A writing style is the distinct way an author conveys their story. A style can be affected by literary elements, word choice, sentence structure, and an author’s unique tone. Other variables can also be factored in, such as time period or region, but an author’s style can be original regardless of where or when it manifested. While an important part of what makes an author unique is what kind of message or story they are trying to tell, the way they write the story affects the true impact. At the core of an individual writing style, there must be the author’s own voice. Even if all the other variables were to change--for example, if an author were to attempt another genre or style--the author’s distinct voice would make their work stand out and appear different than other works. Writing in a different style, or emulating an author doesn’t mean copying the way another author writes, but instead to take inspiration from their style and incorporate elements using one’s own voice.
I am going to examine these four author’s writing styles to see what differentiates them from each other. Starting with George R. R. Martin, he is an author with quite a distinct style. He often writes descriptive scenes, many of which are gruesome, and is very deliberate and literal with word choice. V.E. Schwab similarly is also very descriptive, detailing on both how her characters feel and what her characters are doing, often at the same time. Schwab’s style is more elegant and metaphorical than R. R. Martin’s, with a dry humor being more present in her work. Kurt Vonnegut has one of the most distinctive styles of writing. This is due to both the way he writes and what he writes about. Vonnegut is curt in his stories, often telling the story bluntly. This can be seen with his use of short sentences, dependant clauses, and stilted dialogue. Not much insight is given into what exactly a character is feeling--such as Schwab’s, where emotion is a heavy focus--but instead what the character does is highlighted. Vonnegut also focuses more on the overall story than any individual character. Finally, Alexandre Dumas has distinct, extravagant way of writing. He writes long, detailed descriptions of characters (e.g., appearances) and delves into pages long of dialogue. Many details of the story will also be told through dialogue with Dumas’s writing. For my project, I aimed to write original stories while emulating these authors’ styles. I did not try to perfect their voices, but instead incorporated the different elements of their styles into my writing, in an attempt to introduce their voices into my stories. I played off details such as word choice, the structure of a scene, how characters interacted within the story, and literary building blocks. |