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Writing Tips 23 - How to Find Your Style

02/02/2021

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Writing has a style, just like art does. And just like art, your style will be comprised of your favorite parts of other styles, to combine and create your own unique one.

 

So find 3 things you really like in writing.

Personally, I don't think your writing style is something you need to actively try to find, it's something that develops along the way but that may not be a universal experience for everyone, so here's my advice for how to actively develop it.

The first step is identifying what you like to write. Not necessarily what genre you like to write in, but what you actually enjoy writing.

Maybe you really like describing action scenes. Perhaps you like your characters getting into physical altercations or getting hurt. Maybe you really like world development or character building, maybe you like to describe eyes and scents in a particular way. Perhaps you like to focus on what's happening vs how a character feels. Maybe you like writing in 3rd person more than 1st person or vice versa. And your favorite authors and specific stories can give you clues as to what you enjoy.

Try to identify why you like these things, what about them draws your attention and your admiration the most.

What particularly about the things you have chosen, make you say "I wanna write like that."

The more detailed you can get with this, the better. Pick apart and single out the things you like about each of these things and you'll start to realize that you already intuitively know what your style is.

The hard part about developing a style is not finding out what you like, it's figuring out how to put the pieces together; unfortunately or fortunately, that's something that just comes with time and practice. Practice writing the things you like and figure out what you like to focus on and what you don't care about so much. Try writing things that you never have before, and try putting a new spin on something you like, and it will help you learn how to write the things you like, and voila, with a little time your style will be yours.

Style is something that never stops developing, just as you never stop learning. So don't worry too much about actively developing it until you find new things that make you say "I wanna write like that."

You will forever find these things and your style will keep changing as you do. I personally have an inconsistent "style" but there are always elements to it that will never change because some things become apart of your fundamentals without you even realizing it.

For example, I've been told that my characters all tend to have an inner dialogue that is usually snarky or sarcastic, funny, or just running commentary that really gives you an insight into the characters thoughts.

I know that I have a quirk for hurting my characters, which is a common theme among authors. (An experienced author is almost always a bit of a sadist lol)

I know that I myself am detail orientated and tend to enjoy describing things in great detail. While that is a basic part of writing, it is also apart of my style.

Ultimately, your style is built upon the things that you like and studied the way an artist studies anatomy and lighting in order to understand how you draw those things.

In the end, you'll like most -- if not everything -- about your style because it's a combination of all the things you like about stories and writing.

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