How to Develop Your Writing Style

All students have to write a huge variety of academic papers. One of the typical demands is to make every piece interesting to read. It can be done if a student has his/her specific style, which makes his/her papers step out of the crowd. Many people intend to become writers and likewise require the development of their writing styles. This informative article by AdvancedWriters.com will shed more light on this important topic.

Use Your Experiences

Our first prompt is quite simple – use your life experiences in your papers. Many famous authors use events from their lives and transfer them onto the paper. You can use your friends, mates, and even teachers as prototypes of the main characters. For example, J. K. Rowling used her chemistry teacher as the prototype of the famous professor Severus Snape. You can do the same to reap the necessary benefits. The things you already know come naturally onto the paper and give the push for creativity.

Know and Use the Right Elements of Writing

Every writer is supposed to understand two basic elements of writing. They are tone and voice, and they help to make your style personified. The tone shows the way an author conveys his/her thoughts. Commonly, writers use word choice, structure, and grammar to set the tone they need. The voice of your writing is your personal attitude towards the things you describe. It’s your viewpoint that you use to tell a story. Master these two crucial elements and you’ll succeed.

Learn from Other Authors

The smartest writers learn from their colleagues. Accordingly, you’re supposed to read the novels of famous authors. Most writers have their unique styles and readers instantly recognize them without looking at the title of the book. You’re welcome to read Ernest Hemingway, Stephen King, John Tolkien, and others. Each of these and other authors have an unrepeatable and unique understanding of the writing structure. They use unique and impressive elements to describe the events, reveal the truth, deliver the main message of the story.

Therefore, read as much as you can and take smart notes. You aren’t supposed to use all the elements of other writers. Write down the most captivating prompts, which may become helpful for you, and try to use them in your papers. Don’t plagiarize other writers. Students will be deprived of many grades if they use somebody’s words without citing them. If you’re a writer, it will become a real literature crime. You may use the examples of your colleagues to enrich your writing experience, but you cannot steal their concepts.

Write Regularly to Hone Your Craft

It’s of huge importance to practice your writing regularly. Otherwise, you won’t become an excellent writer. Most writers recommend writing every day. For example, Stephen King has developed a habit to write at least three pages daily. It explains his huge productivity and the speed of writing. You’re not obliged to accomplish a long chapter. A few pages per day are enough to develop your writing skills and style. Try different approaches to identify the ones that suit you most.

Master Different Styles

If you want to develop a personified writing style, you ought to master the standard writing styles. Knowing them, you can understand what approach suits your talents and helps to reveal your creativity to the fullest. The standard writing styles are:

• Expository writing. This style informs or explains a topic to readers. You “expose” the topic providing clear explanations related to it. Technical and business writing, academic essays, and news articles are good examples of this style.
• Descriptive writing. This approach implements figurative language and sensory detail. It describes people, places, events, feelings, etc. Thanks to the right details, readers can easily imagine them in their minds. Poetry is a perfect example of this approach.
• Narrative writing. It tells a story and provides essential elements related to the topic. It’s a creative sequence of events, which give readers an understanding of the plot developments, the time of the story, feelings of the main characters, etc. Novels and short stories are perfect representatives of this style. For example, by reading The Lord of the Rings you’ll understand the purpose of narrative writing.
• Persuasive writing. This writing style is used to affect the opinion of readers. Writers use convincing facts and examples to make readers believe them. This style is reflected in cover letters, advertising campaigns, etc.

Avoid Clichés and Stereotypes

A creative writer with his/her personified style never uses stereotypical thinking and clichés. Nobody wants to read old-fashioned topics and the authors who repeat the others. When you use the same elements and symbols, your texts automatically become boring. You are expected to impress your readers with new concepts, transitions, creative approaches, etc.
For example, you may turn the objects you use in your texts into metaphors. It’s a universal approach and you won’t repeat other authors. Although many writers use metaphors, they all are different. You can apply that hidden symbolism using anything you want. A fat cat may become a greedy minister and a tall tree may become a strong-willed girl. Everything depends on your topic and motives. You’re free to play with the form to adjust it according to your personified writing style.

Smart Tips to Use

We’d like to add a few short but effective writing tips. Using them, you’ll boost your writing skills and will make your style personified. They are:

• Read a lot;
• Be original;
• Write regularly;
• Be present in your writing;
• Use the words that come naturally;
• Be concise and precise;
• Step out of your comfort zone;
• Expand your vocabulary;
• Be detailed;
• Awaken all your senses;
• Use basic literary devices;
• Show, don’t tell;
• Avoid jargon and slang.

Follow these and other tips highlighted in this comprehensive guide. They will surely help to find and develop your writing style. Quite soon your teachers and professors will instantly recognize your unique style. It may help to become an author who is famous for his/her unrepeatable tone and voice.