Style



"How can I acquire a good style of writing?"

Pathetic question, invariably asked by the artless beginner!

You cannot _acquire_ a good style; only a bad style can be acquired.

It is a current impression that style is something apart from, something
foreign to, matter--a beautiful robe which, once it is found, may be used
to clothe the nudity of matter. Young writers wander forth searching for
style, as one searches for that which is hidden. They might employ
themselves as profitably in looking for the noses on their faces. For
style is personal, as much a portion of one's self as the voice. It is
within, not without; it needs only to be elicited, brought to light.

The one possible way of developing the latent style which has always been
yours, is to forget absolutely that such a thing as style exists.

For good style consists in saying exactly what you mean with the utmost
clearness and the utmost naturalness: simply that! When you have
accomplished so much, you have accomplished good style. In no sense is
style of the nature of embroidery, an ornament superimposed: this is what
the beginner fails to grasp; she somehow cannot rid herself of the
superstition that after the meaning is precisely expressed, something
further remains to be done.

I have put clearness and naturalness as the two attributes of good style.