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The Importance of Developing an Effective and Unique Writing Style and Voice

I repeatedly hear as I study how to become a writer and how to write a novel that one of the most important aspects of becoming an author is to discover and develop one’s writing style. This has intimidated me because I find it difficult to describe my style to someone else, but I can see how it differs from that of authors whose works I’ve read and loved.

Whenever I pick up a book like The Water Keeper by Charles Martin or an old-school classic like Anne of Green Gables by L..M. Montgomery, I’m awestruck by the beauty of their lyrical, poetic writing style I yearn to be as great as they are at the craft. I feel like a pretender next to them. That’s my Emotion Mind speaking. Wise Mind reminds me that everyone’s style is different and has value, including mine, which is much more straightforward and less poetic. I also remind myself that I am a student at this, and my style and skill will improve with time and experience.

Still, it’s essential to do what I can to improve my descriptive writing and style, and part of that comes from reading extensively and appreciating the variety of writing styles and voices out there. I have failed in this department over the past few years as I single-mindedly focused on writing my fiction and didn’t spend enough time reading others’. Time and again, I read about how important it is to be an avid reader as a writer. I’m working to remedy my short-sightedness by reading in my chosen genres and other fiction and non-fiction genres. I’m keeping my e-reader full of books I will read next.

What is meant by “Writing Style,” Anyway?

So, what is style, anyway? According to Masterclass.com, in the article “How to Find Your Writing style: 8 Tips for Developing Voice and Tone” (2021), writing style is “an author’s unique way of communicating with words,” the “voice, or personality, and overall tone that they apply to their text.” The article goes on to say that two elements of writing style include: 1) the Voice, or “the personality you take on in your writing,” and 2) the Tone, or “the attitude that a piece of writing conveys” developed “through elements like word choice, sentence structure, and grammar.”

When I read that, I think about my own “style.” I’m a narrative writer (I write fiction, which is, in my opinion, necessarily narrative) whose personality tends to change slightly from written work to work. Because I write suspense, primarily, my personality tends to be more straightforward, concise, and serious. I like using a broad but popular vocabulary that isn’t as florid or poetic as, say, that used by Martin in The Water Keeper. My descriptive language is more concise, I believe. Does that make it any better or worse? I guess that’s up to the reader to decide for themselves. I am highly critical of my abilities and work, so it’s easy for me to get caught up in the snare of comparing myself too much to others and forgetting that variety “is the spice of life.”

Be Yourself.

When a person writes, the wisest advice is that they be themselves. Don’t try to write just like Charles Martin or Lucy Montgomery or John Grisham, or Sandra Brown. Write like you. Be true to yourself. There’s just as much value in your personality—in my personality—as anyone else’s. But at the same time, keep one’s mind open to learning from those who have succeeded ahead. Be teachable and willing to adapt and mature. And for heaven’s sake, keep reading. Not reading for so long was my biggest mistake and one I’m struggling to remedy. I’m currently reading three books, juggling them. The first is an older secular suspense/thriller, Smash Cut, by Sandra Brown. The second book is The Water Keeper by Charles Martin, and the third is a non-fiction book called Chaos: Charles Manson, the CIA, and the Secret History of the Sixties by Tom O’Neill and Dan Piepenbring. After these books, I’d like to read Cold Light of Day by Elizabeth Goddard, Edge of Dusk by Colleen Coble, and Area 51 by Annie Jacobsen.

If you’re a writer, what is your style? Do you know? Are you working regularly on cultivating it? What’s your method? What style(s) of writing do you prefer to read? What are you currently reading? I’d be interested in hearing your feedback!

As always, thanks for reading and following my blog. Please let your friends and family know about it. God bless you richly!

Warmest Regards,

 Pauline

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