The definition of what style in writing represents is often blurry and elusive. While some authors are very distinctive when it comes to their wordiness, syntax, tone, and mood, others seem to stand out by nothing in particular—yet create high-quality works and are inspirational and praised nonetheless.
Finding your writing style can last for a year, two, three, or become a journey that never ends: for some authors, experimentation and adaptation are the most exciting parts of the writing process.
Before getting to work on your voice and tone and coming up with a great book title, the first thing you should do is decide what type of writing you’re the most interested in. This decision will help you direct your attention appropriately once you begin to practice your wordcraft.
The types of writing styles
Expository writing
If you’re fond of writing texts that aim to break down and explain a topic for your readers, you’re into expository writing. Examples of this writing type include technical writing, business writing, news articles, and school essays. If you’re interested in learning how to create the best essay writing service reviews, your writing style should be developed according to your interest.
Descriptive writing
There are writers out there who enjoy writing in figurative language, describing people, places, and many other things in a way that paints a vivid picture. Descriptive writing is commonly used in poetry, but we also often find it in prose.
Persuasive writing
As its name suggests, this writing type has a goal to share and explain an opinion or a stance about a subject important to the author. If you prefer writing texts like cover letters, advertising campaigns, speeches, editorials, and similar, you should consider investing time in learning more about copywriting, which has a whole set of rules of its own.
Narrative writing
Are your senses tingling whenever you read a great story, and you often think about writing one yourself? Narrative writing is most likely your heart’s choice then, so enjoy learning about creating believable and multi-dimensional characters, settings, and plots.
How to develop your unique writing style?
Knowing and understanding the different types of writing styles doesn’t mean that you have to stick to just one. Many authors have dedicated their lives to writing diverse texts and excelled. Additionally, certain combinations of styles can even produce very interesting results.
Whichever writing type attracts you, though, developing your own style won’t happen overnight. Stay patient and hungry for new lessons and experiences. While you learn, here are the stages you should be mindful of in your creative journey.
The #1 rule all writers agree on: Read, read, then read some more
This advice might seem a bit overused and stale, but in truth, it’s everything but. The reason why so many authors providing tips on writing repeat that reading is the most important thing is this one: nothing can replace this stage or mimic its effectiveness.
We learn the most when we observe and listen to others, and this is true of any skill you might be interested in mastering. Reading will provide inspiration and practical insight you need to keep going.
The practice is key: Write a little every day
Watching and listening are great learning companions, but no knowledge sets until you put it to a test. Remember that everything you write is good for as long as it’s a least a bit better than what you wrote the day before. Not everything you create needs to be shown or published: some wordplays are there for your eyes only.
Don’t feel discouraged if there’s no progress you expected right away. Give it some time and go back to your older texts every few months. You are sure to notice your style progressing.
Afraid of staring at the blank page? Imitate and experiment
While you are practicing your writing craft, remember that you have the license to steal from other authors. Yes, you’ve read that right: imitation is one of the best ways to learn and allows you to experiment with other writers’ styles, tweaking them into something that will once become your own.
Of course, once you decide to show someone your work or potentially publish it, ensure that the style you’re showing the world is merely influenced and inspired by a certain author, rather than plagiarized.
Use your life experiences as a base for your writing
Every beginning is a challenge and working your way up is sometimes quite demanding. To make the process of writing easier for yourself, draw from your own experiences. Play around with the way you’d describe a situation or explain a problem in everyday life, exploring where this might take you.
The most important thing in developing your style is never to rush it: good quality always takes time.
Author Bio
John Peterson is a journalist with 4 years’ experience, currently working in London magazine “Shop&buy” and the best essays writing service. He is also a professional mini-tennis player and an author of the novel “His heart”. To connect with John, find him on Facebook.
