So, I’ve promised writing advice. Well, Bookoholic’s, I’ve come to deliver. Here is the very first bit of advice I’d like to give you all for your writing. Every author has it. Every author has struggled with it. And every author has found it. So now, let’s talk about yours.
Writing styles. What are they and how do they influence your story? If you’re wondering what the answer is to that very question, you’re in the right place!
A style is what a writer uses in their writing to make it just that. Their own. Everyone has their own type of style that revolves around their major strength in writing. Someone who’s superb at conveying emotions will probably write in first person perspective rather than the third person. A writer who specializes in facts and moving a story forward at a quick, but even pace will most likely use third-person perspective as it leads the reader along from an outsider’s view. This type of writing gives up some emotions one might get with first person POV, exchanging it instead for more knowledge that will better propel the story forward at a faster pace.
Perspectives are only the beginning. They’re the basics of finding and crafting your own style, so let’s dive more into that, shall we?
In the beginning, when one writes, they face a question. Do they want to write in first person, second person, or third person perspective? Now, we’ve already covered the minimum of what the first and third person is like. Second person perspective is something that you’ll see rarely in writing these days as it deals with putting the reader directly into the story using pronouns such as I, me, and you. The author is literally making the reader into a character, such as the case with this article.
Once you’ve experimented with these three perspectives and found one you’re most comfortable with, you’ll then move onto refining your style; this is where things get a little less basic and a lot more focused on you as a writer. You might find that, as you write, your stories are a lot more dialogue driven or that you use descriptions to further propel your writing forward. This is your writing style coming into play as you expertly weave your story.
If you struggle with your writing style, try finding a few books and reading through them. It might very well help you find your cup of tea. By reading other novels, you’ll gravitate towards a certain style of writing that speaks to you. For me, I often find myself drawn to novels told from multiple perspectives because I love to know what all the characters think. I end up incorporating the same style into my writing with alternating character perspectives all written in first person POV.
Some other examples of unique styles would be writing a story in first person perspective where every chapter is a diary entry. This is a more refined style based on what the author feels not only that they’ll succeed at but also that they feel their story will excel with. Another example would be a story told backward such as Genuine Fraud by E. Lockhart, which I really recommend reading if you haven’t.
There are hundreds of styles out there for you to explore. Experiment with multiple and try your hand at a few you think are interesting. Even if you think ‘Oh no, that style just seems too complicated for me.’ I strongly encourage you to give it a try as it might be just the type you’re looking for!
I hope this was useful to you! If you have questions, feedback, or suggestions on what other advice you’d like to see head on over to my contact page and shoot a message my way. Also, if you’re enjoying the content so far, subscribe to the mailing list and never miss an update! Until next time.
All the best.
Beyond Literary 
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