This craft analysis will examine two closely related topics: style and voice. Style might better be considered a subtype of voice. Voice generally refers to the overall nature of the prose, including things as diverse as genre, pacing, description, grammar, and spelling and punctuation. Style, which can influence any of the previous things discussed, has more to do with the nature of the voice itself. The distinction between voice and style will be explained more fully in the following sections.
Clarity
For a story to be read and enjoyed, it must be clear and concise. It must use clear grammar, accepted spellings, and good punctuation. A good voice has high clarity. A writer should possess a good understanding of these fundamentals of writing before crafting a story in prose. Enough literature has been written about grammar, spelling, and punctuation to make any thorough discussion of it here unnecessary. If you’re interested in improving these skills, consider taking a class or two from a community college.
In addition to the fundamental skill of writing well, a writer should possess the ability to write concretely. Concrete writing focuses on concrete word choice and descriptions. Avoid using airy terms such as love and hate to describe character actions. How can you describe love without mentioning the word love? How can you describe hate without mentioning the word hate? That is the nature of concrete writing.
Finally, a writer should focus on writing concisely. Writing concisely means that sentences are not crafted to be wordy or difficult to understand. Concise writing doesn’t conceal meaning. It elevates meaning. The reader should not have to puzzle over the meaning of every sentence you write.
Overwriting
Overwriting happens when the writer has placed the prose ahead of the story. Instead of focusing on the characters, he or she has begun to dwell on the words. Many great writers of the past are guilty of overwriting, and some have even offered support for it. Mark Twain is quoted as saying “the difference between the right word and a word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.” Unfortunately, possessing that kind of mindset is bad for writing. It can redirect your passion away from storytelling and focus it on critical analysis. And no one is more doomed than a writer who has begun to over-analyze his own prose.
In order to avoid overwriting, remember to place the story first always. Never let word choice dictate the way a story is told. Writers are after all nothing, if not storytellers.
Genre
There are many genres in literature: romance, drama, action, mystery, high fantasy, science fiction—just to name a few. Genre abounds. So naturally you might be interested in writing in a genre. The best way to master a particular genre is to read in that genre.
Writing a story in a genre means following predefined rules and guidelines. For example, if you write traditional fantasy, you will most likely be writing in a period referred to as the Medieval Period. You will have to master the vocabulary of this period before confidently writing in this genre.
Style
The heart of a story is always about the interactions among the characters. That is why I have left style as the last thing discussed in this analysis. Style must take a backseat to story and clarity. Writing stylistically means you are purposely making choices that will affect clarity. In general, writing stylistically reduces clarity.
Style cannot be taught. It can only be appreciated. Some authors write in a very distinct style. Frequently, however, writers are unaware of their own style. And that gets to the core of style. Every writer naturally possesses a style, however slight. Choosing to write in another author’s style typically means abandoning your natural writing style. It is a risky decision to make as a burgeoning writer. Will you write as someone has written before, or will you bravely write in your own style?