Finding your style can be hard, especially when you’ve just started your writing career. It might even be tempting to mimic the style of authors who have had New York Times best selling books. However, there are many ways that you can develop your own personal style and stand out when publishing.

Discover what you enjoy writing about and what you enjoy reading:

Before you try to find your own style, it can be helpful to first grasp what it is you enjoy writing. Each genre is written differently, and this can impact the way that you write your own stuff. Not only that but finding out what you enjoy in a book can impact how you formulate your writing style. Do you like more dialogue-based writing or more detailed writing? Knowing these things can help you discover how you want to write for your upcoming project.

Look over your previous work:

Going back over your past writings can help you form your own writing style, as well. Seeing the way you previously wrote your sentences and which words you chose can help you recognize the way you want to write for your future projects. For example, you may see that in your old writing you weren’t as descriptive, but now you want to improve that. This can help you develop a writing style that you are happy with and proud of.

Practice your writing style:

When you practice writing in the voice you want to adopt, you are more capable of keeping the voice throughout longer forms of content. I have read many books where the author’s style of writing seems to change in the middle of the book. This could potentially be because it is a new style the author is trying out, and it was harder to keep that voice, so they reverted back to their previous style. Practicing can help prevent this. For practice, you can follow quick writing prompts and only respond in the style you wish to write in rather than writing in the style you are used to.

Use your experiences to inspire your writing style:

Developing a voice in your writing that will help your work stand out can be difficult, but using your own unique point of view can help you. Your experiences have shaped who you are, and it can help you build a writing style that is uniquely yours. Your point of view can help you with descriptive and expository writing because the way you process the world will always differ from everyone else. Use this to your advantage and allow it to shape the way you write and showcase your talent.

Once you perfect your writing style, you are sure to stand out. We’re all looking for new and exciting books to discover, and your writing style is just as important as the plot of your book. Take time out to practice your writing style and hone your craft so that the work you put out is something you love and are proud to have written.