Style Versus Meaning

Question

When writing and speaking what is more important: style or meaning?

Answer 1

Meaning transcends style. It draws you in. Conversely, style without substance quickly becomes a bore. That isn't to say style is unimportant!

Imagine buying a ticket to a two hour movie. Would you rather spend two hours with a beautiful film absent of story or meaning? Or a meaningful story, if a little on the nose, style-wise? What if you had a third option: a stylish film with a meaning that moves you?

As a writer, you have an audience who is "buying a ticket" to your work. The price? Their precious time and attention. A short stylish read can be fun, but could be made thrilling by meaning. A longer work still benefits from style, but absent of meaning? You risk leaving your reader wishing for a refund!

Style is ephemeral. It comes in many forms. It evokes your voice and supports your meaning. Your style might be plain, direct, concise, descriptive, flowery, punchy, elegant, and so forth. Style involves vocabulary, sentence variety, tone, voice, and rhythm. You can move in and out of styles effectively if in support of your meaning.

Meaning should come closer to singular. Changing meanings can create a piece that feels unfocused. At minimum, you should be able to identify and properly through-line one central idea or theme within your piece. What are you trying to say?

When I work with students, we always discover meaning first. The theme and content must work effectively in concert to convey meaning, above all else. Once the meaning is there, style becomes easy to incorporate, like icing on a cake.

Answer 2

Hey there! Great question.

I'd argue that style and meaning go hand in hand. The "meaning" of the words--or, quite literally, the thing you are attempting to communicate to your audience--is not independent of your "style"--or, the way you are you writing. Your style holds your meaning in place. And the thing you are attempting to communicate can help you decide the way you decide to write.

I'll give you an example. Let's look at the way I'm answering this question. I'm trying to speak to you, a stranger on the internet, about a random question. I can make certain assumptions about who you are and what you know: you might be a student, you might be writing an essay, etc. And while I could answer your question in any number of ways, I'm trying to write it in a style that might reach the person who I assume you to be. If I was explaining this idea to a colleague at a university, my style might change dramatically, even though my meaning might not change. I might want to convey more or less the same idea, but I might change how I say it, depending on who I talk to.

Does that make sense?

If you need help with a specific essay, honing your style, or developing the meaning of your argument, reach out and let's work together! :)

Answer 3

Hi there! This is a very good question.

While style and meaning are both important components of writing, it is sometimes necessary to focus on one more than the other. Which component the author chooses is heavily reliant on the purpose of the writing being working on.

For academic writing, meaning is more important. This is because when writing in an academic setting, it is very important for the author to make the purpose and main idea of their writing extremely clear to the reader.

For non-academic writing (writing for pleasure or for a layperson audience), style is more important. This is because the average reader wants to find what they are reading engaging, they want to be entertained.

Nonetheless, it is important, if you can, to give equal weight to both style and meaning. The two components are best utilized when they are able to work together to create a strong, effective piece of work.

I hope you found my answer helpful. Please reach out if you have any further questions or if you are interested in scheduling a free consultation!