by Marlin Bressi

Created on: January 22, 2009   Last Updated: January 14, 2011

A writer can no more choose a writing style than a person can choose an accent with which to speak. A writer's style is the equivalent of a voice, which is something that an individual cannot choose for himself. While a singer, for example, cannot choose the voice he or she has been born with, a singer can develop that voice through practice. The same thing applies to writing.

Let us not confuse a writing style with writing genres. Children's writing, for instance, is a genre of writing, much like literary fiction, horror, or romance. A writing style is something that is unique. If Hemingway had decided to write a children's book or a cookbook, the writing style itself would not change. A writer's style is what makes his or her work appeal to readers, and no one writing style is better than another. For example, my favorite author is Garrison Keillor because I am enamored with his style of writing. If your favorite author is J.D. Salinger, an author whose style I do not particulary enjoy reading, it does not mean that one writer is better than another. If you have a favorite author, chances are that you are a fan because the author has a style of writing that not only entertains you, but provokes an emotional response as well.

A writer who thinks that he can choose a writing style is merely a writer who has not yet developed his own voice. While there is nothing wrong with being influenced by a particular writer's style, one should be mindful of the fine line between inspiration and imitation. There are numerous writers who can write in the style of Shakespeare, but there is only one Shakespeare. There are many writers who can write in the style of Nabokov, but there is only one Nabokov. A writing style is what makes each author unique, so by merely imitating the style of another writer you are stunting your own personal growth as a writer.

So how does one go about developing a writing style? I believe that a writing style is developed through a lifetime of experience. Authors who write with cynical wit and dark humor have probably had a much different upbringing than an author who writes in a lyrical and romantic fashion. Our experiences not only define who were are, they also determine how we write. This explains why some authors' writing styles seem to change over time. A writer who has endured severe hardships as an adult will undoubtedly display a different style of writing than he did as a child.

I believe that any writer who seriously pursues the craft of writing will someday find a unique writing style that he can call his own. The only way to get to that point is through practice, just as the only way to become a virtuoso musician is through practice. If a writer were able to choose his writing style, wouldn't he inevitably choose the writing style of a best-selling author? The fact that only a small percentage of writers will ever pen a best-seller is evidence to the fact that one cannot choose a writing style. If we could, we would all be best-selling authors.

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