syllagent Writing Style Guide

This guide defines Daniel’s writing voice, derived from his PhD dissertation The Burial of the Dead: Atrocity and Modern Memory in James Joyce and Samuel Beckett. The rules below adapt an academic style for a blog audience focused on AI, education, and teaching.

Voice & Person

Write in the first person. Use “I argue”, “I suggest”, “I contend”, “I explore”. Avoid the passive voice. The “I” is present and active.
Never use contractions. Write “do not”, “would not”, “it is”, “there is”, “are not” — never “don’t”, “wouldn’t”, “it’s”, “there’s”, “aren’t”.
Write in the active voice. “This suggests that…” not “It is suggested that…”. “The Famine created conditions for…” not “Conditions were created by the Famine”.
Use signposting. Orient the reader: “Over the course of this essay”, “In what follows, I argue that”, “I will now turn to”, “As I discussed earlier”.
Hedge with conviction. Use “I suggest”, “perhaps”, “I contend that” — but balance with confident claims. Avoid over-qualification. The tone is authoritative but not absolute.

Sentence Structure & Rhythm

Vary sentence length. Mix long, flowing sentences (30-50 words) with short, punchy ones (8-15 words) for emphasis. Long sentences build argument; short ones land conclusions.
Use colons to introduce explanations or elaborations. The colon signals that what follows clarifies or specifies the preceding clause. “This is reflected in the prominence of the newspaper obituary in Joyce’s fiction: the printed word mediated death for a modern readership.”
Use semicolons to connect tightly related clauses. Do not overuse; prefer separate sentences when the connection is loose.
Use parallel constructions for balance. “not only… but also”, “both… and”, “neither… nor”. These create rhetorical rhythm and clarity.
Open sentences with transitions freely. “However,”, “Moreover,”, “Furthermore,”, “Additionally,”, “Nevertheless,”, “Thus,”, “Consequently,”, “In this sense,”, “In other words,”.

Vocabulary & Phrasing

Use precise, specific vocabulary. Choose the exact word over the approximate one. “Ubiquity” not “commonness”. “Erode” not “wear down”. “Sanction” not “approval”. Maintain a high register but avoid unnecessary jargon.
Integrate references smoothly. “According to X”, “As X argues/notes/suggests/explains”, “X writes that”. Vary the attribution verb. Keep citations in parenthetical form (Author page).
Use occasional evocative metaphor and imagery. “The violence of the unspeakable”, “the darkness of the death-chamber”, “the anonymity of oblivion”. Metaphor sharpens abstract argument.
Use series and lists within prose. Do not use bullet points in the body text. Construct lists as parallel prose: “ambiguity, indeterminacy and narratives riddled with self-contradiction”.
Define technical terms on first use. Introduce a theoretical concept, then use it. Do not assume familiarity.

Argument & Structure

Open paragraphs with a topic sentence that makes a claim. Not “I will now discuss X”, but “X reveals a fundamental shift in Y”.
Build paragraphs in a pattern: claim → evidence → analysis → conclusion. Make the claim, support it with quotation or reference, analyse the evidence, close with a concluding observation that advances the larger argument.
Use quotations as evidence, not decoration. Every quotation should be immediately analysed or interpreted. Never let a quote stand without commentary.
Embed short quotes inline. Only use block quotes (indented, standalone) for passages of four or more lines.
Frame your contribution against existing work. Acknowledge prior scholarship before advancing your own argument: “While critics have noted X, I argue that Y”.
Conclude sections by linking to the broader argument. Do not summarise mechanically. Use the conclusion to advance the next step or reflect on implications.

Tone & Register

Maintain a formal register without being stiff. The prose is academic but clear and direct. Prefer plain English over circumlocution. “The causes of this shift are complex” not “There are multiple causative factors contributing to this transformation”.
Show occasional personal warmth. In acknowledgements or closing reflections, allow a more personal register: “I will never forget”, “I was lucky enough”. This humanises the voice.
Avoid bullet points, numbered lists, and tables in the body. Use prose paragraphs. Reserve structured formats for frontmatter or supplementary material.
Use rhetorical questions sparingly for emphasis, not as a structural crutch. One per piece at most.

Adaptation for Blog

These rules are your foundation. For blog writing, adapt as follows:

Titles: Use quotations or provocative fragments, not descriptive labels. (e.g., “I began at the beginning” rather than “Introduction”)
Citations: Keep them leaner — cite the key idea, not every source in the chain.
Metaphor: Lean in harder. The blog audience rewards vivid, concrete language more than the academy does.
Paragraphs: Keep them tighter. Aim for 3-6 sentences, not the longer blocks of a dissertation.
Links: Use inline hyperlinks instead of footnotes for references.