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Last updated on Feb 14, 2023

10 Types of Creative Writing (with Examples You’ll Love)

A lot falls under the term ‘creative writing’: poetry, short fiction, plays, novels, personal essays, and songs, to name just a few. By virtue of the creativity that characterizes it, creative writing is an extremely versatile art. So instead of defining what creative writing is , it may be easier to understand what it does by looking at examples that demonstrate the sheer range of styles and genres under its vast umbrella.

To that end, we’ve collected a non-exhaustive list of works across multiple formats that have inspired the writers here at Reedsy. With 20 different works to explore, we hope they will inspire you, too. 

People have been writing creatively for almost as long as we have been able to hold pens. Just think of long-form epic poems like The Odyssey or, later, the Cantar de Mio Cid — some of the earliest recorded writings of their kind. 

Poetry is also a great place to start if you want to dip your own pen into the inkwell of creative writing. It can be as short or long as you want (you don’t have to write an epic of Homeric proportions), encourages you to build your observation skills, and often speaks from a single point of view . 

Here are a few examples:

“Ozymandias” by Percy Bysshe Shelley

Nothing beside remains. Round the decay Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare The lone and level sands stretch far away.

This classic poem by Romantic poet Percy Shelley (also known as Mary Shelley’s husband) is all about legacy. What do we leave behind? How will we be remembered? The great king Ozymandias built himself a massive statue, proclaiming his might, but the irony is that his statue doesn’t survive the ravages of time. By framing this poem as told to him by a “traveller from an antique land,” Shelley effectively turns this into a story. Along with the careful use of juxtaposition to create irony, this poem accomplishes a lot in just a few lines. 

“Trying to Raise the Dead” by Dorianne Laux

 A direction. An object. My love, it needs a place to rest. Say anything. I’m listening. I’m ready to believe. Even lies, I don’t care.

Poetry is cherished for its ability to evoke strong emotions from the reader using very few words which is exactly what Dorianne Laux does in “ Trying to Raise the Dead .” With vivid imagery that underscores the painful yearning of the narrator, she transports us to a private nighttime scene as the narrator sneaks away from a party to pray to someone they’ve lost. We ache for their loss and how badly they want their lost loved one to acknowledge them in some way. It’s truly a masterclass on how writing can be used to portray emotions. 

If you find yourself inspired to try out some poetry — and maybe even get it published — check out these poetry layouts that can elevate your verse!

Song Lyrics

Poetry’s closely related cousin, song lyrics are another great way to flex your creative writing muscles. You not only have to find the perfect rhyme scheme but also match it to the rhythm of the music. This can be a great challenge for an experienced poet or the musically inclined. 

To see how music can add something extra to your poetry, check out these two examples:

“Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen

 You say I took the name in vain I don't even know the name But if I did, well, really, what's it to ya? There's a blaze of light in every word It doesn't matter which you heard The holy or the broken Hallelujah 

Metaphors are commonplace in almost every kind of creative writing, but will often take center stage in shorter works like poetry and songs. At the slightest mention, they invite the listener to bring their emotional or cultural experience to the piece, allowing the writer to express more with fewer words while also giving it a deeper meaning. If a whole song is couched in metaphor, you might even be able to find multiple meanings to it, like in Leonard Cohen’s “ Hallelujah .” While Cohen’s Biblical references create a song that, on the surface, seems like it’s about a struggle with religion, the ambiguity of the lyrics has allowed it to be seen as a song about a complicated romantic relationship. 

“I Will Follow You into the Dark” by Death Cab for Cutie

 ​​If Heaven and Hell decide that they both are satisfied Illuminate the no's on their vacancy signs If there's no one beside you when your soul embarks Then I'll follow you into the dark

You can think of song lyrics as poetry set to music. They manage to do many of the same things their literary counterparts do — including tugging on your heartstrings. Death Cab for Cutie’s incredibly popular indie rock ballad is about the singer’s deep devotion to his lover. While some might find the song a bit too dark and macabre, its melancholy tune and poignant lyrics remind us that love can endure beyond death.

Plays and Screenplays

From the short form of poetry, we move into the world of drama — also known as the play. This form is as old as the poem, stretching back to the works of ancient Greek playwrights like Sophocles, who adapted the myths of their day into dramatic form. The stage play (and the more modern screenplay) gives the words on the page a literal human voice, bringing life to a story and its characters entirely through dialogue. 

Interested to see what that looks like? Take a look at these examples:

All My Sons by Arthur Miller

“I know you're no worse than most men but I thought you were better. I never saw you as a man. I saw you as my father.” 

Arthur Miller acts as a bridge between the classic and the new, creating 20th century tragedies that take place in living rooms and backyard instead of royal courts, so we had to include his breakout hit on this list. Set in the backyard of an all-American family in the summer of 1946, this tragedy manages to communicate family tensions in an unimaginable scale, building up to an intense climax reminiscent of classical drama. 

💡 Read more about Arthur Miller and classical influences in our breakdown of Freytag’s pyramid . 

“Everything is Fine” by Michael Schur ( The Good Place )

“Well, then this system sucks. What...one in a million gets to live in paradise and everyone else is tortured for eternity? Come on! I mean, I wasn't freaking Gandhi, but I was okay. I was a medium person. I should get to spend eternity in a medium place! Like Cincinnati. Everyone who wasn't perfect but wasn't terrible should get to spend eternity in Cincinnati.” 

A screenplay, especially a TV pilot, is like a mini-play, but with the extra job of convincing an audience that they want to watch a hundred more episodes of the show. Blending moral philosophy with comedy, The Good Place is a fun hang-out show set in the afterlife that asks some big questions about what it means to be good. 

It follows Eleanor Shellstrop, an incredibly imperfect woman from Arizona who wakes up in ‘The Good Place’ and realizes that there’s been a cosmic mixup. Determined not to lose her place in paradise, she recruits her “soulmate,” a former ethics professor, to teach her philosophy with the hope that she can learn to be a good person and keep up her charade of being an upstanding citizen. The pilot does a superb job of setting up the stakes, the story, and the characters, while smuggling in deep philosophical ideas.

Personal essays

Our first foray into nonfiction on this list is the personal essay. As its name suggests, these stories are in some way autobiographical — concerned with the author’s life and experiences. But don’t be fooled by the realistic component. These essays can take any shape or form, from comics to diary entries to recipes and anything else you can imagine. Typically zeroing in on a single issue, they allow you to explore your life and prove that the personal can be universal.

Here are a couple of fantastic examples:

“On Selling Your First Novel After 11 Years” by Min Jin Lee (Literary Hub)

There was so much to learn and practice, but I began to see the prose in verse and the verse in prose. Patterns surfaced in poems, stories, and plays. There was music in sentences and paragraphs. I could hear the silences in a sentence. All this schooling was like getting x-ray vision and animal-like hearing. 

This deeply honest personal essay by Pachinko author Min Jin Lee is an account of her eleven-year struggle to publish her first novel . Like all good writing, it is intensely focused on personal emotional details. While grounded in the specifics of the author's personal journey, it embodies an experience that is absolutely universal: that of difficulty and adversity met by eventual success. 

“A Cyclist on the English Landscape” by Roff Smith (New York Times)

These images, though, aren’t meant to be about me. They’re meant to represent a cyclist on the landscape, anybody — you, perhaps. 

Roff Smith’s gorgeous photo essay for the NYT is a testament to the power of creatively combining visuals with text. Here, photographs of Smith atop a bike are far from simply ornamental. They’re integral to the ruminative mood of the essay, as essential as the writing. Though Smith places his work at the crosscurrents of various aesthetic influences (such as the painter Edward Hopper), what stands out the most in this taciturn, thoughtful piece of writing is his use of the second person to address the reader directly. Suddenly, the writer steps out of the body of the essay and makes eye contact with the reader. The reader is now part of the story as a second character, finally entering the picture.

Short Fiction

The short story is the happy medium of fiction writing. These bite-sized narratives can be devoured in a single sitting and still leave you reeling. Sometimes viewed as a stepping stone to novel writing, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Short story writing is an art all its own. The limited length means every word counts and there’s no better way to see that than with these two examples:

“An MFA Story” by Paul Dalla Rosa (Electric Literature)

At Starbucks, I remembered a reading Zhen had given, a reading organized by the program’s faculty. I had not wanted to go but did. In the bar, he read, "I wrote this in a Starbucks in Shanghai. On the bank of the Huangpu." It wasn’t an aside or introduction. It was two lines of the poem. I was in a Starbucks and I wasn’t writing any poems. I wasn’t writing anything. 

This short story is a delightfully metafictional tale about the struggles of being a writer in New York. From paying the bills to facing criticism in a writing workshop and envying more productive writers, Paul Dalla Rosa’s story is a clever satire of the tribulations involved in the writing profession, and all the contradictions embodied by systemic creativity (as famously laid out in Mark McGurl’s The Program Era ). What’s more, this story is an excellent example of something that often happens in creative writing: a writer casting light on the private thoughts or moments of doubt we don’t admit to or openly talk about. 

