Improving Your Writing Style

A writer's style reflects his or her uniqueness, and it encompasses word choice, sentence fluency, and the writer's voice. Style is the way writing is presented to fit a specific purpose, audience, or context. The structure of sentences and the word choices made by a writer also contribute to his or her style. Consider these sentences: "These are bad times," and "These are the times that try men's souls." 1 Both are expressing the idea that times are difficult; however, the structure and word choices in the second definitely help convey a sense of urgency and desperation.

Consider the following passages:

Passage 1:
"To Whom it May Concern. While in your store yesterday, I witnessed an employee participating in some unsightly behaviour. An elderly patron asked the employee for assistance in reaching an item on the top shelf and your employee simply passed by as if he hadn't heard the inquiry. I would have arrived at the same conclusion myself if I had not first observed the employee stop and listen to the elderly patron make her request. I find this behaviour absolutely abhorrent and will not be satisfied with less than the employee being released from his duties with your company."

Passage 2:
"Yesterday while I was shopping, I saw this young kid who worked there be a real jerk! He totally ignored an old lady who asked him for help to reach something ?" after he'd listened to her ask! What an ignorant jerk! He deserves to be fired!"

What changed was the audience. The first passage was written to the company of the employer, so the style is formal and respectful, using terminology that is purposeful and removed. The second passage is a post on Facebook, and therefore uses terminology that is less formal and more familiar to that environment and setting. Each style is appropriate for the particular audience.

There are many elements which contribute to an author's style, but the most important are sentence fluency, diction, and voice.

 

1 Spoken by Thomas Peine, a 19th century English-American political activist, author, political theorist and revolutionary.