Writing Style Considerations for Success

Writers realize that, in order to grab interest, they must craft an opening sentence for their work that will impress potential readers. In the same vein, readers are merely "potential" any time a writing project sits on the creative side of the fence- especially when a purchase must be made in order to read the complete work. 

After the successful clutch, it is crucial to a writer’s future interest that an accurate and congruent writing style has been invested throughout the entirety of their work.  Even before the first draft, a writer must consider the character of the work they want to convey. 

A writer’s goal and audience should be considered at the brainstorming stage, as well as term and phrase connotations. These remain important considerations throughout the first-draft edit and are critical beyond this editing stage. Whether a writer is writing for business or for entertainment value, these are elements of diction that will affect the style of the complete work.

Consider the following quote from Larry McMurtry:

"A viny, tangled prose would never do for a place so open; a place, to use Ross Calvin's phrase, where the sky determines so much. A lyricism appropriate to the Southwest needs to be as clean as a bleached bone and as well-spaced as trees on the llano. The elements still dominate here, and a spare, elemental language, with now and then a touch of elegance, will suffice." -Larry McMurty, "In a Narrow Grave," 1968

Many readers are familiar with McMurtry. Author of the popular “Lonesome Dove”, McMurtry’s work aptly utilizes regional prose styling that supports the Old West, the Southwest and contemporary Texas. He uses the elements of diction in supreme fashion to convey to his readers the feel of his stories. An interesting comparison may be drawn here by contrasting McMurtry's Lonesome Dove series with his modernly-based Texas tale "Terms of Endearment", set in Houston. 

Similarly, using elements of diction, a writer develops appropriate style and encourages a reader’s emotional investment. When there exists improperly constructed diction throughout a piece of work, a writer risks losing readers through faulty expression. 

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Ref: 

Larry McMurtry, Terms of Endearment.

Larry McMurtry, Lonesome Dove

Author biography, Larry McMurtry via GoodReads

Wikipedia contributors. "Larry McMurtry." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 15 Jan. 2014. Web. 12 Feb. 2014.