When writing an academic piece, I do my level best to ensure that it is written in a clear and concise manner in order to get my ideas across in a comprehensible form. When writing articles, I choose language that is informative, gripping and shocking. When it comes to stories, which are not restricted by literary rules, my writing style differs according to genre. Given the same plot line, characters and genre, different writers will interpret and present the same information in a different way. The author will bring his own voice and personality into the piece. So what makes one particular way of assembling words into the page better than another?
Joseph M Williams states in his "Toward Clarity and Grace", that writing style is not distinctly unique to an individual, but is rather a trait learned over time. The style that Cheever established during his time at The New Yorker was "sophisticated, poised, removed, sarcastic and amusing." Often described as the "Chekhov of the suburbs", his stories also revolve around a kernel of an object, idea or image that eventually swells and becomes something far greater than the object itself. So, the writing style we associate with Cheever is not entirely his own, but rather fragments of styles he was introduced to over the years. So would Cheever's short stories read differently if he was working for a Women's magazine rather than The New Yorker, and wasn't an American or an alcoholic? I would think so.
Some interesting points, I like the last bit as I agree that its likely Cheever wouldn't have been the same writer if he wasn't alcoholic and that parts of his life such as this, have helped him form his style.
ReplyDeleteI liked your views on us as writers and that when we are given the same plot, characters and genres we will interpret this info in different ways, this is after all what keeps writing interesting and I have always been fascinated by the way people can present the same ideas in such unique ways, so I feel it's very important to point out
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