what is your writing style

what is your writing style and why is it important?

well its your means of expressing what you know. in the case of this blog, its translating how i’d speak into text. in the case of coursework, its about demonstrating what you know to the lecturer. in the case of my personal messages, its a case of chatting utter shit.

anyway so its:

• your personal way of writing
• in the context of science -> demonstrating to the reader you have an understanding, can you pick out the key questions and can begin to address the problem. of course not always possible - so boom you’ve got the field of research.

so what is your writing style?

• well how does it sound? and a way to figure that out - just read what you’ve got out loud.
• and after reading through it once, how would you respond to it? is it defensive? is it broad and insubstantial? is it opinionated?

okay i’ve read it out loud - now what?

• i try and edit in three stages.
• Edit for:
  • Structure - each salient point - is it clear?
  • Grammar - details missed out - can i break it up somehow?
  • Style - is it too hard to read? too dense? too long sentences? is what im thinking consistent with what im saying.

at the End of the Day

• Court report rather than murder mystery - just tell the facts.
• Introduce opinion.
• the first sentence of paragraph is important - make it clear what the point of the paragraph is early.

As an Undergradauate the Broad Principles are:

• Demonstrate understanding. Explain why is it is a problem? Answer it.
• Describe the problem = basically a demonstration of your ability to recall facts - in other words have you attended the lectures.
• Position yourself as a student vs. the peer. The student needs to write as if you’re being challenged constantly (defensive writing) whereas the peer’s job is to look for holes in your argument.

Don’t forget Know who you are writing for!

• Journal model can lead you astray - important to demonstrate that you can understand (as there is an assumed baseline knowledge for journal article).
• Difference in assessment - lecturer may not necessarily understand so prove to lecturer that you know -> Allay worries early
• Make it easily intelligible.

credits

helen webster - a writing tutor at newcastle for a lot of this content. each university should have a writing development / educational team specialising in helping you with coursework - its worth a visit.