Guest Post Wed: Tips For Finding Your Own Writing Style

Be Yourself: Tips For Finding Your Own Writing Style

As a writer, you have to have some sort of individuality in order to stand out from the crowd. If you look at all of the successful authors, you'll notice they all have their own distinctive writing style. Here are a few tips to help you find your own writing style.

Keep a journal and an ideas book.
Keeping a journal will allow you to write every day and give you a place to express yourself. Writing in a journal every day will help you find your own style as a result. You can use a number of techniques (stream of consciousness, question and answer, periodic reflection), in order to find the writing style that is perfect for you. In contrast, you can write down all ideas you have in your ideas book. If you take it with you wherever you go, you will soon fill it up. So whenever you need something good to write for an employer, you will have a ready bank of ideas there to tap into!

Experiment every chance you get.
Experiment with your writing style on a regular basis. Try abstract writing, short sentences, long and descriptive sentences, and anything else you may want to try. It is all good practice!

Look for ideas wherever you go.
There are ideas to be had anywhere and everywhere. Looking for ideas will help you to refine your style because every idea you have will provoke passion and interest, the two things you need in order to succeed. They will also help you to find who you are as a writer!

Talk to other writers.
Other writers have been there and done it so ask them questions about how they found their writing style, the exercises they did and what they do now to constantly improve. They will often be happy to help. Go to book signings and talks to hear what they have to say and chat to them! Get online and find message boards and online forums where writers are.

Enjoy writing.
You need passion and interest to find your writing style. As a result, you have to enjoy writing to make the most of it! The day you start disliking writing is the day to get out of the business.

Copyright © Shery Ma Belle Arrieta-Russ

Download an excerpt of The Authentic Self: Journaling Your Joys, Griefs and Everything in Between below:

authenticself-sampler.zip OR authenticself-sampler.pdf If you want 3 writing *sparks* delivered to you every day for 31 days, check out WriteSparks!™ Daily HERE for info on how to get started -- it's free :o) Thank you for reading. Keep writing!

VBT-Guest Author Spotlight Donna McDine

Donna McDine is an award-winning children's author, Honorable Mention in the 77th and two Honorable Mentions in the 78 th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competitions. Her stories have been published in many print and online publications and her interest in American History resulted in writing and publishing The Golden Pathway. Donna has two more books under contract with Guardian Angel Publishing, The Hockey Agony and Powder Monkey . She writes, moms and is the Editor-in-Chief for Guardian Angel Kids and Publicist for the National Writing for Children Center from her home in the historical hamlet Tappan, NY. McDine is a member of the SCBWI and Musing Our Children. What excites you most about your book’s topic? Why did you choose it? The Underground Railroad was a pivotal time in American history, one that should never be repeated. It is my hope ...

Five Tips for a More Marketable Children’s Picture Book Manuscript by Mayra Calvani

The world of children’s picture book publishing is extremely competitive. If you’re an aspiring children’s author, you need to make sure your manuscript is in excellent shape and has all the elements editors and agents look for before you begin the submission process. Here are five tips to make your picture book manuscript more marketable: Start right with the problem. Many times beginner writers begin a picture book with back-story. It’s okay to have this back-story in the first draft, but be sure to get rid of it when you edit. Back-story is unnecessary 90% of the time and it only serves to slow down the beginning of a story, making it weaker. You want to grab the reader right from the start. So don’t be afraid to begin your story at the heart of the problem. It’s okay to set the stage with a sentence or two—but no more! Have a protagonist readers can relate to. Generally, children like to listen to stories about other children or animals with children’s characteristics. ...

Interview Friday with Author Donna McDine

Donna McDine is an award-winning children's author, Honorable Mention in the 77th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competition and two Honorable Mentions in the 78 th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competition. Donna’s stories and features have been published in many print and online publications, and her first book, The Golden Pathway , will be published through Guardian Angel Publishing as well as her second book, The Hockey Agony . Ms. McDine is a member of the SCBWI, Musing Our Children, and The National Writing for Children Center. VS: Donna, thank you for being my guest here on The Writing Mama today, we have worked together in the past at Stories for Children Publishing, however, I hear you have a picture storybook coming out this year and possibly another book in a year or two. Since working with Stories for Children Publishing and its many divisions, you seem to be even busier than before. What is it like being a writing parent with kids still in the house? Don...

VS Grenier ~ Award-Winning Author, Speaker & Podcaster

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