How I Chose a Writing Style (Or Failed To Do So)
For the first time in a very long time, I wanted to share a personal aspect of my writing life with you all :)
*
My writing style has always been rather ambiguous. I've never really had one, if that makes sense. Sure, all beginning writers have the same sort of style in that their word choice is iffy and their characters are 2D projections of people they idolize, but once I began to mature and develop as an author, I had a difficult time finding my style. One day, I would feel like writing in an archaic, 19th century tone. The next, I would be writing an edgy, darkly humorous story with an entirely different feel and, likely, target audience.
I also tend to experiment with a ton of different genres. And when I mean a ton, I mean I've written in...
- Fantasy
- Science Fiction
- Romance
- Vampire
- Supernatural
- Realistic Fiction
- Nonfiction
- Historical Fiction
- Drama/Suspense
- Horror
And I'm sure I'm forgetting a couple.
As you can see, this raises a few issues. After all, if you don't have one mood or one genre that you always adhere to, how will you develop a stable fanbase?
The answer? I don't.
This was something I had to come to terms with very quickly while attempting to build an online audience: I simply cannot be something I'm not. I am a "jack of all trades, master of none" type of writer and I am fine with being that way. Otherwise, I would get bored with the material I was creating and perhaps stop writing altogether.
Since writing is the only thing that keeps me sane, I couldn't let that happen. So, to date, I've published something underneath each of the genres I've listed above on Wattpad. And no, I don't commonly see one reader delving into two of my books - in fact, it's super rare. But the fans that I do have are fiercely loyal to their respective books and never fail to make me feel confident in my abilities.
If there is any sort of message to take away from this, it is: don't shy away from who you're supposed to be as a writer. If something feels right, go with it. Creative arts are the only things in life you should never restrict yourself on - go big or go home!
