Cats like consistency—until they don’t. They like to eat the same foods, nap in the same place for weeks, and wake you up at the same time each morning. Then, for no apparent reason, they hate their normal food and find new, unusual sleeping spots—like on the top of the washing machine. (They still like to wake you up at the crack of dawn though!) When cats are not consistent, it can throw you off and can even be a bit confusing or frustrating (for example, they’ll suddenly reject an expensive can of gourmet food).
Readers like consistency, too. They like to know what’s going on and what’s what when they’re reading. If they encounter inconsistent spellings of names or places, shifting verb tenses, or other grammar irregularities, they may feel less certain, and less thrilled, about what they’re reading.
Consistency lends a certain credibility and professionalism to writing. It gives writing a sturdiness and logical structure upon which to build an imaginative work. It signals that the writer takes care of details and respects the reader’s time. In this way, consistency boosts the impact of a writer’s creation because the writing is clear, and readers don’t get tripped up by murky details.
This is not to say that your writing should have no surprises and should always conform to rigid rules. Quite the contrary. Writing can be daring and fanciful and still be consistent. It can be inventive, riveting, and playful, and at the same time have a sound structure and syntax. In other words, it’s best to surprise readers with a clever turn of phrase or intriguing plot twist rather than with unintentional misspellings or other inconsistencies.
Consistency Insistency
As a writer, you’ll shine if you insist on consistency. What does consistency in writing mean exactly? Consistency is a prized principle among writers and editors. It means to follow basic grammar conventions and apply style points uniformly. That means spelling names and terms the same way and using similar verb tenses, punctuation, capitalization, and formatting throughout your work. This attention to detail gives writing a smooth, polished appearance as opposed to a ragtag look. Being consistent saves time because can you decide on a style ahead of time and stick with it throughout instead of having to make a style decision each time. An important tool for ensuring consistency is a style guide. Style guides are agreed-upon style rules and conventions to follow for a specific piece of writing, publication, or organization. They include preferred spellings, comma and hyphen rules, and formatting and design standards. Style guides save time because by using them you can ensure your writing is consistent by following the guidelines.
Professional style guides used in the United States include The Associated Press Stylebook, The Elements of Style, and The Chicago Manual of Style. There are many other specialized style guides used around the world, such as MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers and Web Style Guide: Basic Design Principles for Creating Web Sites. If you’re writing for a particular publication, field, or organization, you should follow its preferred style guide. For general use or for your own writing purposes, you can create your own style sheet instead to ensure consistency. Note that a style guide acts as a guide, rather than a rigid set of rules—allowing you to use your best judgment as you write.
From the book Cat Grammar Guide by Linda Hart and Don Hart, illustrated by Tonya Foreman (Four Cats Publishing, 2023)