“Flowering Walrus” by Scott Skinner (Reedsy)

I tell him they’d been there a month at least, and he looks concerned. He has my tongue on a tissue paper and is gripping its sides with his pointer and thumb. My tongue has never spent much time outside of my mouth, and I imagine it as a walrus basking in the rays of the dental light. My walrus is not well. 

A winner of Reedsy’s weekly Prompts writing contest, ‘ Flowering Walrus ’ is a story that balances the trivial and the serious well. In the pauses between its excellent, natural dialogue , the story manages to scatter the fear and sadness of bad medical news, as the protagonist hides his worries from his wife and daughter. Rich in subtext, these silences grow and resonate with the readers.

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Perhaps the thing that first comes to mind when talking about creative writing, novels are a form of fiction that many people know and love but writers sometimes find intimidating. The good news is that novels are nothing but one word put after another, like any other piece of writing, but expanded and put into a flowing narrative. Piece of cake, right?

To get an idea of the format’s breadth of scope, take a look at these two (very different) satirical novels: 

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

I wished I was back in the convenience store where I was valued as a working member of staff and things weren’t as complicated as this. Once we donned our uniforms, we were all equals regardless of gender, age, or nationality — all simply store workers. 

Keiko, a thirty-six-year-old convenience store employee, finds comfort and happiness in the strict, uneventful routine of the shop’s daily operations. A funny, satirical, but simultaneously unnerving examination of the social structures we take for granted, Sayaka Murata’s Convenience Store Woman is deeply original and lingers with the reader long after they’ve put it down.

Erasure by Percival Everett

The hard, gritty truth of the matter is that I hardly ever think about race. Those times when I did think about it a lot I did so because of my guilt for not thinking about it.  

Erasure is a truly accomplished satire of the publishing industry’s tendency to essentialize African American authors and their writing. Everett’s protagonist is a writer whose work doesn’t fit with what publishers expect from him — work that describes the “African American experience” — so he writes a parody novel about life in the ghetto. The publishers go crazy for it and, to the protagonist’s horror, it becomes the next big thing. This sophisticated novel is both ironic and tender, leaving its readers with much food for thought.

Creative Nonfiction

Creative nonfiction is pretty broad: it applies to anything that does not claim to be fictional (although the rise of autofiction has definitely blurred the boundaries between fiction and nonfiction). It encompasses everything from personal essays and memoirs to humor writing, and they range in length from blog posts to full-length books. The defining characteristic of this massive genre is that it takes the world or the author’s experience and turns it into a narrative that a reader can follow along with.

Here, we want to focus on novel-length works that dig deep into their respective topics. While very different, these two examples truly show the breadth and depth of possibility of creative nonfiction:

Men We Reaped by Jesmyn Ward

Men’s bodies litter my family history. The pain of the women they left behind pulls them from the beyond, makes them appear as ghosts. In death, they transcend the circumstances of this place that I love and hate all at once and become supernatural. 

Writer Jesmyn Ward recounts the deaths of five men from her rural Mississippi community in as many years. In her award-winning memoir , she delves into the lives of the friends and family she lost and tries to find some sense among the tragedy. Working backwards across five years, she questions why this had to happen over and over again, and slowly unveils the long history of racism and poverty that rules rural Black communities. Moving and emotionally raw, Men We Reaped is an indictment of a cruel system and the story of a woman's grief and rage as she tries to navigate it.

Cork Dork by Bianca Bosker

He believed that wine could reshape someone’s life. That’s why he preferred buying bottles to splurging on sweaters. Sweaters were things. Bottles of wine, said Morgan, “are ways that my humanity will be changed.” 

In this work of immersive journalism , Bianca Bosker leaves behind her life as a tech journalist to explore the world of wine. Becoming a “cork dork” takes her everywhere from New York’s most refined restaurants to science labs while she learns what it takes to be a sommelier and a true wine obsessive. This funny and entertaining trip through the past and present of wine-making and tasting is sure to leave you better informed and wishing you, too, could leave your life behind for one devoted to wine. 

Illustrated Narratives (Comics, graphic novels)

Once relegated to the “funny pages”, the past forty years of comics history have proven it to be a serious medium. Comics have transformed from the early days of Jack Kirby’s superheroes into a medium where almost every genre is represented. Humorous one-shots in the Sunday papers stand alongside illustrated memoirs, horror, fantasy, and just about anything else you can imagine. This type of visual storytelling lets the writer and artist get creative with perspective, tone, and so much more. For two very different, though equally entertaining, examples, check these out:

Calvin & Hobbes by Bill Watterson

"Life is like topography, Hobbes. There are summits of happiness and success, flat stretches of boring routine and valleys of frustration and failure." 

This beloved comic strip follows Calvin, a rambunctious six-year-old boy, and his stuffed tiger/imaginary friend, Hobbes. They get into all kinds of hijinks at school and at home, and muse on the world in the way only a six-year-old and an anthropomorphic tiger can. As laugh-out-loud funny as it is, Calvin & Hobbes ’ popularity persists as much for its whimsy as its use of humor to comment on life, childhood, adulthood, and everything in between. 

From Hell by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell 

"I shall tell you where we are. We're in the most extreme and utter region of the human mind. A dim, subconscious underworld. A radiant abyss where men meet themselves. Hell, Netley. We're in Hell." 

Comics aren't just the realm of superheroes and one-joke strips, as Alan Moore proves in this serialized graphic novel released between 1989 and 1998. A meticulously researched alternative history of Victorian London’s Ripper killings, this macabre story pulls no punches. Fact and fiction blend into a world where the Royal Family is involved in a dark conspiracy and Freemasons lurk on the sidelines. It’s a surreal mad-cap adventure that’s unsettling in the best way possible. 

Video Games and RPGs

Probably the least expected entry on this list, we thought that video games and RPGs also deserved a mention — and some well-earned recognition for the intricate storytelling that goes into creating them. 

Essentially gamified adventure stories, without attention to plot, characters, and a narrative arc, these games would lose a lot of their charm, so let’s look at two examples where the creative writing really shines through: 

80 Days by inkle studios

"It was a triumph of invention over nature, and will almost certainly disappear into the dust once more in the next fifty years." 

Named Time Magazine ’s game of the year in 2014, this narrative adventure is based on Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne. The player is cast as the novel’s narrator, Passpartout, and tasked with circumnavigating the globe in service of their employer, Phileas Fogg. Set in an alternate steampunk Victorian era, the game uses its globe-trotting to comment on the colonialist fantasies inherent in the original novel and its time period. On a storytelling level, the choose-your-own-adventure style means no two players’ journeys will be the same. This innovative approach to a classic novel shows the potential of video games as a storytelling medium, truly making the player part of the story. 

What Remains of Edith Finch by Giant Sparrow

"If we lived forever, maybe we'd have time to understand things. But as it is, I think the best we can do is try to open our eyes, and appreciate how strange and brief all of this is." 

This video game casts the player as 17-year-old Edith Finch. Returning to her family’s home on an island in the Pacific northwest, Edith explores the vast house and tries to figure out why she’s the only one of her family left alive. The story of each family member is revealed as you make your way through the house, slowly unpacking the tragic fate of the Finches. Eerie and immersive, this first-person exploration game uses the medium to tell a series of truly unique tales. 

Fun and breezy on the surface, humor is often recognized as one of the trickiest forms of creative writing. After all, while you can see the artistic value in a piece of prose that you don’t necessarily enjoy, if a joke isn’t funny, you could say that it’s objectively failed.

With that said, it’s far from an impossible task, and many have succeeded in bringing smiles to their readers’ faces through their writing. Here are two examples:

‘How You Hope Your Extended Family Will React When You Explain Your Job to Them’ by Mike Lacher (McSweeney’s Internet Tendency)

“Is it true you don’t have desks?” your grandmother will ask. You will nod again and crack open a can of Country Time Lemonade. “My stars,” she will say, “it must be so wonderful to not have a traditional office and instead share a bistro-esque coworking space.” 

Satire and parody make up a whole subgenre of creative writing, and websites like McSweeney’s Internet Tendency and The Onion consistently hit the mark with their parodies of magazine publishing and news media. This particular example finds humor in the divide between traditional family expectations and contemporary, ‘trendy’ work cultures. Playing on the inherent silliness of today’s tech-forward middle-class jobs, this witty piece imagines a scenario where the writer’s family fully understands what they do — and are enthralled to hear more. “‘Now is it true,’ your uncle will whisper, ‘that you’ve got a potential investment from one of the founders of I Can Haz Cheezburger?’”

‘Not a Foodie’ by Hilary Fitzgerald Campbell (Electric Literature)

I’m not a foodie, I never have been, and I know, in my heart, I never will be. 

Highlighting what she sees as an unbearable social obsession with food , in this comic Hilary Fitzgerald Campbell takes a hilarious stand against the importance of food. From the writer’s courageous thesis (“I think there are more exciting things to talk about, and focus on in life, than what’s for dinner”) to the amusing appearance of family members and the narrator’s partner, ‘Not a Foodie’ demonstrates that even a seemingly mundane pet peeve can be approached creatively — and even reveal something profound about life.

