The Rules of Style
No, there are no rules, but just as you should know your story, you should know enough of yourself to recognize your style. What's your favourite colour? What's your favourite kind of music? Film? Books? Have an identity.
I just finished watching Lady Gaga's doc on Netflix (Five Foot Two). Someone who obviously had such a distinct and exaggerated style that going plain for her (which is still fancy) is her way of fighting against the expectations that she'll come out 'in a meat dress', for example.
I also did a recent Facebook meme answering questions of my top five choices in several categories. It was difficult. I don't like to play favourites, because I find it too limiting. But the nice thing about choosing favourites is a recognition of style. You have to study yourself to discover the kinds of things that draw your attention. Figure out what you do subconsciously, without intention, and you may discover patterns that infiltrate your work.
Did you ever spend time and space in your high school or middle school notebooks practicing your signature? That's you figuring out your style. Pretending you'll be famous one day and there will be a sheet comparing your signature over a series of decades to see if it changed. Maybe you were having a tough year so it was less swirly. Maybe you were having a tough year so you went a little emo with your writing. Well, if you know your style you have the flexibility to break the rules that go along with it. It's like not only knowing what your characters would say, but how. And why there better be a good reason for you to break out in haiku.
My signature was
Once just a few swirling loops
Now there is a star
Because no, there are no rules, but there are also definitely rules.
