: How do we write a good edit on Wikipedia? Is there a way to make sure that what we write sounds consistent with the style adopted by the majority of editors? I am not sure how people do

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This answer was given to me by an experienced WP editor who doesn't have a Writing Stack Exchange account. They intended it to supplement David Siegel's excellent post.

If you think that style is consistent throughout WP, you haven't visited its murkier recesses!

(1) It's optional, but I recommend creating a named account rather than posting as an IP. That makes it much easier to communicate with other editors.
(2) The most common reason for getting reverted in WP is probably adding unsourced or badly-sourced material. (a) Adding sources in a really professional-looking way is not easy. (OK, it is when you know how.) However, <ref>[url title]</ref> gets the job done. (b) WP needs reliable sources, especially for anything which might be contentious. In particular, self-published stuff (blogs, Facebook, YouTube, etc.) doesn't count. There's a guide at Wikipedia:Reliable sources (don't read it all, just skim the first few paragraphs).
(3) The WP Manual of Style (type WP:MOS into the searchbox) is intimidating beyond belief. Try the page Help:Getting started for something a bit (though not much) more user-friendly.
(4) If you have a special area of interest, find a WikiProject to join. Type WikiProject: into the searchbox (note the colon), and then try to guess the name (Chemistry, History, Films, Music, whatever). You can find a lot of helpful knowledgeable people in those places.
(5) If you're thinking of writing a new article, draft it in your WP sandbox. From there, you can ask an experienced editor to review it, rather than having it torn to shreds or put up for deletion by ravening beasts.
(6) Experienced editors follow WP:DONTBITE.

Happy editing!

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As you read more widely in Wikipedia, you will find that the style is not as consistent as you might think, particularly on different kinds of topics. Math articles will read rather differently from history articles, for example. Also, prevalent style has changed a bit over time. Staying clear and factual but not overly dry, and completely impersonal, is a good start. There should never be even an implied "I" in a Wikipedia article (unlike on a talk page) Perhaps thew best way is to arrange for a mento on the site. If you are interested, leave me a message at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_talk:DESiegel perhaps after looking at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:DESiegel and i'll try to lend a hand.

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