Developing Writing Style

Developing Writing Style

What is Style?

Back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, I was very eager to develop my style. Not that I understood what style was, but whatever it was, everybody else had it and I wanted it, too. I felt like I was keeping up with the Jones', but I didn't know what the Jones' had.

Style can be defined in several ways: (1)it is a way of expressing language, art, or music (2) it is something that is characteristic of a particular person or group of people or period of time (3) it is how something is done or how it happens (4) it is the popular taste at a given time.

If those definitions seem a little muted, it’s because style is unique to each individual. Let's nail it down a little closer. Where writing is concerned, style is how you express your thoughts through the written word.

One of my writing teachers wisely said, "Don’t worry about your style. It will come in time and it will always be your own." She was right. You are who you are and that voice will come through, no matter what you write.

Can you influence your style as it develops?

It has been said that you will write like your favorite author if you read enough of his/her work. In my beginning years, I feared that. I didn't want to sound like anyone else. I didn't know that the things I liked most would come out in my writing, and that will happen to you, too. You will automatically pick up on expressions and concepts from the authors you read. They'll all brew together like a pot of stew and out will pop a new voice - your voice. You can further influence your voice with the movies and TV programs you watch, so choose well.

Can I Change My Style?

Ummm... yes, to a degree. It's very hard, but it can be done. There are a couple of ways to do this.

(1) If you have a favorite author and you want to sound more like him, read everything he has written, over and over again. That will put you into his thinking pattern. Analyze his best sentences. Did he use snappy verbs? Alliteration? Assonance? Irony? Twisted endings? What makes his writing so special? Figure it out. Read a paragraph of his writing, and then sit down and rephrase it in your own words. Compare the two writings and look at the difference. Some of the differences may lie in techniques you haven’t learned yet, and that could be an indicator that taking writing classes would be highly beneficial.

(2) One of the hardest parts of an editor's job is to learn the voice of the person they are editing. As they delete phrases and change dialogue, they must learn to blend with the the original writer as though they are one voice. Editing someone else's work is one of the quickest ways to change your own voice.

It takes a long time to become a wordsmith. Don't rush the process. Just keep writing and developing at your own speed. Read classical literature and newly published works that are less than five years old. And if I can be of help, please write.

For more great writing tips, visit my blog at http://www.deborahowen.wordpress.com or my site at http://www.creativewritinginstitute.com.

Deborah Owen
CEO & Founder
Creative Writing Institute