Style is an elusive element of fiction. It’s something everyone has, but not many people can fully define.

Your style is based on several things: diction, sentence structure, detail, literary devices, dialogue, and rhythm.

• Diction: Do you use simple language or complex? Do you use long or short words? Is your language concrete or abstract?
• Sentence Structure: Do you use simple or complex sentences? Short ones or long ones – or even sentence fragments? Do you place your clauses at the end of the sentence (periodic) or at the beginning (cumulative)?
• Detail: Do you go into great depth, or do you use sparse sentences?
• Literary Devices: What literary techniques do you use? Is your work full of imagery? Do you use simile or metaphor or hyperbole? What about personification or symbolism?
• Dialogue: What does your dialogue say about you, as a writer, in addition to telling about your characters? Many times, dialogue can reveal your own beliefs, biases, prejudices, values, and personal experiences.
• Rhythm: What patterns of flow and movement do you use in your writing? Do you use alliteration or rhyme? How do you arrange your words and sentences? What types of repetition do you use?

Everyone has their own writing style. Now that you know the basics, you can determine what your style is, and learn to enhance it.