“A man’s style in any art should be like his dress — it should attract as little attention as possible.” — Butler’s statement by Cyril Connolly

Through various readings on style — from Plato’s Socratic dialogues to Seneca’s reflections on character — I’ve come across miscellaneous enriching voices offering valuable insights into the nature of style. For any writer, style is a crucial part of writing that connects not just to the genre, but also to the readers, the audience. It involves how we communicate and convey the message. Upon reflecting on my own writing and writing practices over time, I’ve realized that style is influenced not only by my personal traits, cultural background, and lived experiences, but also by a writer’s writing practices over time.

Writing style is personal; It is shaped by the language, diction, and writer’s thought and their individual talent. Over time, I have learned how style contributes to the quality of writing. The readings on style have also encouraged me to ask whether style is an innate gift that comes by birth or something we can cultivate through practice and reflection over time.

A writer refining their writing involves numerous activities. Refining writing often involves not only reading the works of accomplished writers, but also mimicking their styles — a sort of practice to understand style. As I went through literature spanning from Old English to Avant-garde writing, I observed the crucial role of diction, syntax, semantics, and narrative structure in crafting and creating a writer’s own unique style. Even if we look at the writing style of Nepali writers from the time of Laxmi Prasad Devkota through Parijat and Krishna Dharabasi and Narayan Wagle and Rajan Mukarung and Amar Neupane and Buddhisagar, we experience diverse styles and many voices, which is possible through the writer’s use of language, sentence structure, and personality traits in the existing context that may change along the time. So, the question is: can style be taught, and what makes one’s style effective and efficient?

Many years ago, I used to think that using complex words sentences would make me a better and highly accomplished author. I quickly realized that it was a misconception; using big words and long sentences would rather make my writing convoluted and confusing. Writers like William Hazlitt on his essay “On Familiar Style” (1821) emphasized simplicity and clarity in writing. Hazlitt argued for a “genuine, familiar” style, free from ornamentation, while Louis Aragon (1928) challenged traditional grammar rules for more creative and unconventional expression. He suggested that style flourishes not within rigorous constraints, but in experimentation and innovation.

As I said each writer cultivates a style based on their personal traits, knowledge, experiences, and the context, I experience so in my own writing, which is shaped by those factors. Most of the readings on style I went through, I realized that style is fluid, and it constantly evolves as it interacts with inspiration, insight, and practice. Thus, style is not purely a matter of nature (the innate quality) versus nurture (practice over time), but a dynamic interplay between the two.

Since my undergraduate and graduate in English literature that trained me with the writing of Plato, Seneca, Jane Austen, Mark Twain, Ernest Hemingway, Samuel Beckett, and currently many other writers, such as Joan Didion and their style of writing, I come to know how their writing demonstrate unique styles shaped by their time, knowledge, and cultural backgrounds. My personal favorites so far are Ernest Hemingway for fiction and Joan Didion for nonfiction. However, this is shaped by my own tastes, which are influenced and shaped by my personal experiences, and my taste may change tomorrow. One thing, however, I’ve come to realize that reading the work of good writers can help shape one’s style, which is developed through constant practice: reading and writing and vice versa.

Style is key to one’s writing quality, affecting what and how it is communicated. For example, Desiderius Erasmus (1512), known for his style of writing, offered valuable suggestions on style, emphasizing the importance of elements like syntax, voice, meaning, point of view, and genre. According to him, literary devices like metaphors, similes, and sentence structure all significantly contribute to style.

In this regard, Ben Yagoda (2005) emphasized that style is more than a choice — it is a reflection of the writer’s sensibility. He says, “ultimate morality of the mind.” I’ve worked to emulate different styles of different writers in my own writing while in creative writing program, experimenting with various stylistic approaches. From there, I learned that unchecked words can sometimes be unsuitable for the tone and context. Self-editing exercises have also taught me how style can be crafted through proper diction, syntax, and organization, helping me gain confidence in writing despite there may still occur errors.

There are many insights one may gain from readings: For example, Plato used the Socratic method of rhetorical questioning and dialogue; Aristotle focused on the balance between form and content; Seneca, in his “Moral Letters to Lucilius,” explored style as a reflection of character, underscoring the strength and balance of the soul. He stressed the importance of familiar language over ornate words to communicate effectively and efficiently. Dante (1996) discussed how unified language enables effective communication. Samuel Johnson (1970) highlighted the importance of clarity, warning against styles that seek to impress or confuse the reader. Voltaire (1971) examined the role of style in conveying ideas, advocating for accuracy and propriety of expression. He critiqued florid language that detracts from meaning. Saintsbury (1885) discussed effective English prose style, emphasizing rhythm, sequence, and balance, while being leery of excessive floridness, which I had not previously realized.

Schopenhauer (2007) wrote that clarity in thought is essential for good style. Critiques of various authors’ styles have explored valuable insights. Mark Twain’s essay Fenimore Cooper’s Further Literary Offenses criticized Cooper’s prose style, while H. L. Mencken (1936) emphasized the importance of clarity. Elizabeth Hardwick’s Sleepless Nights is another example of a unique style, blending genres and using poetic imagery to evoke a non-linear narrative.

Through these similar and contrasting views from different writers, one may acquire important knowledge into the complex and unique relationship between language, style, and thought. Their work, although influenced by their respective times and societies, provides important takeaways for improving one’s writing. These insights are helpful to continue to shape one’s thinking about what constitutes good writing and how style evolves.

Source: Readings on Style and Reflection. “A man’s style in any art should be… | by Tulasi Acharya | Mar, 2025 | Medium