Often the style used depends on your target audience. Sometimes writing has to be more formal, whilst, at other times, it can be more casual and informal.
Obviously if you are writing to a solicitor you will automatically adopt a more formal style than if you are e-mailing your best friend.
When I'm writing articles for Hethersett Herald I might change styles slightly within the same publication. Obviously if you are writing a tribute to somebody it will be in a different style to writing say a cricket report or a feature on a marathon runner.
In a strange way the style seems to be led by the story itself as well as by the target audience you are writing for. It's the same as page design. You wouldn't have the same design for an elderly audience as you would for a youth publication.
There are of course limitations to just what you can achieve. These are brought about by your own limitations, experience or ability.
I find it a fascinating process when you write the same piece for two different publications and write from two separate standpoints and from two different styles.
I am currently doing some freelance work for the Eastern Daily Press, Norwich Evening News and Wymondham Mercury newspapers as a community contributor covering Hethersett. At the same time I am writing for the Hethersett Herald, as I have been doing for almost five years (five years in fact this November).
So there can be a difference in the emphasis put on the same story. Take one of the stories I am working on at the present time. A mother and daughter team are planning to organise a garage sale in Hethersett in August. It's a lovely story. The emphasis as far as the Hethersett Herald is concerned will be on the fact that there will be a garage sale in the village. But for the EDP the emphasis will be more on the human interest story behind the sale and why it is being organised. This will be of interest to people throughout the county while a sale in Hethersett will only be interesting to people from the village and surrounding area.
Must stop writing now as it's almost time for the monthly parish council meeting and once again it will be on the zoom social media platform. I'm keen to find out what plans are being put forward for a new skateboard facility in the village.