Style is kinda hard to put your finger on, but generally it's the way the author presents the story to the audience. Style will include the "voice" of the author. It will include how one puts sentences together, the language they use, grammar, attitude toward the reader, the way the author thinks, etc.

Style may change depending upon the subject, say whether one is writting a letter of congratulations, or condolence, or a business letter will determine how the author expresses things, but may still show certain characteristics which are natural to said author. For instance if you are familiar with a persons voice, the tone etc might change from one situation to another as with the letters mentioned, but you will still recognize it in all probability, though there may well be times when it is purposely disquised or emotionally distorted so as to make recognition difficult.

Admittedly this may be a little vague, but so is style from person to person or story to story from the same person. I think style is a mixture of natural tendencies as well as learned inclinations and indeed may change drastically if one consciously makes the effort. For instance my very first draft of anything I wrote outside school assignments, as I was quickly told, read like an English 101 assignment full of fifty-cent words and "eloquently" constructed sentences. It did not fit the story so I did a one-eighty about face which sounded more like the Twainish character of the story - which happened to be me. That became my natural "style" - basically the way I am in person - for the most part for most stories I write, the language, the humor, the casual dialogue, self-deprecation, inner thoughts, etc.

Just my version of style of course, but hope it helps. Take care. Vern

Last edited by vern (02-10-2012 18:03:26)