Style Academy looks like its going to be a interesting and fun tool. The exercises and guidance should really be able to help us.
I can really see the sense behind trying to mimic the writing style of those you like. It seems that with most things we learn by example, and out of school, we follow those we see greatness in. I think that's why so many people write fan fiction, stories about characters they loved. Those writers are just trying to figure out how to write stories, or characters like the author did. So if we did have writers we preferred, it would make sense to try and copy their style.
As for the sentence combining, that trains the brain to think about different ways to combine sentences, allowing you to write the most effective sentences for whatever you need. Both of the exercises look like they will have a great effect as we use them. I need to go find my favorite author and see how he writes so i can copy him.
Yeah I agree with you. It is one thing to have the imagination to dream up an idea and it is completely different trying to articulate in a way that is enjoyable to read. For example, the author of The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald, is known for his long sentences and descriptive passages as well as his plentiful use of symbolism. The story, in my opinion, is not very impressive. No one would read it if the sentence structure wasn't so fascinating. That is something worth studying.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the imitation one too! It was neat to try and imitate author's I love and then make it completely different, yet the same.
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