Summary

The article outlines seven common style mistakes that writers often make, emphasizing the importance of consistency and the distinction between style and tone.

Abstract

The article "7 Typical Style Mistakes Every Writer Makes" discusses the significance of a writer's unique style and the challenges in maintaining consistency throughout a piece of writing. It highlights the difference between style and tone, noting that while style is a guide, tone is a personal approach that can influence the reader's experience. The piece advises writers to be mindful of their style in all forms of communication, not just in publications, and to adhere to a personal style guide to ensure uniformity. It also cautions against being overly familiar in business communications and advises novice writers to study style guides thoroughly to avoid awkwardness and inconsistency in their writing.

Opinions

The author believes that a writer's style is crucial to their career and that it is defined by the writer's use of grammar, tone, punctuation, spelling, and formatting.
Consistency in style is seen as a challenge, with the article suggesting that writers track their plot and characters to maintain a consistent style, even in small details like spelling variations (e.g., 'email' vs. 'e-mail').
The article posits that tone and style, while closely related, are distinct elements that should be treated separately during the editing process.
It is the author's view that writers should strive for a neutral tone, allowing readers to form their own opinions about the content.
The article emphasizes the importance of a personal style guide, which can include preferences on font type and size, use of bullet points, and header formatting.
In business communications, the author advises a formal approach, avoiding overly chummy language that may come across as unprofessional.
The author suggests that forcing a style that is not yet familiar can result in awkward writing, recommending that writers study and practice using a style guide until it feels natural.
The article implies that experience with different styles is universal among writers, and that with practice, adhering to a particular style becomes more intuitive.

7 Typical Style Mistakes Every Writer Makes

Do you know your style and are you consistent?

Your writing style is important to your career as a writer. Would I recognize your style?

Style is important.

If you have ever been a journalist then you know all about style guides. Every publication has them, and every writer knows about the Associated Press guide or the Chicago Manual of Style.

But, you also have a style guide: YOU. You dictate how you write and your unique style.

The question is, can you be consistent? It’s not easy. As the story changes, you may slip into a different style in the middle of your book?

To stay with it, you should track your plot and your characters. Even some small things, such as how you write a certain work, like

‘email‘ versus ‘e-mail’ in the text.

So, how do we define style?

Is it business, personal, formal, and informal are all types of style. You create a style by the way you use grammar, tone, punctuation, spelling, and formatting.

Here are 7 Common Style Mistakes You Should Know

1. Don’t mistake tone for the style

Your style is a guide. But the tone is a personal approach to the work.

An author’s tone dictates the reader’s journey. If the writer is angry, the reader might sympathize, or not.

Tone and style are considered good friends, but they are not the same thing. Remember to look at them as separate elements when editing your writing.

Always pay attention to your tone when you write. In most cases, you do not want to have any tone at all. That is the job of the reader to decide whether something is good or not.

2. Lack of Style in Communication

Your style is more about blog posts and publications. It’s also important to note your style and tone for any communication.

3. Can you write with a personal style?

It’s easier to create your style guide. It can get as granular as what type of font you want to use and what point works best. Do you like bullet points and certain fonts for headers?

4. Your style must be consistent

You can’t use an Oxford comma in the first half of your book, but not in the last half. It is reasonable to always check writing style. Then, check it again. Style guides ensure consistency.

5. Business and personal style

Just remember, don’t get too chummy in business communications. It is bad form. Writing with too much familiarity is unprofessional.

When you are writing a business communication, you should be using a formal address. Readability is high, and language is plain. Business language and style get to their point.

6. Don’t force your style

It’s easy to see if you are fumbling with style. Editors and readers can tell when you are unfamiliar with a style. It comes across awkwardly. Don’t force it. If you are just beginning to work with a style guide, study it until it feels natural. If you have trouble getting the style right during writing, reconsider style during editing.

7. If you lack experience, study a style guide first

It may be awkward at first, but with practice, the style will become familiar to you. Don’t get frustrated. Everyone has had some experience along the way with style.

A feature in The New York Times will be written differently than in the Chicago Tribune.

Books published by Random House will be different than St. Martin’s Press.