Style, which generally refers to the use of “Proper English,” can and in fact be praised for being different. Throughout this course, I have realized that style is like language; it can vary. Style is like putting your own “stamp” on writing. It is ultimately the difference from reading oh let’s say a Shakespearian play and reading an Agatha Christie murder mystery novel. The style guides we have utilized in class have offered us help by means of perfecting our own individual styles, while still suggesting ideas and criticisms. Heck, even the gap of those who liked Strunk and White versus those who liked Williams is an example of this. Style can be compared to pizza, in that we all like our own “toppings” to make something even better (because in reality, it is the cheese, the sauce, and the dough that makes a pizza great or not). Adding one’s own “umph” to writing should be an individual expression, because let’s face it, if we all wrote like Shakespeare, his work wouldn’t be as exciting as it is because we would be used to it.
If someone were to ask me what I learned in this class, I would have to say I have learned to perfect my own individual style of writing. Sure, we learned about the difference between spoken and written words courtesy of the “Phaedrus,” and we learned that multimedia can be a new way of writing, and many other things, but for the most part, I learned to be comfortable with my own writing, and how to perfect that writing even further, by stepping out of my “box” and revising/editing objectively. I also learned that I like writing on the computer (like on websites like WordPress, etc) as oppose to writing and turning it in via paper because I can add hotlinks, videos, and many other things to make my paper “jucier,” but I also know that I learn better with a classroom/face-to-face setting.
