KNOWING YOUR STYLE OF WRITING AND KEEPING TO IT
Now to us all, what is style? Different people have their various definitions of what a style is because style is an individual art. On my own, however, style is a way of writing that is peculiar to an individual and also helps to differentiate their work from others'. This very reason is why style is individualistic.
Many authorities have stated that a good writer must have a special way they write. In literature, writing style is the manner of expressing thought in language characteristic of an individual, period, school or nation. Beyond the essential elements of spelling, grammar and punctuation, writing style is the choice of words, sentence structure and paragraph structure, used to convey meaning effectively.
Style is about how the writer does it. While following the rules drawn from established English usage, a writer has great flexibility in how to express a concept. However, it is good we know that the point of a good writing style is to express the message to the reader simply, clearly and convincingly. The function of style is to keep the reader attentive, engaged and interested, rather than display the writer’s personality or to demonstrate the writer’s skill, knowledge or abilities. Although, these are usually evident and are what experts consider the writer’s individual style. Also, this makes the choice of words we use in conveying our information paramount.
This brings us to the types of writing styles. There are four main types of writing, namely; expository, descriptive, persuasive and narrative. Each of these writing styles is used for a specific purpose. A single text may include more than one writing style. In writing, there is no specific writing style that is best to be adopted. Your subject matter will best tell you the type of style you should employ. Now, let's deal with these writing styles one after the other.
1. EXPOSITORY
Expository writing is the type of writing style that gives in-depth analysis or information about the subject matter and this makes it one of the most common types of writing. When an author writes in an expository style, all they are trying to do is explain a concept, imparting information from themselves to a wider audience. Expository writing does not include the author’s opinions, but focuses on accepted facts about a topic, including statistics or other evidences. This type of style is used mainly by academic book writers. Also, journalists do employ them to write their news stories.
2. DESCRIPTIVE
Descriptive writing is often found in fiction, though it can make an appearance in nonfiction as well (for example, memoirs, first-hand accounts of events, or travelogs). When an author writes in a descriptive style, they are painting a picture in words of a person, place, or thing for their audience. The author might employ metaphor or other literary devices in order to describe the author’s impressions via their five senses (what they hear, see, smell, taste, or touch). But the author is not trying to convince the audience of anything or explain the scene. They merely describe things as they are. This second writing style is very captivating because of the figurative appearance of metaphor. It makes the reader to have a sense of belonging as if he or she is physically present at the scene of the event. The descriptive style of writing is mainly used in fictional writing and poetry.
3. PERSUASIVE
The third writing style is the Persuasive writing which is the main style of writing one would see in academic papers. When an author writes in a persuasive style, they are trying to convince the audience of a position or belief. Persuasive writing contains the author’s opinions and biases, as well as justifications and reasons given by the author as evidence of the correctness of their position. Any “argumentative” essay you write in school should be in the persuasive style of writing.
4. NARRATIVE
Narrative writing is used in almost every lenghty piece of writing, whether fiction or nonfiction. When an author writes in a narrative style, they are not just trying to impart information, they are trying to construct and communicate a story, complete with characters, conflict, suspect and settings.
Tip To Develop Your Style
1. Get a Good Writing Style Guide
2. Copy Out Favourite Paragraphs by Authors You Love
3. Learn About Style by Giving and Receiving Writing Feedback: Give your work to people ask them how they feel about it.
4. Compare Authors’ Writing Styles: This can be seen also as critical review. After you write and you know people will definitely read your write-up, ask questions because when you give and receive feedbacks, it gives you a chance to correct your writing flaws. The benefit of receiving critiques on your writing is that other aspiring or established authors might notice and comment on quirks and issues in your writing style you weren’t conscious of.
5. Edit For Style After You Draft
6. Vary Your Writing Style To Suit Subject, Tone and Mood
7. Develop a Style Appropriate For Your Audience: This is very important because every writer writes for people to read (audience). For example, many people read more of Achebe's books than Prof. Wole because of the choice of words the two authors employ. If you write for a wrong audience, you have definitely used a wrong style. Therefore, learn to use the right or suitable style that will differentiate you from others. That is, write in a natural way and be very simple.
To me, the best styles to always use is descriptive and narrative styles. Understanding your subject matter, that is, the topic, will help us in choosing the right style to employ. Then when you are convinced about the style to use, stick to it. Practicing it often would make you a champion in that style. Note that your style is unique to you and it is your literally licence to a piece of art.
Teacher: Benedict Mayor
Date: 17th January, 2018
Comments
Post a Comment