by Mel Mcintyre

Created on: March 01, 2009

The idea of choosing a writing style is a little bit ridiculous. You're not likely to CHOOSE your writing style so much as you are to FIND it.

Of course, many writers are not 100% sure what "style" means in the first place. Is it the way you construct sentences, use metaphors and imagery, or involve the reader in a feast for the senses? Is it simply a question of spelling and grammar? Or is it more to do with finding your unique voice, the voice that says "this was written by so-and-so" whenever anyone reads your work?

The truth is, style is ALL of these things. And you're not actually able to choose a style, but you are able to discover your own style. Here's how you do it:

Keep it brief
Don't use three words when one will do. Say what you need to say in the least amount of words. Think about recipes or shopping lists: no words wasted there. That's because you don't need anything but the essential information to know what's going on. Same with your writing.

See what you think of this example:
"The young boy stooped, bent over, picked up a large piece of loose gravel and vehemently threw it into the waiting waters of the ocean."

In other words, the boy (who must be young, if he's a boy) picked up a rock (a rock is a large piece of gravel, and he has to bend over to do this) and threw it into the sea. To show the boy is angry (vehemently) you could say he "snatched" a rock instead of picking it up.

Also try not to be too sesquipedalian (long-winded). If you have an extensive vocabulary, that's good. Congratulations. But your job as a writer isn't to show off, it's to communicate. Communication implies connecting with your audience, and you won't be able to connect with them if they have no idea what you're talking about.

Take it easy on your readers
Keep sentences and paragraphs short. Don't make the mistake of thinking that the more you write, the more interesting it will be. It just isn't true. For instance, which of these do you think is more interesting?

"Experts agree that saving toward an RRSP should be started early in your earning career."

Or

"If you want to invest in an RRSP, financial planning experts all agree that the best time to do that is when you're young and just starting out earning, perhaps even in your very first job."

If you guessed the first, then you win a prize. There's no question that they both give the same information, but the first does it so much better. It's simple, it's punchy, and it flows nicely. You could say it has more style.

Pack your

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