We hope this list inspires you with your own writing. If there’s one thing you take away from this post, let it be that there is no limit to what you can write about or how you can write about it. 

In the next part of this guide, we'll drill down into the fascinating world of creative nonfiction.

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14 Types of Creative Writing

by Melissa Donovan | Apr 6, 2021 | Creative Writing | 20 comments

Which types of creative writing have you tried?

When we talk about creative writing, fiction and poetry often take the spotlight, but there are many other types of creative writing that we can explore.

Most writers develop a preference for one form (and genre) above all others. This can be a good thing, because you can specialize in your form and genre and become quite proficient. However, occasionally working with other types of writing is beneficial. It prevents your work from becoming stale and overladen with form- or genre-specific clichés, and it’s a good way to acquire a variety of techniques that are uncommon in your preferred form and genre but that can be used to enhance it.

Let’s look at some different types of creative writing. As you read through the list, note the types of writing you’ve experimented with and the types you’d like to try.

Types of Creative Writing

Free writing: Open a notebook or an electronic document and just start writing. Allow strange words and images to find their way to the page. Anything goes! Also called stream-of-consciousness writing, free writing is the pinnacle of creative writing.

Journals: A journal is any written log. You could keep a gratitude journal, a memory journal, a dream journal, or a goals journal. Many writers keep idea journals or all-purpose omni-journals that can be used for everything from daily free writes to brainstorming and project planning.

Diaries: A diary is a type of journal in which you write about your daily life. Some diaries are written in letter format (“Dear Diary…”). If you ever want to write a memoir, then it’s a good idea to start keeping a diary.

Letters: Because the ability to communicate effectively is increasingly valuable, letter writing is a useful skill. There is a long tradition of publishing letters, so take extra care with those emails you’re shooting off to friends, family, and business associates. Hot tip: one way to get published if you don’t have a lot of clips and credits is to write letters to the editor of a news publication.

Memoir: A genre of creative nonfiction , memoirs are books that contain personal accounts (or stories) that focus on specific experiences. For example, one might write a travel memoir.

Essays. Essays are often associated with academic writing, but there are many types of essays, including personal essays, descriptive essays, and persuasive essays, all of which can be quite creative (and not especially academic).

Journalism: Some forms of journalism are more creative than others. Traditionally, journalism was objective reporting on facts, people, and events. Today, journalists often infuse their writing with opinion and storytelling to make their pieces more compelling or convincing.

Poetry: Poetry is a popular but under-appreciated type of writing, and it’s easily the most artistic form of writing. You can write form poetry, free-form poetry, and prose poetry.

Song Lyrics: Song lyrics combine the craft of writing with the artistry of music. Composing lyrics is similar to writing poetry, and this is an ideal type of writing for anyone who can play a musical instrument.

Scripts: Hit the screen or the stage by writing scripts for film, television, theater, or video games. Beware: film is a director’s medium, not a writer’s medium, but movies have the potential to reach a non-reading audience.

Storytelling: Storytelling is the most popular form of creative writing and is found in the realms of both fiction and nonfiction writing. Popular forms of fiction include flash fiction, short stories, novellas, and full-length novels; and there are tons of genres to choose from. True stories, which are usually firsthand or secondhand accounts of real people and events, can be found in essays, diaries, memoirs, speeches, and more. Storytelling is a tremendously valuable skill, as it can be found in all other forms of writing, from poetry to speech writing.

Speeches: Whether persuasive, inspirational, or informative, speech writing can lead to interesting career opportunities in almost any field or industry. Also, speech-writing skills will come in handy if you’re ever asked to write and deliver a speech at an important event, such as a graduation, wedding, or award ceremony.

Vignettes: A  vignette is defined as “a brief evocative description, account, or episode.” Vignettes can be poems, stories, descriptions, personal accounts…anything goes really. The key is that a vignette is extremely short — just a quick snippet.

Honorable Mention: Blogs. A blog is not a type of writing; it’s a publishing platform — a piece of technology that displays web-based content on an electronic device. A blog can be used to publish any type of writing. Most blogs feature articles and essays, but you can also find blogs that contain diaries or journals, poetry, fiction, journalism, and more.

Which of these types of creative writing have you tried? Are there any forms of writing on this list that you’d like to experiment with? Can you think of any other types of creative writing to add to this list? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment, and keep writing.

20 Comments

What is “flash” writing or stories.

Flash fiction refers to super short stories, a few hundred words or fewer.

its very helpful especially to those students like me who wasn’t capable or good in doing a creative writing

I’m glad you found this post helpful, Elena.

I also found this to be very helpful, especially because I don’t do very well at writing.

Thanks for letting me know you found this helpful. Like anything else, writing improves with practice.

Thank you Melissa. It’s very helpful!

You’re welcome!

Over all good list. Yes blogs can be publishing platforms but only if something is written first. I read what you wrote on a blog.

Thanks a lot Good job

Are these types of creaitve writing the same or different if I need to teach children’s creative writing? Can you recommend a website to teach these?

Hi Marie. Thanks for your question. I’ve come across many websites for teaching children’s creative writing. I recommend a search on Google, which will lead you to a ton of resources.

these are very helpful when it comes to getting in college or essays or just to improve my writing

Thanks, Donte. I’m glad you found this helpful.

Free writing really helps me get going. For some reason my prose are much better when I am not beholden to an overall plot or narrative with specific defined characters. I like to free writer “excerpts” on theprose.com. It allows me to practice writing and receive feedback at the same time. I am also trying to blog about writing my first novel, both for writing practice and to keep myself accountable. It really helps!

I feel the same way. Free writing is always a fun and creative experience for me.

Was trying to give an inservice on writing skills and the different types of writing.

Your wok here really helped. Thanks.

You’re welcome.

Hi, Melissa can you assist me ? I’m trying to improve my writing skills as quickly as possible. Plz send me some more tips and trick to improve my writing and communication skills.

You are welcome to peruse this website, which is packed with tips for improving your writing. I’d recommend focusing on the categories Better Writing and Writing Tips for writing improvement. You can also subscribe to get new articles send directly to your email. Thanks!

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Writing styles may be hard to define, but something separates Hemingway from Steinbeck, Atwood from LeGuin, or Keats from Wordsworth. Though two given writers might dwell on similar themes, every writer expresses a unique writing style, conveyed through elements like word choice, narrative structure, and the author’s own voice.

But what is style in writing? On some level, style is ineffable. It’s also emergent: when you parse the elements of writing styles, you lose something that lives in how you put them together.

This article provides tips for honing style in your own work. We’ll analyze the different types of writing styles, look at examples of different writing styles from famous authors, and suggest different ways to experiment in your own work.

But first, let’s clarify what we mean when we say “writing styles.” What is style in writing?

What is Style in Writing?

Think of writing style as the author’s thumbprint—a unique and indelible mark on the voice and personality of the work. If a writer’s work is a house, style is what adorns that house: the window blinds, the doormat, the freshly painted eaves.

Style is like an author’s thumbprint—a unique and indelible mark on the voice and personality of the work.

Authors doesn’t only hone their style deliberately: writing styles emerge as a result of dedication, the author’s own personality, and a continuous experimentation with language and meaning.

To illustrate what we mean by style, let’s compare two examples of different writing styles from two different works of fiction. Each excerpt talks about the same dilemma—the endurance of memory​​—but approaches that dilemma in uniquely stylish ways.

“Perhaps you have forgotten. That’s one of the great problems of our modern world, you know. Forgetting. The victim never forgets. Ask an Irishman what the English did to him in 1920 and he’ll tell you the day of the month and the time and the name of every man they killed. Ask an Iranian what the English did to him in 1953 and he’ll tell you. His child will tell you. His grandchild will tell you. And when he has one, his great-grandchild will tell you too. But ask an Englishman—” He flung up his hands in mock ignorance. “If he ever knew, he has forgotten. ‘Move on!’ you tell us. ‘Move on! Forget what we’ve done to you. Tomorrow’s another day!’ But it isn’t, Mr. Brue.” He still had Brue’s hand. “Tomorrow was created yesterday, you see. That is the point I was making to you. And by the day before yesterday, too. To ignore history is to ignore the wolf at the door.”

—John le Carré, A Most Wanted Man

Compare this with the following excerpt:

“The ones who did it can always rationalize their actions and even forget what they did. They can turn away from things they don’t want to see. But the surviving victims can never forget. They can’t turn away. Their memories are passed on from parent to child. That’s what the world is, after all: an endless battle of contrasting memories.”

—Haruki Murakami, 1Q84

Each quote addresses a similar theme : how the perpetrators forget, but the victims always remember, and how that remembering shapes the world. Yet they approach the topic in different ways. John le Carré illustrates his point by examining historical, world-altering events. He uses dialogue and describes the gestures of his characters to punctuate his ideas, and he ends by suggesting that, if we do not remember, then we are infinitely more vulnerable to the metaphorical “wolf at the door.”

