by Rebecca Mikulin

Created on: July 12, 2009

Writing styles are as varied as fingerprints. Everyone has one, though it may take years to develop a distinctive style that sets your work apart from the masses. Additionally, it may take years before you even find a style that you're comfortable with and with which you enjoy writing. Once the process is undertaken, it takes constant polishing to develop that distinctive style that will make or break your writing hobby or career. Developing your own writing style can be broken down into four primary steps.

As with anything, you have to start with the basics. Work to expand and clarify your grasp on your primary language. Focus on proper grammar, expanding your vocabulary, and becoming familiar with popular writing conventions. This will allow you to produce well-constructed sentences that will be readily understood by your readers, though structure is just a framework for your unique writing style.

Write your own words, and make sure you like them. So many new writers want to add in big words or force a certain pattern of wording that just isn't natural for them. Stick to writing exactly how you're thinking. As your writing skills develop and your distinct style begins to show itself, your thought patterns will adjust accordingly. Be sure to read through everything and don't leave it alone until you like what you're reading. If you don't like your work, how can you expect others to like it? Writing has no value if no enjoyment is derived from it, and your own enjoyment should be the benchmark for all your work.

Expand your horizons. What you know of writing is based on how the information and styles you've been exposed to interact with your own mind. The key to accelerating the journey toward a polished and unique writing style generally lies in exposure to as much of what already exists as possible. Read novels, newspapers, blogs, letters, short stories, non-fiction, doctoral dissertations...the list goes on. By exposing your mind to every conceivable style, you are giving it the opportunity to interact with those styles and glean pieces and ideas that will later incorporate themselves into your own writing.

Practice! It's true that practice makes perfect, and writing practice gives you constant opportunities to play with different ideas and get a feel for what you really like. The feedback others give on practice writing may also be helpful in style development, but bear in mind that different people like different things. Just because someone gives you their opinion on your work, it doesn't mean you must take their suggestions. In the quest for style development, there is nothing more important than regular practice.

That's it! Every person chooses for themselves just how to pursue each of these steps and what types of resources they use along the way. Take into account all the resources available to you, but remember that writing is a personal activity. No one can tell you exactly what you need to do, how to do it, or how long it will take to achieve your objective. Through active improvement, your writing style will eventually become every bit the unique and polished tool you desire.

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