11 Writing Style Tips You Can Use Today

Writing Style Tips Galore!

Stories often pop into our heads without much effort, but rarely—I’ve found—have they been easy to write with style at the first attempt. Writing style is a skill nurtured with practice and grown with rules and tips like the ones outlined below.

I’ve heard from published authors that it takes a few years of writing before what you write becomes presentable for publishing. Every writer, I would imagine, reaches that stage of experience at their own pace, but I do believe the first few months or years of writing will have a rocky edge to them. 

This fact of our craft is not something to be discouraged about, but the opposite. While it takes time for us to find our writing style and voice (even a lifelong pursuit), with each word we write we travel closer to that end. 

It’s like reading something you wrote five years ago and being appalled by the inexperience of the words. Those few years gave you growth in style, and it will only get better. 

Over the last four years I have researched tips on writing style to improve my own, and thought it about time I jotted down what I’ve collected in my brain. So, below are eleven writing style tips you can begin implementing in your writing (like that dusty novel draft sitting in your drawer). 

Below is what I ponder when I’m writing any piece. Like most things in writing, there are exceptions to the rules most of the time, but it is best to master some good etiquette before going on a rule-breaking rampage. 

1. Fewer Words, Better Writing Style 

Do not say something with five words when one will do. Unless for a good reason (for example, a character’s POV, dialogue style, or for description’s sake), wordiness waters down your writing. Too many words leaves your meaning confusing or exhausting to read. 

Keep it simple. 

 Example: 

1. There was a very good chance that Kathryn would go to the dance tonight. 

2. Kathryn would probably go to the dance tonight.       

2. Keep the Words Simple 

The thesaurus is an invaluable yet dangerous writing tool to your style. Why say that Kathryn feels ‘too tired and sluggish’ to go to the dance when I could say Kathryn felt ‘enervated and somnolent?’ 

There is nothing wrong with using a more refined word, and sometimes it is preferred, but be cautious when delving into the thesaurus and choosing the biggest and most extravagant words for your writing. 

Keep in mind your audience, the characters you are writing about, and the voice of your narrator. 

In this instance, I don’t believe the Kathryn in my story would use either ‘enervated’ or ‘somnolent’ to describe herself. 

3. The Fancy Grammar Writing Style

Use ellipses, em dashes, colons, and semi-colons in moderation and good taste. These tools in your arsenal are useful to add a little flair and variety to your style, but they should be used with care. 

Em dashes can be used in many places, but too much of a good thing is bad. If a particular grammar tool is used to much, it will loose its power. Save these techniques for when your writing truly calls for their use. 

1. Kathryn decided to go…what was there to lose? After all, Jake might attend; perhaps he would ask her to dance. Maybe they would hit it off—

She started writing a list of what she needed to do: choose a dress, apply makeup, style hair, spray on her special perfume…what else? 

This is interesting for a time, but imagine an entire book being written in this style. 

2. Kathryn decided to go. After all, Jake might be there. Maybe he would finally notice her…

Yes, she would go. Now she just needed to choose a dress, do her hair and makeup, and spray on the perfume she had been saving for a special occasion. 

4. Oxford Comma

I believe the Oxford comma should always be used. The oxford comma gives clarity and organization to a list. 

1. I bought steak, eggs and greens. 

2. I bought steak, eggs, and greens.

5. Vary Types of Sentences

It would be boring if we wrote the same sentence all the time. It would be repetitive. Readers would become bored. They might even set down your book. There is much better ways to write. 

Be creative with your sentence structures, vary between long and short sentences, and make use of both dependent and independent clauses. Sigh. That was much better. 

6. Leave White Space 

Readers like white space on the page. Paragraphs two pages long are daunting for readers to tackle and can be confusing. 

Make use of the structure paragraphs can give your writing style. Go with your gut instinct, and be creative mixing shorter and longer paragraphs. 

7. Keep Tense Consistent

When writing or editing, keep a close eye on tense. Switching between past and present tense is surprisingly easy to do. Keep an eye open for it. 

Side note: If you keep falling into the wrong tense, it may be wise to ask yourself if you should switch the tense you are writing in. Go with your gut and instinct, not the tense you believe people will want to read your book in.

8. Beware of Adverbs…

…especially ending in ly 

Adverbs love to creep into our writing, but try to eliminate as many as possible. There will be some adverbs that hang around, but that’s okay. 

Replace as many as you can. 

9. Show, Don’t Tell

Ah, the famous rule, and as a rule it can be broken at the right moments. Telling is needed to shorten up description, or introduce a setting that has already been described. But to give your reader a sense of awe, you need to show them what the characters are seeing and feeling. 

I think C.S. Lewis explained it well: 

Don’t use adjectives which merely tell us how you want us to feel about the thing you are describing. I mean, instead of telling us a thing was “terrible,” describe it so that we’ll be terrified. Don’t say it was “delightful”; make us say “delightful” when we’ve read the description. You see, all those words (horrifying, wonderful, hideous, exquisite) are only like saying to your readers “Please will you do my job for me.”

C.S. Lewis

I refer to that quote almost every time I sit down to write. 

10. Go With the Flow

Do not force your words into a certain construct, unless for a purpose (like dialogue or a character’s POV narration). Try to go with your instinct on how words should flow and transition.

Don’t force a style upon yourself. Let your unique style reveal itself. 

11. Mix-Up Vocabulary. 

Don’t overuse words, especially descriptive words. Vary the way you describe different objects, and don’t settle for broad descriptors. 

This is where a thesaurus does come in handy.  For example, if the word ‘meager ‘ is being used too often, try ‘scant’ on for size. Not only will your writing gain interest, but if you choose the right word, you will increase the vibrancy of your description. 

Choose Your Writing Style Tip

There you have it. Eleven creative writing style tips you can test out today. 

 I have picked up many of these through hours of reading books, writing, reading blogs, and most recently reading Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style, a book every writer should read (the link to this book is an affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This costs you nothing, but it helps keep my blog running). 

As you might have picked up, I am far from perfect in applying all these rules and writing style tips. Many an adverb has slipped through my grasp and sometimes I am long-winded with my words.

No on writes perfectly, and if we did books would be a far less interesting landscape to explore. 

Do the best you can, so that when the mischievous side of you slips through it accentuates your unique style. Follow your innate storyteller instinct. 

Have fun playing around with these creative writing style tips! If you need help catching adverbs, check out this writing tool: Hemingway Editor.