Secret Author Contest "Reveal the Secret" - Guess the Author

[Cane23]

11 minutes ago, Thirdly said:

The Rainbow's Unicorn?

I thought it might be @northie... That one is sooo...royaly British! 

[northie]

1 minute ago, Cane23 said:

I thought it might be @northie... That one is sooo...royaly British! 

Ah, well... yes. But that rather depends on how much I'm trying (or not trying) to disguise myself, doesn't it? I have to say I'd struggle to write that story, given how far outside my comfort zone it is. 

[lawfulneutralmage]

Serious question. It seems to be a real issue attributing stories to authors. Do authors have distinct styles? Unless it was plainly obvious I would struggle to guess who wrote what. So, what makes an author's  'style'? How does one characterise it?

Edited August 5, 2025 by lawfulneutralmage

[BendtedWreath]

@lawfulneutralmage Normally, it would be genre tastes and themes. However, as this is the Secret Author event and many writers like to test new things to fool us readers, the slightest nuances... like dramatic flair, atmospheric ambience, a penchant for comedy (I'm looking at you, @Thirdly)...

[lawfulneutralmage]

That is what I am on about. A style is not just genre and theme, is it?

[Lee Wilson]

12 minutes ago, lawfulneutralmage said:

Serious question. It seems to be a real issue attributing stories to authors. Do authors have distinct styles? Unless it was plainly obvious I would struggle to guess who wrote what. So, what makes an author's  'style'? How does one characterise it?

I for one can't recognize a style. Not even similarities in a author's work from one story to the next. You'ew not alone

6 minutes ago, BendtedWreath said:

@lawfulneutralmage Normally, it would be genre tastes and themes. However, as this is the Secret Author event and many writers like to test new things to fool us readers, the slightest nuances... like dramatic flair, atmospheric ambience, a penchant for comedy (I'm looking at you, @Thirdly)...

Hmmm. I write multiple genres and themes, but I've been told people like my style. I've never tasted my writing though.

[Valkyrie]

1 minute ago, lawfulneutralmage said:

That is what I am on about. A style is not just genre and theme, is it?

No style is tone and voice, how they use language and build characters.  Every author has a distinct style unique to them.  It's not always easy to discern, but if you do enough reading, editing, and beta reading, you can learn to develop more of an eye for it. 

[BendtedWreath]

We're also influenced by what we read, and if we read one another's work enough, that's when inspiration smacks us upside the head and it becomes difficult to tell which work is written by whom. 

[kbois]

3 minutes ago, BendtedWreath said:

We're also influenced by what we read, and if we read one another's work enough, that's when inspiration smacks us upside the head and it becomes difficult to tell which work is written by whom. 

And then there's the odd weird dream or dog walk that sparks an idea that's totally off the rails from what and how you normally write and it turns into a three story series 😝

[Lee Wilson]

6 minutes ago, kbois said:

And then there's the odd weird dream or dog walk that sparks an idea that's totally off the rails from what and how you normally write and it turns into a three story series 😝

Or an 83,000 word monstrosity. OK, the inspiration for 'Rocked to the Core' wasn't a dream, but I was lying in bed when the idea came to me.

[northie]

15 minutes ago, lawfulneutralmage said:

That is what I am on about. A style is not just genre and theme, is it?

No, it's also stylistic ticks - how you frame sentences, write dialogue, even words you're known to be fond of.

[Thirdly]

34 minutes ago, Lee Wilson said:

I've never tasted my writing though.

It tastes like a spicy pork belly taco with scallions and ginger sauce wrapped in a soft corn tortilla that can barely hold the weight of the juicy meat. 

33 minutes ago, BendtedWreath said:

We're also influenced by what we read, and if we read one another's work enough, that's when inspiration smacks us upside the head and it becomes difficult to tell which work is written by whom. 

You're welcome. 

