Six Tips about Writing with Style!
Think about the clothes you wear. When you woke up this morning you had to chose the clothes you wanted to wear: a pair of jeans, a T-shirt, an Armani suit and so on. Whatever you decided – that is your style.
Your writing style also comes from the choices you make. It’s your words, your sentences, your paragraphs, your article, your manuscript – nobody else’s. And I believe your writing style will always be in fashion if it sounds like you write with an honest and interested voice.
Here are six tips to think about … and perhaps be conscious that style distinguishes one writer’s work from another’s.
1. Be clear. Keep your reader in mind and make your writing easy to understand from start to finish. Don’t make your readers have to figure out convoluted sentences. If your thoughts are clear, your writing will be clear.
2. Have a purpose – know your intent. If you expect to produce effective writing, the subject needs to interest the writer. Write with your voice. Be honest and heartfelt. You don’t have to use a bunch of fancy, clever words. It’s artificial. I believe the best writing is natural and develops into a sincere style.
4. Drop comparison. Readers are interested in styles they haven’t seen before.
5. Avoid clichés. A cliché is an overused word or phrase and they don’t give the reader anything new to think about.
6. Pay attention to the sound and rhythm of your sentences. Read your text aloud to hear your voice. You will find out if your sentences flow from sentence to sentence.
Have fun!