Haruki Murakami, by contrast, uses far fewer words to illustrate the same idea. His sentences are less laden with imagery and description; they are merely vehicles to his conclusion that the world is “an endless battle of contrasting memories.”

Each author takes his own route, and each excerpt will connect with the reader in different ways. Such differences in expression are the essence of style. Writing styles showcase how a writer reaches their point, encompassing the totality of the author’s word choice, sentence structures, use of literary devices, etc. It is the gestalt of every decision, both conscious and unconscious, that the writer makes in the text.

What Authors Say About Writing Style

Before we move on, let’s illustrate this point about authors’ writing styles in another way: different quotes from authors on writing styles themselves.

• “Style is the dress of thoughts; and let them be ever so just, if your style is homely, coarse, and vulgar, they will appear to as much disadvantage.” —Philip Dormer Stanhope, Earl of Chesterfield
• “When we see a natural style, we are astonished and delighted; for we expected to see an author, and we find a man.” —Blaise Pascal
• “The essence of a sound style is that it cannot be reduced to rules–that it is a living and breathing thing with something of the devilish in it–that it fits its proprietor tightly yet ever so loosely, as his skin fits him. It is, in fact, quite as seriously an integral part of him as that skin is. . . . In brief, a style is always the outward and visible symbol of a man, and cannot be anything else.” —H.L. Mencken
• “You do not create a style. You work, and develop yourself; your style is an emanation from your own being.” —Katherine Anne Porter
• “Style is that which indicates how the writer takes himself and what he is saying. It is the mind skating circles around itself as it moves forward.” —Robert Frost
• “Style is what unites memory or recollection, ideology, sentiment, nostalgia, presentiment, to the way we express all that. It’s not what we say but how we say it that matters.” —Federico Fellini
• “Proper words in proper places, make the true definition of style.” —Jonathan Swift
• “The web, then, or the pattern, a web at once sensuous and logical, an elegant and pregnant texture: that is style.” —Robert Louis Stevenson
• “Thought and speech are inseparable from each other. Matter and expression are parts of one; style is a thinking out into language.” —Cardinal John Henry Newman
• “Find a subject you care about and which you in your heart feel others should care about. It is this genuine caring, not your games with language, which will be the most compelling and seductive element in your style.” —Stephen King
• “It is only by writing, not dreaming about it, that we develop our own style.” —P.D. James

Elements of Writing Styles

Every author makes key decisions about their writing, and those decisions build over time into a cohesive writing style. What decisions do they have to make? In other words, what are the elements of writing styles?

Creative writing styles are honed through a combination of the following:

• Word choice
• Economy and concision
• Literary devices
• Context and purpose
• The author’s location, time period, and influences

Let’s explore each element in detail.

Elements of Writing Styles: Word Choice

Also called diction, word choice  refers to the artistic decisions a writer makes in choosing one word over another, and how those decisions affect the meaning, mood , tone , and ideas conveyed to the reader.

Word choice refers to the artistic decisions a writer makes in choosing one word over another, and how those decisions affect the meaning, mood, tone, and ideas conveyed to the reader.

Take a look at the following two example sentences. Only one word has been changed in each sentence, and those words are synonyms, but the changed word has a huge impact on the way each sentence is read.

• The Union beat The Confederacy during the American Civil War.
• The Union subjugated The Confederacy during the American Civil War.

As you can see, changing “beat” to “subjugated” affects every part of the sentence. The sentence moves from neutral and informative to passionate and descriptive; the idea, once impartial, now comes across as heavily invested in the outcome of the Civil War. A word like “subjugated” transmits to the reader that the Union was extremely powerful, even suggesting that the Confederacy was a victim of the North.

Small details such as word choice can have huge impacts on writing styles. Another important element to consider is syntax.

Elements of Writing Styles: Syntax

Syntax refers to sentence structure—how rearranging the order of words impacts the meaning transmitted to the reader. It is closely related to diction, but where diction is concerned with the choice of words, syntax is concerned with the arrangement of those words, as well as the length and complexity of sentences.

Syntax is concerned with the arrangement of words, as well as the length and complexity of sentences.

Much of syntax is innately learned, especially to native English speakers. For example, an English sentence is typically constructed with the subject first, and then the verb, followed by the object of that verb. See below:

• The quick brown fox (subject) jumped (verb) over the lazy dog (object).

If the daring writer wanted to complicate this syntactical order, they might write “Over the lazy dog, the quick brown fox jumped.” Of course, such experimentations can prove dangerous, as the reader might misinterpret that construction, or read it as shallow or pretentious.

Nonetheless, paying close attention to the structure, length, and word order of sentences can allow writers to develop their writing styles. Here are some other ways one might experiment with syntax:

• Structure (active to passive): The lazy dog was jumped over by the quick brown fox.
• Length : The fox jumped over the dog. OR: The quick, sly, and daring fox jumped right over the lazy and motionless dog.
• Word order : The brown fox jumped quickly over the dog lying lazily.

Notice how each of these syntactical changes affect the rhythm, meaning, and style of the sentences. Some changes certainly worsen the effect of the sentence.

A final element of syntax is punctuation. Commas, colons, semicolons, em-dashes, and periods each have their own specific use in English grammar. How the author decides to use each punctuation mark contributes to the overall style of their sentences.

Elements of Writing Styles: Economy and Concision

All stylish writers know how to use economy and concision. They know how to use fewer words, not more, and they know how to make every word count.

There are certainly rules and guidelines for concise writing. The economic writer knows to:

• Avoid adverbs.
• Use strong, visual verbs.
• Employ prepositions sparingly.
• Only use adjectives when necessary.
• Stay inside the active voice, unless the passive is necessary.
• Provide only the important details.

Later in this article, we dive deeper into concision. Nonetheless, let’s demonstrate this key facet of writing styles.

Here’s a simple, effective sentence:

We careened from California to Maine.

The wordy writer has many reasons to make this sentence more complicated. Perhaps the reader does need more information. But, the writer might also be insecure about their own writing, or else they might think every detail needs to be ornate (a tactic called purple prose ). Here’s the above sentence, written wordier. In parentheses are the rules broken from the list above.

We were driven (5) swiftly (1) and without (3) direction in (3) our little blue Chevy (4, 6), somehow (1) finding (2) our way from California to Maine.

Perhaps the little blue Chevy is important to the story. It does add some personality to the people in the car. Otherwise, this sentence is haphazard, conveying too much to the reader in too many words.

Elements of Writing Styles: Literary Devices

Literary devices are specific writing techniques that forge novel connections and possibilities in language. You are probably familiar with common devices, like metaphors and similes . However, there is a wide range of devices available to creative writers, from the hyperbole to the synecdoche, from the onomatopoeia to the paranomasia .

In any work of creative writing, literary devices are essential to both the author’s meaning and their writing style.

In any work of creative writing, literary devices are essential to both the author’s meaning and their writing style. Sometimes, the device is confined to a single sentence in the text. Other times, various elements of the writing—its plot , characters, and settings—act as metaphors for broader ideas and themes.

Here’s an example of a metaphor that’s daring, stylish, and effective:

“Love is so embarrassing. I bled in your bed. I’m sorry. I have built you a shore with all my best words & still, the waves.”

Out of Bound by Claire Schwartz

This is a striking metaphor, heartbreaking in its imagery. The speaker laments at the imperfectness of love and language: how, no matter how carefully and precisely a lover chooses the words they use to love another, those words are, inevitably, broken down by “the waves.” What do those waves represent? Perhaps the limits of language—the ever-present gap between what is spoken and what is understood. In the same way that love is modified by language, the shore is always modified by the waves.

Many stylistic decisions go into the construction of literary devices, including:

• Which devices are used.
• The images used to convey deeper meanings.
• The word choice and syntax of those devices.

Indeed, the construction of literary devices is closely related to syntax and word choice, but the way that the writer employs those devices and makes connections and comparisons is key to honing an author’s writing style.

To learn more, check out our articles on common literary devices and rhetorical devices .

Elements of Writing Styles: Context and Purpose

While an author’s writing style is the product of their own artistic integrity, some creative writing styles develop in relation to the context and purpose of the writing itself.

Some creative writing styles develop in relation to the context and purpose of the writing itself.

For example, an author might choose to write a murder mystery novel, a middle grade fiction book, and a historical account of the Sino-Japanese War. Each publication would have its own unique writing style, because the writing serves a different purpose in each book, and the author will have to write towards different audiences. We’ll explore this shortly when we look at the different types of writing styles.

In creative writing, the question of audience can matter a great deal. You would not want someone with a hard-boiled writing style to publish a romance novel in the same voice, nor would you expect a law critic to write poetry using the same word choice.

While audience should not define the author’s style and intent, it is a necessary consideration in the editing process before a work is published.

It is also important to note that there are different types of writing styles for different contexts. Let’s review those briefly.

