FINDING YOUR OWN WRITING STYLE

As a writer, you have to have some sort of individuality in order to stand out with the crowd. If you look at all of the successful authors, you'll notice they all have their own distinctive style. What is style? Style is the words and order of those words you choose to tell a story.  It's how writers choose to say what they have to say. I give out a prompt on our writing Wednesday and classmembers write. Do any of those stories sound the same?

 Do southern writer Fannie Flagg or Rick Bragg sound like big-city Eastern writers? If Stephen King and Lee Child were given the same mysterious place to write about, do you think they would write in the same style? Al doesn't write like Charlotte. Sylvia doesn't write like Kathleen. We may address the same subject but our choice of words is definitely not the same. Part of that is because we each see the same object, event, memory in a different way—therefore, we use our special way of telling the story.

You might think you don't have a style but you do if you have been writing for any length of time. If you are a newcomer, you might want to take stock of your favorite authors—do you want to write like them. Don't copy their work but lean toward the way they put words on paper. Experiment with your writing style. Take a subject or character and write about them in different ways—humorous, very formal, mysteriously, down home comfortable, etc. It is all good practice.

I've been an advocate of journaling for years and think that's a good way to work on your style. You can use all forms of creative writing—stream of consciousness, question and answer, periodic reflection, essay, poetry, or whatever form you want to use. You will be able to see what writing style is most comfortable and best suited for you.

Talk to other writers. Go to book signings, listen to book talks on TV, and write. You need passion and interest in order to find your writing style.