At least when it comes to changing your voice, but there is a difference. Breaking grammar and punctuation rules because you are unaware of them vs. breaking grammar and punctuation rules for voice reasons. A friend of mine recently received copyedits that changed all her fragment sentences. This would have been a very gracious gesture if this copyeditor wasn't changing her voice in the process. Despite the ironclad grammar and punctuation rule to create complete sentences, using a fragment can get you deeper into the character's head without using first person.
This is just one example when writing style is used to create voice. And when that voice irritates the hell out of somebody else.
The flip side of the coin is when your writing style confuses the reader. I've been known from time to time to write a run-on sentence. I'm also a very big fan of the em-dash. This can make for WTF? sentences. Changing my writing style to shorter sentences that brings on clarity has been trying. I feel that is cripples my voice. I don't write or talk in short sentences BUT the need for clarity can override voice.
Or does it?
How does knowing the rules help or hinder your voice?
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