Different Types of Writing Styles

In standard rhetorical analysis, there are four different types of writing styles: narrative, descriptive, persuasive, and expository. We mention a fifth style, the creative style, because certain decisions and elements are available to creative works that are not usually available to other writing styles.

Narrative Writing Styles

At its simplest, narrative is a synonym for storytelling . As such, narrative writing styles employ certain storytelling tactics to communicate a plot with characters, settings , and themes.

Narrative writing styles employ storytelling tactics to communicate a plot with characters, settings, and themes.

Here’s an example of a narrative writing style, which seeks to communicate the essential details for a reader to understand the story:

“There was no possibility of taking a walk that day. We had been wandering, indeed, in the leafless shrubbery an hour in the morning; but since dinner (Mrs. Reed, when there was no company, dined early) the cold winter wind had brought with it clouds so sombre, and a rain so penetrating, that further outdoor exercise was now out of the question.

I was glad of it: I never liked long walks, especially on chilly afternoons: dreadful to me was the coming home in the raw twilight, with nipped fingers and toes, and a heart saddened by the chidings of Bessie, the nurse, and humbled by the consciousness of my physical inferiority to Eliza, John, and Georgiana Reed.” —Opening lines of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

These two paragraphs give us the essentials. We know that the narrator is a child with an unkind family (character), that they live somewhere bleak and chilly (setting), and that the speaker has been made to feel inferior to her peers (theme).

Narrative writing styles are commonly used in the following:

• Creative nonfiction
• Narrative poetry
• Legal writing
• Marketing and brand development

Descriptive Writing Styles

Descriptive writing seeks to evoke sensory experiences. This type of writing concerns itself with the effective use of imagery , including non-visual forms of imagery like sounds, sights, tastes, smells, and kinesthetic and organic images.

Descriptive writing seeks to evoke sensory experiences.

Here’s an example of a descriptive writing style, which uses imagery and other devices to reconstruct a particular sensory experience through language:

“The flower shop was here and it was my father’s domain, but it was also marvelously other, this place heavy with the drowsy scent of velvet-petaled roses and Provencal freesias in the middle of winter, the damp-earth spring fragrance of just-watered azaleas and cyclamen all mixed up with the headachey smell of bitter chocolate.” —Patricia Hempl, excerpt from The Florist’s Daughter

The writer employs a variety of images, scents, and comparisons to describe the sensual intensity of the flower shop. Details of the shop’s setting, smells, and the narrator’s relationship to the shop itself combine to make this an effective, descriptive passage.

Descriptive writing styles are commonly used in the following:

• Medical writing

Persuasive Writing Styles

Persuasive writing wants to change your mind. By employing logic, argumentation, and various rhetorical strategies, persuasive writers seek to convince you that their argument or interpretation prevails.

Persuasive writing wants to change your mind.

Here’s an example of a persuasive writing style, which uses rhetorical strategies to convince you about a certain worldview:

“Perhaps everybody has a garden of Eden, I don’t know; but they have scarcely seen their garden before they see the flaming sword. Then, perhaps, life only offers the choice of remembering the garden or forgetting it. Either, or: it takes strength to remember, it takes another kind of strength to forget, it takes a hero to do both. People who remember court madness through pain, the pain of the perpetual recurring death of their innocence; people who forget court another kind of madness, the madness of the denial of pain and the hatred of innocence; and the world is mostly divided between madmen who remember and madmen who forget. Heroes are rare.” —James Baldwin, excerpt from Giovanni’s Room

In addition to Baldwin’s lyrical prose style, key elements of this passage try to persuade the reader of the narrator’s worldview. “Garden of Eden” and “flaming sword” are strong visual metaphors, and setting up this worldview as a binary (people who remember or forget) encourages the reader to sort people into one of two categories. While persuasive writing styles usually come off as confident, the narrator’s admission that he doesn’t precisely know the answer to this conundrum helps humanize the conflict he’s debating. Certainly, this is a depressing worldview, and one which the reader is free to disagree with, but the strategies Baldwin takes in constructing this paragraph are certainly compelling.

Persuasive writing styles are commonly used in the following:

Expository Writing Styles

Expository writing wants to tell you about something as neutrally as possible. The goal is to be informative: by conveying something with as little bias and interpretation, expository writing styles stick to the facts. Do note that bias is universal: it is nearly impossible for any text to remove itself from bias completely.

Expository writing wants to tell something as neutrally as possible.

Here’s an example of an expository writing style, which conveys facts in a linear and digestible paragraph:

“On June 13, 1910, Arthur James Balfour lectured the House of Commons on ‘the problems with which we have to deal in Egypt.’ These, he said, ‘belong to a wholly different category’ than those ‘affecting the Isle of Wight or the West Riding of Yorkshire.’ He spoke with the authority of a long-time member of Parliament, former private secretary to Lord Salisbury, former chief secretary for Ireland, former secretary for Scotland, former prime minister, veteran of numerous overseas crises, achievements, and changes.” —Edward W. Said, excerpt from Orientalism

This opening passage of Orientalism sets the scene factually: we learn the time period, some geopolitical issues, and a main actor in all of these events. Yes, the passage does play up the significance of Arthur James Balfour and his many accolades, but this, too, is expository description, letting the reader know exactly who and what we are dealing with.

Expository writing styles are commonly used in the following:

Creative Writing Styles

Creative writing styles combine the previous four types: a creative writer can employ narrative, descriptive, persuasive, and expository strategies in their work. You may have noticed that creative genres, like fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, routinely show up under the categories of writing that employ the above four styles. This is because authors must employ a variety of strategies to tell effective stories.

Creative writers can employ narrative, descriptive, persuasive, and expository strategies in their work.

But, in addition to employing the previous four styles, creative writing also seeks to experiment and find new, artistic possibilities in language. Poetry is an obvious example, as the use of stanzas and line breaks affects how the language is read and interpreted. But there are also countless examples of experimentation in prose, from the use of stream of consciousness to the Oulipian n+7 .

Here’s an example:

“I turned out the light and went into my bedroom, out of the gasoline but I could still smell it. I stood at the window the curtains moved slow out of the darkness touching my face like someone breathing asleep, breathing slow into the darkness again, leaving the touch. After they had gone up stairs Mother lay back in her chair, the camphor handker- chief to her mouth. Father hadn’t moved he still sat beside her holding her hand the bellowing hammering away like no place for it in silence When I was little there was a picture in one of our books, a dark place into which a single weak ray of light came slanting upon two faces lifted out of the shadow. You know what I’d do if I were King? she never was a queen or a fairy she was always a king or a giant or a general I’d break that place open and drag them out and I’d whip them good It was torn out, jagged out. I was glad.” —Excerpt from The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner

This is, of course, a highly literary and experimental piece of writing, but it demonstrates something distinct to creative writing styles. The italicized portions of text are streams of consciousness—moments where the reader has direct access to the unfiltered thoughts, images, and memories flowing through the character’s mind. Understanding these passages requires close attention to the text, as well as several re-reads. While creative writing styles can be far simpler than this, the point is that a creative writer takes great liberties to experiment with language, in ways distinct to creative writing, which seek to mine the wide varieties of the human experience.

Creative writing styles are commonly used in the following:

• Lyric essays
• Creative journalism

Elements of Writing Styles: The Author’s Location, Time Period, and Influences

Lastly, writers are undeniably influenced by their location, time period, and literary influences. For example, if you’ve ever read a poem or novel from Victorian Era England, you know that the Victorian writers (like the Brontës, Charles Dickens, or Percy Bysshe Shelley) often wrote in elaborate and flowery language. By modern standards, Victorian writing styles might seem overwrought; but, that style was influenced by the era’s appreciation for emotional intensity, as well as the tendency to pay writers per-word.

Writing Styles: Examples and Analyses

Let’s take a look at three writing styles examples. For each writer, we will examine how various stylistic strategies affect the overall mood and interpretation of the text, while also discussing that writer’s influences and likely intent. All examples come from published works of classic literature.

Ernest Hemingway’s Writing Style

Ernest Hemingway once wrote “A writer’s style should be direct and personal, his imagery rich and earthy, and his words simple and vigorous. The greatest writers have the gift of brilliant brevity, are hard workers, diligent scholars and competent stylists.” Hemingway’s writing style certainly lives up to this quote, as his words are often simple, direct, and unadorned.

Here’s an excerpt from his short story “ A Clean, Well-Lighted Place .”

It was very late and everyone had left the cafe except an old man who sat in the shadow the leaves of the tree made against the electric light. In the day time the street was dusty, but at night the dew settled the dust and the old man liked to sit late because he was deaf and now at night it was quiet and he felt the difference. The two waiters inside the cafe knew that the old man was a little drunk, and while he was a good client they knew that if he became too drunk he would leave without paying, so they kept watch on him.”Last week he tried to commit suicide,” one waiter said.

“Why?”

“He was in despair.”

“What about?”

“Nothing.”

“How do you know it was nothing?”

“He has plenty of money.”

