Image: Echo and Narcissus by John William Waterhouse
I’m torn between being vain enough to want to know what people think are elements of my “signature style” and not wanting to let such knowledge unduly influence my future work.
Waiting for Size Riot
Published
El Amante Menguante 
I think I know what my telltale marks are. I could be overly critical of myself, but I’ve reread my stories many times over long periods of time and I’ve seen patterns emerge. Sometimes I don’t care and go on writing like that anyway, but some traits feel like they’re holding me back and I can work around them or try to extinct that behavior.
It could be educational, to see what people pick up on in your own work. Do you think it would be that irresistibly altering? Would you be tempted to change just out of not wanting to be pinned down?
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This was very helpful. I’ve realized that I’m being neurotic here, insecure about my own vanity and my checkered history with receiving criticism. It’s silly, of course, after my many repeated invitations for feedback and professions of wanting to create a larger (heh) size aesthetic.
I had made the erroneous assumption that any recognizable patterns must necessarily be flaws. I don’t like repeating myself (a true pitfall when writing smut), but if my style is recognizable that means it’s memorable, which is good, right?
In any event, the early arrival of the Size Riot feedback has jolted me out of this crouch, and now I want to hear everything about me.
Thanks for the check-in.
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I see style as I view fingerprints. Language usage can be dissected in its many aspects, and when combined with a predilection for certain writing, I see it as a positive thing, to be able to sniff out a writer’s style, mannerisms, even “tics” in writing form. Chalk it up to fandom, and make it a game to disguise yourself in the future, if you like.
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