“Writing a piece is no different from solving a mathematical problem. Both have many ways to the end.”
Why should you have a writing style?
If you seriously want to build an audience, you should think of it. Because, no one would ever care about the just-another-piece-of-debris stuff.
At the store, from the hundreds of available books, I only pick out one, or probably two. From the millions of blogs, I seldom follow a dozen blogs hardly. I’ve subscribed to tens of blogs and I end up marking most of them as READ.
Because, I am looking for something unique.
Uniqueness can either be created -
- If you have something new to say
- …or something to say, in a new way.
Yes! Even when something-not-so-boring is written in a new way, people love to read it.
And, this is why you need a writing style. Because, you have to BE YOU!
I read a lot of fiction and only to some, I truly get connected. The others still lay in my cupboard. The same applies with every reader.
So, unless you have a writing style that connect readers, you may not call yourself a writer nor so, can you generate leads.
Write! Not Because You’ve To, But You Want To
The major part of a blog, is the content, right?
There are a lot bloggers beside me who write and publish content, because they don’t want their blog to miss the CONSISTENCY.
And, that doesn’t make sense as long as you write things that doesn’t make sense.
Didn’t get me?
If you browse through the posts at Copyblogger or such, you can’t find any article of less quality. And, you can’t even find something which is relatively less useful. Each of its posts is super rich in quality and use.
Such blogs, even if they miss publishing a post for some day, they will be back with an extraordinary article.
Because, as you’ve read on many blogs- Consistency is the key; never mistake it for granted.
Consistency is not posting articles daily. It is, posting useful articles, now and then.
Until you develop the passion of writing, you are not actually a writer and once you do it, your words flow flawlessly.
Always write with a passion and if you miss it, either develop or quit!
Read Blogs of Your Niche
Like me, if you’re blogging about blogging/internet/writing or whatsoever, there are thousands of others who do the same. This means, there are thousands of other styles to represent the same content.
The best example can be- How To Get Blog Post Ideas
I write it in my style and if you google for the same, there are tons of articles popping out. Each of them has their unique style of writing and no two articles look alike (assuming, they’re not from cheap blogs).
So, when you follow the blogs of your niche, you get exposed to different styles to represent your content.
Don’t Just Read Blogs of Your Niche
@ Muffet
There is a world outside the window.
If you really want to improve your writing, start reading a variety of books and blogs.
Because, if you keep following those blogs of your niche ONLY, you will ONLY come across internet marketing, optimization, tactics, mistakes and such terminology. When you read the others, you find the difference. The difference that grabs your interest. Your interest being turned away.
Go to the nearest store and pick the best of the CLASSICS. I recently started reading MEIN KAMPF by Adolf Hitler.
You can’t find a better reference than this- 100 Greatest Novels of All Time
Get Inspired; Never Lift
Of course, you should always look for inspiration , because it keeps you moving, without breaks.
If someone inspires you the most, it is the natural human tendency to become the relocated replica of the person.
But, it should be something else! If you get so inspired, take the inspiration part ONLY!
I find a lot of people who instantly start rewriting an article which was already published on some top-notch blog. This makes you just-another-blogger from the herd and you can never be UNIQUE. Always be yourself!
Don’t Step Out, In-between
Once you start writing something, don’t leave it until you finish it. Little breaks should be fine, but something longer will just break the flow.
Recently, I started an article for my blog; wrote half of it and took a day-long break and guess what? It is still in my drafts folder. Because, your thoughts and creative juices keep changing. You may start in one way now, and tomorrow, you may want to restart it in another way. And, you finally end-up not completing it.
Always let the words flow without breaks.
Test A/B
If you’re not sure about your writing style, write a few posts with different writing styles each and publish it. Observing the audience behavior analytics, you should know by then.
If you remember, I once have had a lot of humor in my blog posts. Not now, anymore.
Interact
It’s your turn now. After all, this is all for the end-user, the reader. Tell me, what attracts you the most, in a writing?
About Koundeenya
I agree with you there Koundeenya!
Writing should ALWAYS be when we want to, not when we have to – there’s a major difference between the two. I sometimes get caught in-between being a freelance writer as I have to cater to the deadlines and write even when I don’t feel like. I guess most of us writers who work for clients have to go through that phase. However, I am glad I compensate and do as I want on my blog and let my creative juices flow there.:)
All of us need to have our own writing style or own voice that connects with our readers and others who visit our blog. It shouldn’t be anyone else’s but our own voice and thoughts, because then that is being YOU and not another person, which is very important to have you recognized as you. And yes, reading always makes you better in your writing as they say – so reading anything and everything that you come across only enhances your learning I think.
Thanks for sharing
Harleena Singh recently posted..How to Change Your Life with Knowledge
Thanks for your comment, Harleena!
Yes, being a freelance writer is not so easy as it seems. And, being both a blogger and a freelance writer…life becomes so busy. We should write content for own blogs, write guest posts and write for clients, as well. Managing all these, we hardly do find time to read. So glad that I’m somehow able to do all these.
