How does an author discover their writing style? Well, it may sound like something that's innate but it's certainly not that simple. Finding a writing style that's best for you takes a lot of work and a few tries before some authors get it right. Like anything in life, authors have to practice, practice, practice!
Your Writing Style
When I reference "practice writing books," I don't mean rewriting the same book over and over. If you aspire to be an author, you're likely suffering from a multitude of ideas running around your head. How often have you been so excited about an idea that you begin working on it right away? Use that excitement to your benefit by writing and completing your first story before moving onto the next and then the next.
By writing, outlining, and concluding more storylines and changing the POV, you practice the art of writing, and therefore, are constantly discovering new ways of delivering information to readers. Sometimes those trial stories never see the light of day, and that's okay! I wrote 3 books before publishing my first novel, The Hidden Legacy, and those 3 will never see a publication date. Those books allowed me to improve and practice my story-telling to reach a point where my work could be published, but that doesn't mean those 3 stories should be published. Some authors are lucky enough to have their first book published, but that's not always the case. Most of the time, it takes a few tries. So don't worry!
Research
I consider reading to be a huge part of the research process, especially reading renowned and respected authors, and breaking down their writing styles. By reading (in general), you open yourself up to various POVs, description methods, settings, and the "show, don't tell" concept. You learn to exercise different techniques in order to discover and establish your own style.
Show, Don't Tell
The dreaded "show, don't tell" critique. This is an issue many writers struggle to overcome (me included!) and continue to do so throughout their career. By bringing more stories to life, authors can try different techniques in order to meet the "show, don't tell" end goal.
Readers want to be in the moment, witnessing everything as your MC does. They want to see, smell, and feel what's happening. They don't want to be told what's happening. That's the difference. Now, I'm not preaching this to you because "I've mastered this skill." I can assure you that I'm working towards it, and if you are as well, then make sure to practice so you can get there!
How often do you write?
