords, stylistic pet peeves, and preferred sentence structures.

Combined, these make up your unique voice and tone — the two components of a writing style.

• A voice conveys your personality. It also serves as the lens through which you’re telling the story.
• A tone conveys the attitude and emotions you’re trying to project through your writing.

Both are important for making your writing more memorable, compelling, and relatable to a particular type of reader.

Your writing style also sets you apart from other writers.

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