Week 7 Blog Topic

Think about all you've read in Baron, Lanham, and Williams--as well as the presentations and discussions you've seen. Define style (again). And, list out as many elements of style as you can. Feel free to borrow from peers' ideas in their blogs, too. You might indicate which are hardest for your to see in your own writing.



The dreaded “What is Style?” question is again asked. Perhaps after several week of reading the assigned texts, I can better formulate an answer. I am not sure about the better part, but I can form a response to “Define style…”
Style in writing is not one thing. It can’t be pigeonholed as “following the rules” or “correct grammar”. It is a concept that is different for everyone, yet similar when we identify common elements of style. I think the difference is in how the individual puts together the pieces of style to form the final results, the writing, or the picture composed of many parts. After reading Baron and Williams, I think a good analogy is jig saw pieces being the elements or parts of style and the final or complete picture the end result, presented in a particular writing style. One difference in writing style and the puzzle analogy is that we all have access to the various tools or pieces that make up style, but each individual puts them together in a different way, presenting their own personal style. We have the same puzzle pieces, but in a writing context, they can fit together in any of a number of ways.

Some of the elements of style we have read about to date include:

Correctness – using the correct rules when appropriate, and perhaps adapting the rules when needed.

Actions – linking characters to actions, using action verbs,

Characters – using short concrete, specific subject of verbs both active and passive

Cohesion and coherenece – sound the same but are not the same thing. Using clear sentences and fitting the together so they are written, read and move smoothly with unbroken continuity.

Emphasis – emphasizing the correct parts in the sentence

Concision – writing in a concise style or being concise in presenting the information

Shape – Break long sentences into shorter, more concise sentences, shape the idea being presented.

Elegance

The Ethics of Style