It is important for your writing project to be consistent, which can be defined as accepting a style guide appropriate for your type of writing, (e.g., APA, MLA)* or by adopting a style of your own and using it throughout the project.
Examples of using consistency in writing include adopting:
- one font style and only a few font sizes (body font and title font)
- set margins, paragraph style, (e.g., justified), tabs, and bullets
- similar numbering, lettering and grammar for lists and bullet points
- terminology
- spelling style, (e.g., U.S. versus U.K.)
It is very difficult for a reader to look at multiple types of fonts, and mixed uses of italics, bold and underlined lettering. It is distracting, contributing to the view that the manuscript is disorganized and unclear. Headings, titles, and bullets or numbered lists should be consistent within the manuscript. The statements in these sections should be parallel (consistent in how they are presented in terms of the use of a verb tense or descriptive phrase). As an example, the list above uses a noun in each statement. The list below uses an action verb. The manuscript will appear to be well organized and readability and clarity will be improved.
What other steps should the writer include to ensure consistency?
- use an appropriate verb tense throughout the project
- incorporate one style for footnotes, citations and references
- develop spacing rules for sentences, paragraphs, and lines (single versus double-space)
- use one person style, (e.g., first versus third person)
- include a hierarchical system for titles and headings, (e.g., centered, flush left, capitalized, italic)
Being consistent in your writing and editing professionalizes the project whether it is a fiction or non-fiction manuscript. Two good references for font readability include: The Elements of Typographic Style by Robert Bringhurst and The Elements of Typographic Style Applied to the Web. Italicizing book titles and putting a hyperlink in blue and underlining it are examples of a style that you would incorporate every time you include similar references.
The best way to ensure consistency is in the editing of the project. If you are using a style manual, most of the rules are outlined and the major task is to follow the guide. However, if the writing style is unique, the professional editor (or writer completing the editing) should keep a log as the project is reviewed to keep track of the different styles incorporated. The styles can be applied later on in the project. For example, note that your first use of a book title was underlined, and use this similar style each time a book title is used in the manuscript.
Style consistency is a characteristic of a serious and excellent writer. It also demonstrates to many of us who write and read and edit, a love of writing and the appreciation of a well-edited manuscript as an art form.
* APA is the American Psychological Association
MLA is the Modern Language Association
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