STYLE is the way in which something is written. Each writer has their own unique style, which can vary wildly. Some authors like to describe every little detail and nuance of a scene's setting, while others prefer to keep it simple and let the reader's imagination fill in the blanks after providing only the most basic of details. Where one author may like to use simple sentences and word choices, another might want complicated sentences and highly-nuanced, less common words to paint a more accurate picture. Some writers might have a penchant for onomatopoeia for dramatic effect, while others might rely more heavily on alliteration or metaphor or synecdoche to get their point across. The way an author strings together words and sentences and paragraphs and chapters is a personal choice that varies from writer to writer.

SUBSTANCE, on the other hand, is what's on the page. It's the elements that aren't related to the technical presentation. While this also includes literary elements like character and plot and structure and the quality of the dialogue (which is a whole topic for another newsletter), I want to focus on a very particular set of overall substantive qualities in this newsletter, namely the choice of format and presentation. When it comes to a story concept, one author might choose to write a short story, while another might want to turn that idea into a novella, or a novel, or even a series of novels. That choice of form, in turn, might involve telling the story from a first person, third person, or even second person perspective, with varying degrees of omniscience.

Good: "I would have liked a little more description of the police station setting, because I didn't get a clear sense of where the different offices and departments are in relation to one another, which becomes important later."
Bad: "You should describe the bedroom's furniture and decorations more because I like those extra details."

Good: "It worked as a short story, but there's also the potential for a bigger narrative. Have you considered expanding this into a novel?"
Bad: "This was too short. You could write a whole series of novels about it!"

Good: "I had a hard time understanding the character's motivation. It would help to get a little further inside the character's head to understand what really drives him/her."
Bad: "You need to include more of the character's thoughts and feelings."