The early days of my blogging were so bad that I hardly wrote anything unique. At least, I learnt a lot from that failure and am happy with that. Writing something unique, should be followed by every blogger and if not, his blog will remain “Just another WordPress weblog”.
Cheers
Koundeenya recently posted..Interview With Chendong Wong a.k.a TheBadBlogger
Hi Koundeenya,
A very interesting post on an important topic for any writer. You make some excellent points.
Couldn’t agree more with you on the need to read lots and read widely – that definitely helps us develop our style because we pick things up from other writers, consciously and unconsciously, which influence our own writing. Our writing style is an organic thing, which is bound to change over time – if it doesn’t that’s a bad sign that we’ve become stuck in our ways and stopped growing as a writer.
I’m interested and a bit sad to hear you say you no longer have any humour in your posts, Koundeenya – why is that, I wonder? Or are you just teasing? I think it’s lovely when writing makes me smile
– and I like writing that challenges me, moves me and makes me think.
Sue
Sue Neal recently posted..5 Fatal Blogging Mistakes to Avoid – Lessons from a National Scandal
Hello Sue!
Great to see you here!
Well, there’s no great reason behind! Earlier, I used to write with some funny stuff in-between. That didn’t seem well to myself. So, I stopped being over funny and am now, adding humor (hardly any) only at appropriate places, if intended to.
Thanks for your comment.
Koundeenya recently posted..How To Create A Writing Style That Matters
At the end of the day, you have to do what’s right and natural for you, Koundeenya – I think you do have to be careful with humour, so you’re wise to limit it to when it feels appropriate.
Michael Martine over at Remarkablogger’s also just done a very interesting post on this issue that you might want to check out – it’s obviously a hot topic at the moment!
Sue
Sue Neal recently posted..Why Blog Commenting Almost Drove Me Round the Bend (and how you can help…)
Hi Koundeenya,
I do agree that we all need to find out place here in the blogging community. By that I do mean that we need to find out own voice and I know a lot of people get confused with that term which is why I’ve written about that myself.
We are all really competing for the same things. It’s just like anything else in life, some people you’ll bound with and some you won’t. Some people you’ll have things in common with while others you won’t. Some people you’ll trust enough to buy from while others you won’t. So when you write putting a lot of your own personality in your posts then the right people will connect with you. It doesn’t matter what everyone else is doing. You just need to do what’s best for you.
Good share Koundeenya and I’m sure a lot of people will benefit from this post.
~Adrienne
Hey Adrienne!
I do believe in the same. When we add a personality to the writing, it becomes unique and readers will love to keep reading. I recently found out the fact and am so happy with the results. These days, I am getting a lot of fan emails and messages, which just take me to the cloud9.
Thanks for stopping by.
Koundeenya recently posted..How To Create A Writing Style That Matters
Nice topic Koundeenya!
Effective writing can never be possible without having inspiration because that’s one thing that motivates us. if you just started writing, you can’t instantly make it perfect. Everyday, you develop a new writing skills and that makes you a good writer.
Hey Melly!
Inspiration is something which always keeps me focussed. Nature has always been my best pal. It keeps me motivated.
Yes, practicing and reading can be the best possible techniques to develop writing skills and a style.
Thanks for your comment.
Koundeenya recently posted..How To Create A Writing Style That Matters
Hey Koundeenya,
My writing style is pretty simple.
I write the way I talk.
You know I adopted English (I assume you can relate to that) as a second language about roughly 4 years ago, so right now I won’t be able to produce a content that’s filled with some fancy vocabulary like some serious blogger out there.
But that does not hold me back. Not in a million years.
I do the best I can with what I have, right?
Great post!
Akos
Akos Fintor recently posted..How to Create Easy Online Income BS
Great tips! That is a very inspiring article. I always try to write not when I have to but when I want to. it has soooooooooo huge difference….
Evan recently posted..Free Science WordPress Themes
Hey Evan!
I’m glad to hear that. Well, that was inspired from a quote. I don’t actually remember the actual quote, ironically.
Thanks for stopping by. Have a great weekend.
Koundeenya recently posted..Interview With Chendong Wong a.k.a TheBadBlogger
Hi Koundeenya,
This is my first visit to your awesome blog and i love what I’m seeing. Keep up the good work my friend.
They have said it all but what i just want to say is that effective writing style comes with effective writing habit. In the game of writing, no one is the master, what i believe it that monopoly is the formula here.
We mustn’t wait to be motivated by anyone before we can do it, we have to always motivate ourselves.
Thanks for sharing my friend and do have a wonderful weekend.
BTW: Thanks for your visit to my blog.
Theodore Nwangene recently posted..7 Amazing ways to Improve the Usability of Your Blog
Hey Theodore!
Thanks for making it to my blog.
Well said, “effective writing style comes with effective writing habit”. One must never avoid the habit of writing, if he/she wants to be a prominent writer. That habit increases our passion towards writing and we’ll soon start writing much better than before.
Thanks for your words
Koundeenya recently posted..6 Spectacular Ways To Get More Attention To Your Blog