What Constitutes a Proper Writing Style?

I'm curious, I suppose, as to what is meant by a "proper writing style". When asked about my own writings style, I usually say that I try to balance dialogue and narrative, but somehow I'm not sure that's what's really being asked. Can anyone define it better for me?

Hm. Well, when i think of it, i really think more of the tone of your writing. For instance, I am incapable of writing humor. Most of my works are serious, sometimes slightly quirky, but not chock full of zany goodness because i just can't write like that. I also have a tendency to add in far too many commas than strictly necessary, and i like run-on sentences. Some people write really formally; others keep the words short and the plot rolling. Some people write more dialogue and some have little dialogue and mostly actions. Seldem does any writer write both, because their way works for them.

That's kinda what i think of when i think of a writer's style.

Writer's style...I know what I'm thinking, but I just can't get it out. Erk.

Well, I don't really think there is one be-all-end-all "proper" writing style. Your style expresses your own voice and individuality in writing, so I guess it's what you decide to put into it.

...Am I being relevant?

Indeed, I was just confused by the use of the word "proper", really.

Eh, if I had a specific style, it would probably be called "wordy". Maybe "tangential", too. Ergo, I'm heavy on the narrative, to a sometimes scary degree. I also love dialogue, but I try not to over-emphasize it, because it seems choppy to me. I overuse italics, semicolons, and long dashes; I use paragraph breaks for dramatic effect; and I'm overly fond of big and/or esoteric words. I write angst well, humor almost as well, and nothing else very well at all. ;.;

That covers most of my "style", I think.

Yes, well, i sorta already went over my style. I almost always write in thrid-person narrative, though, i forgot to add that. (Third-person narrative...? Is that right...?)

I think so. (Darn it...we just learned all these POV things a week ago...)

Whenever I write for narration, I use long sentences. To me, they just seem to flow better. I like dialogue and using thoughts to convey things a lot too...it's just easier than giving a description of a character's character.

I like clashing genres together. Someday I'll slow down and wonder why I'm tempted to put humor into death scenes.

I usually tend to describe the setting before moving onto the people. My teacher calls in "zooming in"...

I really need to develop my style. XD

Hah, I have that urge sometimes too, and once I actually gave in. I had a particularly dramatic death scene in which I inserted some dry, dry humor that almost made my sister fall down -- just a couple of sentences. She thought that was awful of me, but liked it anyway. >.>

Ooooh, i would like to see that. I would also like to see a death scene written something like this...



Yuusuke: 'Oh, come on, you big faker, get up!'

Kuwabara: *coughcoughhack*

Kurama: 'Yuusuke, he's really dying!'

Yuusuke: 'Oh no, you guys pulled this trick on me before. I'm not falling for it again, so c'mon you big lug! GET UP!' *punches*

Kuwabara: *dies*

Yuusuke: 'Holy crap. You're not supposed to do that!'


...Hee.

XD That would be...terribly ironic.

XD That's awful.... ^^

And that scene is in my story. Chapter 11.

Really? *scurries to see*

...Ooooh, okay. Nice.

...*insert shocked but weirded-out silence after reading chapter 11*

*peeks out from under sofa* Um....sorry? I swear my plot demanded it....

Seriously, you have no earthly idea how many times I told myself that last scene was one giant cliche, and I was for sure going to scrap it and rewrite my entire plot summary for the rest of the story so I wouldn't have to use it. Of course, that didn't happen. -.-; Gah, the muses won't let me get away with anything anymore.

I can't tell you how that scene meshes with everything else--because I only read that chapter, ashamed as I am to admit that--but I don't think it was cliche. Spontaneous, yes; cliche, no.

*phew* Appreciated. I wasn't sure if your response -- shocked and weirded out -- was in a good way or a bad way. ^.^;

I was sure it was bad -- I mean, it had a Dying Monologue and everything....

*gasp* A Dying Monologue!? Oh noes, Je-san! You're going over to the dark side! *hasn't read it* *is probably much better than Je-san is making it sound*

And look, a very bad pun! Je-san, Jesanae Tekani, ahahahahaha yes?

In a good way of course! If it was in a bad way, I probably would've added "x.x" or something.

That's very comforting. Now i have to go back and count all the times you added x.x to any of your replies to my posts... o__________O

I at least hope so. Eh, my beta said it was more like a Matrix-style dodge around the Cliche Blade, given what happens in the next chapter.... but she's lied to me before.

And yes, twas a pun -- but I rather like that particular shortening of my penname. ^^