by Leann Zotis

Created on: July 23, 2009

Artistic expression is a personal revelation of the soul. Great works of art or music are enduring, not just because they are flawlessly executed according to the rules of proportion or rhythm, but because they give us a glimpse into the mind and inner-most thoughts and feelings of their creator.

So it is with writing. It is not merely the exact adherence to sentence structure or avoidance of dangling participles that creates a memorable work. If that were the case, technology today is advanced enough to have computer software spit out volumes of literature to pass off to a clueless readership.

This is not the case. Astute readers expect more. Passionate writers will not settle for producing rote drivel. There are few, if any, writers who approach writing with anything less than the burning desire to reveal themselves through their work.

How, exactly, does one come to find that style of writing which exposes the blood and guts of the soul? A lucky few seem to be born with a sense of purpose in their writing. They know what they were meant to say and they spend their lives saying it. With a bit of luck, they find their voice and their audience in this lifetime and come to find the fulfillment they seek.

For many others, the urge for self-expression burns and gnaws away from the inside for years, seeking to find an opening, an escape route, anything to lead the inner writer into the light of day. The would-be writer knows it's there. He just doesn't know how to let it out. It can take years, perhaps a lifetime, to develop a writing style that fulfills that yearning.

The first and foremost path to developing a personal writing style is so simple it is easy to overlook. Write. Yes, put a pen to paper or fingers to the keyboard and let the words begin to flow. Do this every day. Experiment with various writing styles. To gain exposure to a variety of writing styles you must be an avid reader. Don't restrict yourself to reading what you already know you like. Stretch yourself. Explore areas that are foreign to you, perhaps areas where you may think you have no interest at all. Take a look at what others have to say and the way they choose to say it.

Do they hit you between the eyes with a direct, to the point, statement of facts? Do they crouch their meaning somewhere deep in the midst of a well-developed narration? Are they formal or comedic? Brief or wordy? Polite or sarcastic?

You will find clues to your own writing style by the choices you make in what you like to read. Take care not to label your writing style too soon. What you think you are and where you think you are going may prove to be totally false. To find your own writing style you must allow yourself freedom to travel down roads previously untouched by you. If you spend enough time at it, it is very likely that your writing style will find you, often long after you've stopped looking for it.

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