Hemingway’s writing style seeks to dispense the precise amount of information necessary for the reader, without any garnishment. Notice the details he provides: the exact time does not matter, only that “it was very late.” Notice, also, a similar pattern with the dialogue. People generally don’t speak in such clipped sentences, but the characters of this story speak to give just enough context for the story’s themes.

Additionally, the visual details, such as the dew settling the dust and the shadows of leaves against the electric light, evoke the sensation of a space that’s quiet and comforting, if also a little bit eerie.

Notice, also, the general lengths of the sentences. The first paragraph is built on longer sentences and clauses, which inevitably juxtaposes sensory details (an old man in the shadow of leaves cast by an electric light.) The effect of these sentences is that time feels slower, as the reader’s focus is on the kaleidoscope of details paused in this one moment in a quiet café.

Finally, pay attention to the lack of pretensity in Hemingway’s word choice. While the story itself deals with complex themes, including the question of nihilism, the language itself is simple, direct, and accessible.

Hemingway got his start in writing as a journalist, then as a short story writer, both of which certainly influenced his economic style. He famously coined the “Iceberg Theory,” which describes writing that focuses on surface-level details without explicitly analyzing underlying themes, rather implying those themes for the reader to interpret. Hemingway was also greatly influenced by World Wars I and II, and his writing style may have been a reaction to these wars, eschewing the flowery language of pre-war literature for a hardened, masculine style.

Toni Morrison’s Writing Style

A master of voice and character, Toni Morrison’s writing style borrows heavily from vernacular, from history, and from her own unique relationship to analogies and metaphors. Morrison frequently plays with sentence lengths and imagery, but her writing never fails to be compelling, lyrical, and delicious to read.

Here’s an excerpt from Recitatif , her only published short story:

My mother danced all night and Roberta’s was sick. That’s why we were taken to St. Bonny’s. People want to put their arms around you when you tell them you were in a shelter, but it really wasn’t bad. No big long room with one hundred beds like Bellevue. There were four to a room, and when Roberta and me came, there was a shortage of state kids, so we were the only ones assigned to 406 and could go from bed to bed if we wanted to. And we wanted to, too. We changed beds every night and for the whole four months we were there we never picked one out as our own permanent bed.It didn’t start out that way. The minute I walked in and the Big Bozo introduced us, I got sick to my stomach. It was one thing to be taken out of your own bed early in the morning—it was something else to be stuck in a strange place with a girl from a whole other race. And Mary, that’s my mother, she was right. Every now and then she would stop dancing long enough to tell me something important and one of the things she said was that they never washed their hair and they smelled funny. Roberta sure did. Smell funny, I mean. So when the Big Bozo (nobody ever called her Mrs. Itkin, just like nobody ever said St. Bonaventure)—when she said, “Twyla, this is Roberta. Roberta, this is Twyla. Make each other welcome.” I said, “My mother won’t like you putting me in here.”

Both lyrical and conversational, Morrison’s style simply makes you want to read more. Pay attention to two things:

One, the lengths of these sentences. Morrison routinely switches from short sentences to longer ones, partially to emphasize important details in short sentences, and partially to keep the pace of the story engaging. The alternation of short and long sentences mirrors a conversational storytelling style.

Two, the childlike voice behind the narration. It is clear that the narrator is a child. Despite being directly stated, this fact is also obvious when certain elements of word choice are analyzed. Phrases like “smell funny” and “Big Bozo” clue the reader towards a speaker whose words and observations are that of a child.

One thing that’s absent from these paragraphs, but very much present in Morrison’s writing style, is the use of surprising comparisons (similes, metaphors, and analogies). This example comes later in “Recitatif”:

“I used to dream a lot and almost always the orchard was there. Two acres, four maybe, of these little apple trees. Hundreds of them. Empty and crooked like beggar women when I first came to St. Bonny’s but fat with flowers when I left.”

The simile “empty and crooked like beggar women” might be shocking to the reader, but it provides great insight into the personality of the narrator. This sentence is also ripe with foreshadowing , since the trees were “fat with flowers” when the narrator leaves St. Bonny’s.

Edgar Allan Poe’s Writing Style

One of America’s most influential writers, Edgar Allan Poe’s poetry and fiction forged new possibilities in the written word. Poe’s writing is often dark, gothic, and tinged with insanity, and his style reflects the problems that haunt his protagonists. Notice how psychosis influences Poe’s writing style in this excerpt from “ The Tell-Tale Heart :”

Poe adapts his style quite well to write a character who is clearly self-aggrandizing and obsessed with his own genius. The storytelling here has lots of repetition , such as “slowly—very, very slowly” and “cautiously-oh, so cautiously—cautiously” which makes the narrator sound in love with his own voice. And, it takes a while for the reader to understand what the narrator is doing, as his erratic behavior, like poking his head into the door for an hour, goes without a clear explanation.

Nonetheless, this writing is typical of Poe’s Gothic style. The use of words like “madman,” “midnight,” “vulture,” and “Evil Eye” give this story the grim moodiness characteristic of Poe’s writing. Additionally, the frequent use of em dashes and lengthy sentences propels the reader slowly, as we come to understand every minute detail that forms the totality of this character’s psychosis. This methodical, psychological writing style helps define Poe as a master of mystery and suspense.

Tips for Honing Your Own Author’s Writing Style

Writing styles develop with time, and there’s no singular thing any writer can do to hone their style. Rather, an attentiveness to language and a willingness to experiment are the best things you can do for yourself as you hone your author’s writing style. Nonetheless, here’s 7 pieces of advice for anyone who wants to write with style, flare, and confidence.

1. Creative Writing Styles: Experiment with Language and Syntax

Take risks in your writing. Be unconventional, and don’t always go for the expected word or phrase. Style doesn’t develop from playing it safe—it develops from making active decisions in the words you use to express your ideas.

What do we mean by taking risks? Here’s an example of a risky sentence, from poet Eduardo C. Corral: “Moss intensifies up the tree, like applause.”

This is a daring comparison: we don’t often think of moss “intensifying,” and so that verb already seems strange and risky. But then the moss itself is compared to applause, so now the visual cue of intensifying moss is being compared to intensifying sound. The product of this simile is that we see moss blooming and expanding across the tree, which makes this an effective and stylish sentence—but there’s a level of risk, faith, and skill involved in making this simile work .

Taking risks allows you to see what works and what doesn’t in your writing. So make bold comparisons! End your paragraphs with em-dashes! Try using four different languages in a single sentence!

Just be sure to review your work after and assess what does and doesn’t work for the reader. And, when you’re not sure what to do, try doing the complete opposite of what seems intuitive. You might find a short sentence works better than a long one, for example.

2. Creative Writing Styles: Experiment with Writing Forms

Creative writing styles often adapt to the form of the writing itself. For example, genre writing styles vary from genre to genre. You wouldn’t expect a writer of hard-boiled noir to have the same terse, simplistic style when writing romance fiction (although I would love to read that).

As you hone your writing style, experiment reading and writing in different forms. Pay attention to how the form demands you to make different stylistic decisions. The words you choose in a love sonnet will be different from the words you choose in a flash essay about your childhood. And, certainly, your sentence lengths will differ when you’re writing literary fiction versus speculative fiction .

Getting into the habit of making these stylistic decisions, and paying attention to those decisions, will help you create a mental framework for the ways you approach writing. Such is the nature of style development.

3. Creative Writing Styles: Consider Character

Character development is an essential part of fiction writing, and it will naturally affect the style you use to write. If you’re writing in first person or third person limited, then your protagonist’s personality will affect everything, because their worldview tinges the way you tell their story. Key observational details and thought processes from main characters naturally bleed into the style of the writing itself.

You can see this in action in the novels of F. Scott Fitzgerald. His second novel, The Beautiful and Damned , is written from the third person limited point of view of Anthony Patch, an unambitious libertine whose personality is defined by wry cynicism and a rigid belief in the purposelessness of life. These personality traits often affect the storytelling, as the reader sees the world through Anthony’s eyes, and thus trudges through a lot of Anthony’s ironic commentary and disdain for others.

Fitzgerald’s next novel, The Great Gatsby , is completely different, both tonally and stylistically. Written from the first person point of view of Nick Carraway, an optimistic bond salesman who wants to immerse himself in the high society of New York’s nouveau riche. Much of the style is poetic and introspective, honing in on the creative chaos of the Jazz Age and the tragedy of the American Dream.

For your own writing, alter your style to reflect the traits of your characters. Style reflects personality, and the person narrating your fiction will certainly want to tell their story in their own way.

4. Creative Writing Styles: Omit Needless Words

While style can take many forms, one thing that all good author’s writing styles have in common is an economy of language. In other words, no word in good writing is excessive or unnecessary. To sharpen your own style, you must omit needless words.

What does that look like? There are two ways to omit needless words: striking out redundancies, and rewriting phrases.

Here’s two examples. First, let’s look at redundancy. A redundancy is when you communicate something multiple times without refining the meaning of your words. Here’s a redundant sentence:

“The girl vaulted over the large gray boulder.”

