Writing Style

You’re looking at your first draft and all you can think of is covering your face with your draft. Sure you’ve got the skeleton of your story and you did meet the 100,000 word target (clap! Clap! Clap!) but let’s be honest – it’s pretty ugly. It’s time to edit your first draft.

We all have access to the 26 letters of the alphabet and the words available in the dictionary it is how we use these words that determines our style and gives our novel our voice. Style is basically the way you write rather than what you write.

Of course style is often the first casualty of your free writing process. As you write  it is important to consider your writing style. To an editor it will involve looking at mechanics such as grammar and punctuation; to the writer it will include looking at dialogue, description and narration. To develop your style, make sure to;

1.      Use words that come naturally to you.  Don’t go using awkwardly large or flowery language just because Shakespeare made his fortune through them.

2.      Use clear, direct and simple sentences. For every sentence check to make sure that you can’t make it shorter yet just as expressive.

3.      Check you descriptions for excessive use of adverbs, adjectives, stereotypes and clichés to express yourself

4.      Make sure not to repeat the same word or sentence structure over and over again. Check if you always start your sentences the same way or if you always use the same word. For instance if you find an influx of the word sometimes, try changing it into its synonyms like from time to time, ever so often and many more.

Your style of writing usually evolves naturally over time. It’s usually a combination of the kind of books you’ve read, your personality and the decisions you make as you write. The more you write, the more you’ll discover that there’s a natural way in which you write.