28 minutes ago, kbois said:

And then there's the odd weird dream or dog walk that sparks an idea that's totally off the rails from what and how you normally write and it turns into a three story series 😝

Speaking of dogs, how's the new family cat doing?

20 minutes ago, northie said:

...even words you're known to be fond of.

Mine are "dagnabbit," "love," "undulated," and "[insert extravagant color here, such as periwinkle blue, apricot peach, burgundy red, and lightning blue]"

[Jason Rimbaud]

So I stayed away from GA for two months to avoid the madness that is the SA contest. I have too many things going on to get sucked into all that. And here I see my old friend @Camy has written a story which makes me want to check out the stories to see if I can pick his out. 

So I'm not back yet, but I am quietly reading the stories. 

J

[Thirdly]

Just now, Jason Rimbaud said:

So I stayed away from GA for two months to avoid the madness that is the SA contest. I have too many things going on to get sucked into all that. And here I see my old friend @Camy has written a story which makes me want to check out the stories to see if I can pick his out. 

So I'm not back yet, but I am quietly reading the stories. 

J

J! Check your messages!

[Thirdly]

@Jason Rimbaud Also, welcome back! I missed you.

[Valkyrie]

3 minutes ago, Thirdly said:

It tastes like a spicy pork belly taco with scallions and ginger sauce wrapped in a soft corn tortilla that can barely hold the weight of the juicy meat. 

 

You need to be knocking on my door with a metric ton of these tacos in hand in say... an hour.  😁

[Cane23]

5 minutes ago, Jason Rimbaud said:

So I stayed away from GA for two months to avoid the madness that is the SA contest. I have too many things going on to get sucked into all that. And here I see my old friend @Camy has written a story which makes me want to check out the stories to see if I can pick his out. 

So I'm not back yet, but I am quietly reading the stories. 

J

It's good to see you @Jason Rimbaud! I'm sure you wrote Thirteen! Everyone else did it, so why wouldn't you too?!

[Thirdly]

3 minutes ago, Cane23 said:

It's good to see you @Jason Rimbaud! I'm sure you wrote Thirteen! Everyone else did it, so why wouldn't you too?!

J's not on the list of authors, though, so nope. 

[northie]

15 minutes ago, Thirdly said:

Mine are "dagnabbit," "love," "undulated," and "[insert extravagant color here, such as periwinkle blue, apricot peach, burgundy red, and lightning blue]

Exactly!  😁

[Jason Rimbaud]

8 minutes ago, Cane23 said:

It's good to see you @Jason Rimbaud! I'm sure you wrote Thirteen! Everyone else did it, so why wouldn't you too?!

I didn't see that listed in the titles, but no I didn't write it. 

[Camy]

 

4 hours ago, Lee Wilson said:

My almost completely random guesses:

11. Septima’s Potential    -    Camy

Nope. Not me.

My guess would be: @Topher Lydon

[Cane23]

7 minutes ago, Thirdly said:

J's not on the list of authors, though, so nope. 

Doesn't matter, Thirteen is definitely the most controversial SA story this year and everyone claims it... No limits here! 

[Inkognito]

9 minutes ago, Cane23 said:

Doesn't matter, Thirteen is definitely the most controversial SA story this year and everyone claims it... No limits here! 

Not me. I won’t claim it. I won’t even read it. The whole premise makes me uncomfortable and concerned for the actual author.

[Gary L]

3 minutes ago, Inkognito said:

Not me. I won’t claim it. I won’t even read it. The whole premise makes me uncomfortable and concerned for the actual author.

Unfortunately for me, I did as there was no warning at first. The writer is skilled but the story messed my head in.   Xx

[CassieQ]

1 hour ago, Valkyrie said:

No style is tone and voice, how they use language and build characters.  Every author has a distinct style unique to them.  It's not always easy to discern, but if you do enough reading, editing, and beta reading, you can learn to develop more of an eye for it. 

For me it's more tone.  Casual and light vs formal and serious vs poetic and evocative.