Nothing is explicitly wrong with this sentence, but several words are giving repeat information. You don’t need the word “over,” because to vault means to jump over something. And, you don’t need the word “large,” because a boulder is, by definition, large. Finally, most rocks are gray, and the word “gray” isn’t offering much useful detail.

A much cleaner sentence would simply be “the girl vaulted the boulder.”

Another example is to rewrite phrases. If you don’t think about your words, it’s easy to communicate something in 10 words when 2 will do. Here’s another example sentence:

“She worked many long hours in order to secure a trade deal with the company.”

God, doesn’t that just read like a corporate memo? It’s passively worded and nondescript. Isolate any phrase in this sentence, and it can be truncated into something much more straightforward. Be sure to avoid phrases like “in order to”—simply “to” will always suffice.

Here’s a cleaner sentence: “She hustled to secure the Nike trade deal.”

Lastly, some categories of words are better than others. Nouns and verbs are necessary for understanding the action of a sentence. Adjectives should be used sparingly, and only when that description is necessary for the reader. Adverbs, which modify verbs, should only be used when there isn’t a sharper verb. For example, “breathing heavily” is much better written as “panting.”

For more advice, check out our article on how to omit needless words .

5. Creative Writing Styles: Read Like a Writer

How do published writers write so well? What did they do to craft such artful sentences, effective plots, or in-depth characters? While you can certainly learn these tricks by taking a writing class , you can also learn them by reading like a writer.

Reading like a writer means paying attention to the construction of a piece of literature and thinking about why that writing works. We did a little bit of this when we examined the above writing styles examples. By examining the elements of writing styles—word choice, sentence structure, character and voice, etc.—we paid attention to what makes each excerpt an effective piece of writing.

Employ those same strategies in the work you read. If there’s an author you like or whose style you admire, pay attention to what makes that style effective. And don’t be afraid to emulate that style in your own work: writers often borrow from each other’s styles and strategies to hone their own voice.

6. Creative Writing Styles: Study Poetry

The writing styles tips in this article primarily pertain to prose writers. But, whether you’re writing poetry, prose, or some secret third thing,  reading poetry is essential to honing style.

Poets are masters of language. They know how to build tension, pacing, and rhythm in their sentences. They know how to make that tension correspond with what they’re writing about. They manipulate vowel sounds, constants, tools like rhyme and meter, and a whole other host of poetic devices to move their readers.

Writing poetry is its own separate challenge. Prose writers don’t need to write poetry to master their writing styles. But they absolutely should study poetry. What makes language beautiful? What makes a poem concise? How does the flow of a sentence accentuate its meaning? Asking these questions and listening to the poets will help you experiment in your own pages.

7. Creative Writing Styles: Write Every Day

The key to honing your style is to write every day. A diligent writing practice will train your brain to think about language and make continuous stylistic choices in your work. Even if you can only manage 10 minutes a day on a writing project, or even if you just keep a writing journal, the simple practice of putting thoughts to words and words to pages will naturally sharpen the personality you put into your writing.

Hone Your Own Writing Style at Writers.com

One last piece of advice on writing styles is to read The Elements of Style by Strunk and White. You can find a free copy of it online here . Most of the advice in this book has remained true in the many decades since its publication, and while rules are certainly made to be broken, you should understand the rules first before breaking them.

Want clear, direct feedback on your writing styles and the other elements of your work? Take a look at any of the upcoming creative writing classes at Writers.com! Our instructors are masters of the craft and know how to sharpen your words so that they zing across the page.

Sean Glatch

[…] Writing Styles: What is Style in Writing? […]

very informative and interesting; very useful for all readers.

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Types of Creative Writing: A Detailed Explanantion

Read the blog and discover different Types of Creative Writing offering insights and examples to help you navigate the world of literary creativity. Explore various forms such as poetry, fiction, non-fiction, and scriptwriting. Discover how each style offers unique ways to express creativity, tell stories, and engage audiences.

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Creative Writing is a diverse and exciting art that demands Writers to look into their imagination and express their thoughts in unique ways. From short stories to poetry, different   Types of Creative Writing which cater to different styles and preferences. In this blog, we will delve into the different Types of Creative Writing, offering insights and examples to help you navigate the world of literary creativity.

Table of Contents

1) What are the various Types of Creative Writing?

     a) Fiction writing

     b) Poetry

     c) Song lyrics

     d) Journals and diaries

     e) Drama and playwriting

      f) Screenwriting

      g) Experimental writing

      h) Novels

2) Techniques used in Creative Writing

3) Conclusion

What are the various Types of Creative Writing?

 Let’s discuss the various Types of Creative Writing:

Fiction writing 

Fiction writing is one of the captivating Types of Creative Writing that transports readers into imaginary worlds, introduces them to memorable characters, and explores numerous emotions and themes. Within fiction, there are several distinct forms that Writers can explore to weave intricate tales. These forms include:

Fiction writing is a captivating part of Creative Writing that transports readers into imaginary worlds, introduces them to memorable characters, and explores an array of emotions and themes. Within fiction, there are several distinct forms that Writers can explore to weave intricate tales:

a) Short stories:

Short stories are concise yet potent narratives that distil the essence of a single plot, theme, or character arc. Writers craft short stories to deliver a powerful impact within a limited word count. The brevity of the format challenges Authors to make every word count, focusing on evoking emotions, building tension, and delivering a satisfying resolution in a short span of time.

Novels offer the canvas for Writers to embark on extended journeys of storytelling. With ample space to develop complex characters, intricate plotlines, and detailed settings, novels invite readers to immerse themselves in the fictional world fully. Writers can explore a myriad of themes, emotions, and conflicts, delving deep into the psyche of their characters and creating a lasting impact on the reader.

c) Flash fiction:

Flash fiction is the art of storytelling distilled into its most concise form. Writers embrace the challenge of telling a complete story within just a few hundred words. This form demands precision and creativity, forcing Writers to capture the essence of a narrative in a condensed space.

d) Fan fiction:

Fan fiction is a fascinating genre that allows Writers to extend and reimagine existing fictional universes. Writers create new stories, scenarios, and adventures featuring beloved characters from books, movies, TV shows, or video games. By building upon established foundations, Writers engage in a creative dialogue with the original creators and fellow fans.

d) Historical fiction:

Poetry 

Poetry is the language of emotions, a lyrical form of expression that transcends conventional prose. It's one of the most interesting and beautiful  Types  of Creative Writing that condenses thoughts, feelings, and imagery into evocative verses.

It invites readers to experience the world through a different lens. Within the realm of poetry, various forms and styles allow poets to experiment with rhythm, sound, and language, resulting in a rich tapestry of literary artistry that involves the following:

Haiku, originating from Japan, is a minimalist form of poetry that captures the essence of a moment in just three lines. With a syllable structure of 5-7-5, haikus distil nature's beauty and human experiences into concise verses. They often focus on capturing fleeting moments, seasons, and emotions, inviting readers to pause and reflect on the subtleties of life.

The sonnet is a structured and elegant poetic form dating  back to the Renaissance. Typically composed of 14 lines, sonnets follow specific rhyme schemes, such as the Shakespearean (ABABCDCDEFEFGG) or the Petrarchan (ABBAABBACDCDCD). Sonnets explore themes of love, beauty, mortality, and the complexities of human emotion.

c) Free verse:

Free verse poetry breaks away from traditional rhyme and meter patterns, allowing poets to experiment with line breaks, rhythm, and imagery. This form gives poets the freedom to let their thoughts flow naturally, creating unique and organic rhythms that reflect the pace of modern life.

d) Limerick:

Limericks are playful and humorous five-line poems with a distinct AABBA rhyme scheme. These witty verses often feature light-hearted language and unexpected twists, making them a favourite for conveying amusing anecdotes and quirky observations.

e) Epic poetry:

Epic poems tell grand narratives of heroes, gods, and legendary quests. With their lengthy verses and intricate storytelling, epic poems like Homer's "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey" have shaped cultures and inspired countless works of literature. These narratives delve into themes of heroism, fate, and the human condition, offering readers an immersive journey through time and imagination.

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Song lyrics

If you like writing poetry or you think that it can be your forte as a Creative Writer, then you can also try your hand at writing song lyrics. Song lyrics are another one of the most popular Types of Creative Writing. 

Practising writing song lyrics is one of the best ways to bring out your creativity, especially if you have a knack for music. Although it sounds interesting and fun, matching the lines in a song lyric can be a challenging task.

You need to think about maintaining not only the intent of the song but also the kind of audience you’ll be approaching. Your song lyrics need to be tangible and understandable, and most importantly, they need to carry out a story and song at the same time.

If you don’t have any proper knowledge of music, then you can try getting help from your friends or peers who have a good knowledge of music and see if your lyrics are going well with the music.

Journals and diaries

Practicing journaling is a good way of regulating someone’s emotions and understand their feelings. If you are unsure what Type of Creative Writing you want to pursue, you can simply start by jotting down the events of your day.

