What term refers to the choices a writer makes and the distinctive features of a literary work?

The term that refers to the choices a writer makes and the distinctive features of a literary work is style. Style encompasses the author's unique way of expressing their ideas, including decisions related to diction, sentence structure, figurative language, and overall tone. It shapes how readers perceive the narrative and engages them with the text. A writer's style not only establishes their voice but also contributes to the mood and emotional impact of the work. While theme, form, and genre play essential roles in literature, they do not encapsulate the comprehensive array of choices and techniques that constitute style. Theme relates to the underlying message or central idea of a work, form pertains to the structure or organization of a text, and genre categorizes works based on shared characteristics. Style is what breathes individuality and creativity into a writer’s work, making it an essential term in literary criticism.