Understanding what you go through every day, not only helps you in your personal development, but also help you to become a good Creative Writer. You can even publish your works as we have seen so many famous people publishing their diary entries. If you want to know where to start, there are several journal entries by famous people, whose works can inspire you to start Writing.

Keeping a journal or diary, is crucial for your mental health, as it helps you to express your feelings in a constructive manner. This also gives you another boost to your writing skills, if you are a budding Writer

Drama and playwriting 

Drama and playwriting are artistic forms of Creative Writing that bring narratives to life through the dynamics of performance. These forms of creative expression explore the intricacies of human interaction, emotion, and conflict within the context of staged productions. Let's delve into the world of drama and playwriting, where characters come alive on the stage:  

a) Tragedy:

Tragedy is a dramatic genre that delves into the darker aspects of human nature and the inevitability of suffering. Tragic plays often revolve around protagonists who face moral dilemmas, internal struggles, and external forces that ultimately lead to their downfall. Tragedies offer audiences a cathartic experience, allowing them to confront and process complex emotions while reflecting on the human condition.

Comedy is the art of entertainment through humour and light-heartedness. Comedic plays explore the absurdities of human behaviour, social conventions, and misunderstandings. These works aim to amuse and uplift audiences, often featuring witty dialogue, situational comedy, and humorous characters. From slapstick to sattire, comedies provide a diverse range of comedic experiences.

c) Monologues:

Monologues are powerful soliloquies delivered by a single character on stage. They offer insight into the character's thoughts, emotions, and motivations, allowing the audience to connect deeply with their inner world. Monologues provide actors with opportunities to showcase their talent and capture the essence of a character's complexity.

d) Dialogues:

Dialogues are the heart of dramatic interaction. They reveal the relationships between characters, advance the plot, and convey emotions and conflicts. Well-crafted dialogues create tension, build connections, and propel the narrative forward, immersing the audience in the unfolding drama.

e) Experimental theatre:

Experimental theatre pushes the boundaries of traditional forms and conventions. This genre encourages innovative approaches to staging, narrative structure, and performance. Playwrights and directors experiment with non-linear narratives, multimedia elements, immersive environments, and audience interaction to challenge perceptions and evoke thought-provoking responses.

Screenwriting 

Screenwriting is the art of crafting stories specifically for the visual medium of film or television. It's a dynamic and collaborative form of writing that serves as the foundation for the creation of compelling on-screen narratives. Here are some key elements of screenwriting:

a) Writing for film:

Film screenwriting involves creating scripts that serve as blueprints for movies. ScreenWriters translate their ideas into a structured format that includes scenes, dialogues, actions, and descriptions. They must balance engaging storytelling with the technical aspects of filmmaking, considering camera angles, pacing, and visual cues.

b) Television scripts:

Television scripts are tailored to episodic formats, such as TV series or miniseries. Writers develop characters, story arcs, and dialogue that span multiple episodes, allowing for character development and plot progression over time. Each episode contributes to the overarching narrative while maintaining its own distinct identity.

c) Adaptation:

Adaptation involves transforming existing source material, such as books, plays, or real-life events, into screenplay format. Writers must distil the essence of the original work while making necessary changes to suit the visual medium and the constraints of time.

d) Dialogue and action:

Effective screenwriting places a strong emphasis on dialogue and action. Dialogue conveys characters' personalities, motivations, and conflicts, while action descriptions provide visual cues for directors, actors, and crew. Both elements work together to create a seamless and engaging on-screen experience.

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Experimental writing 

Experimental writing defies traditional conventions, pushing the boundaries of language and structure to create innovative literary works. It challenges readers to engage with unconventional formats, fragmented narratives, and abstract concepts. 

Through a stream of consciousness, collage writing, and visual poetry, experimental writing offers a fresh perspective, inviting readers to explore new realms of thought and emotion. It's a playground of creative freedom where Writers experiment with words as artists do with colours, producing compositions that evoke intrigue, reflection, and a deeper understanding of the limitless possibilities of language.

It is often said that good Writers are voracious readers. Well, if we take that into consideration, then there have many times where you might have loved reading novels. All the novels that you have read, or you know of, are one of the premium examples of Creative Writing.

They may vary in length, depending on the subject or genre that you choose to write on. If you are writing a long form novel, then they are divided into number of chapters. If you have a big idea waiting to be broken down into many chapters, then novels are for you.

Techniques used in Creative Writing

If you are wondering how to begin Creative Writing, you can start by following these techniques:

1) Narrative

Determining the narrative of your story is extremely important. If you control the narrative in your story, you can hold your audience’s attention for a long time, whether you are writing novels, novellas, or even short stories. In general, you should remember that whether you are doing Creative Writing or Non-fiction Writing, deciding on a narrative and then maintaining that throughout is crucial.

2) Characterisation

Characterisation is vital in building your story. If you don’t provide the details of your characters and describe their physical features, background, past, etc., you cannot help your reader imagine the situation. It is a crucial step in Creative Writing, enabling you to drive the plot forward and allow your story to build more layers.

Before you build your story, you need to have a solid plot to make your story upon. It is a blueprint to help you establish your story's theme agenda. It can also be referred to as a series of events that will help you build up the narrative. The plot has five parts: exposition or introduction, complications or rising action, climax, slow revelations and then the conclusion. The more solid your plot will be, the more you can create beautiful stories.

From the whimsical realms of children's literature to the thought-provoking depths of creative non-fiction, this blog about the different Types of Creative Writing has unveiled a world of literary possibilities. As pens meet paper and imaginations take flight, we hope this blog will guide you on your journey to weave tales that leave an indelible mark on hearts and minds.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Incorporating Creative Writing skills will help you in your professional growth. Creative Writing helps in effective communication, improved problem-solving abilities, increased empathy, improved mental health, and enhanced creativity.

The factors which influence the organisational structure in various types of Creative Writing are genre, style, narrative, expectations from the audience, length, point of view, cultural and historical context, character development, and more.

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The Ultimate Guide to Learning Writing: Styles

Writing Styles: How to Write It All

Political speeches, travel guides, recipes, fantasy novels - all are written works created with specific, and yes, widely varied purposes. And despite the existence of an almost intimidating range of writing, we can actually classify written works in four main writing styles: expository, descriptive, persuasive, and narrative. Think of these styles as four general purposes that lead someone to write a piece - and because different pieces have different purposes, each style has its own distinct characteristics.

If you’re going to an evening gala, you will definitely not be wearing the sweats you just watched Netflix in (although you may wish you could). You make different choices based on the goal and impression you want to make - and the same goes for writing styles. These choices, however, are not mutually exclusive. As you may want to wear shoes that are both fashionable and comfortable, you can also write a piece that is both descriptive and narrative.

In this guide, you will learn:

• The characteristics of the four main writing styles: expository, descriptive, persuasive, narrative
• When to use each writing style
• How to write in each writing style

Types of Writing: Purpose Equals Connection

How can learning how to apply different writing styles help you as a writer?

Everyone has preferred ways of writing, and some writing styles may come more naturally than others. Perhaps you only write narrative short stories and poetry. Or you may write grant proposals and the occasional op-ed. However, many written pieces have various purposes, and can therefore be enriched by blending or moving in and out of writing styles. Think of this like the art of creating fusion cuisines - you can blend flavors to appeal to your readers’ diverse palates. Learning how to weave different styles into your writing will not only improve and stretch your skills as a writer, but will also allow you to make a stronger connection with your audience.

1) Expository Writing

Expository writing is ubiquitous - its goal is to inform readers by explaining or describing. It will often provide insight or instruction with regard to a particular topic, answering questions such as “Why?”, “How?”, and “What?” Common types of expository writing include news stories and magazine articles (excluding editorials), nonfiction books, guides and how-to articles, self help writing, recipes and cookbooks, textbooks and educational resources, and business, technical, and scientific writing

One key thing to note is that expository writing can often be confused with persuasive writing. While some texts can include multiple writing styles, an expository piece cannot be persuasive, and vice versa. You should write in this style if your main goal is to solely inform your reader about a specific topic without voicing opinion. Connotations of language are crucial here - when writing in an expository style, take care to use language that carries a neutral connotation.

A How-To: Key Characteristics of Expository Writing

• Be concise and clear (especially if giving directions)
• Organize your information in a logical order or sequence - start with an outline if helpful
• Use transitions
• Highlight information with quotes, illustrations, informative graphics
• Incorporate supporting material and evidence
• Use research and cite sources, link to additional resources and websites if writing online
• Avoid using language that has a positive or negative connotation - don’t insert your opinion or attempt to persuade your audience to think, feel, or do something based on your beliefs

What does expository writing look like?

See articles marked “ News Analysis ” in The New York Times as exemplary examples of expository writing. These pieces examine important and often controversial news events, and also help the reader understand possible causes and consequences of situations without reflecting the author’s opinion.

2) Descriptive Writing

“Paint a picture with your words.” This is the classic metaphor associated with descriptive writing, especially in fiction novels, yet this style is used in many other types of written works as well. You should write in this style if your goal is to bring your reader into the written work as if they were experiencing it first hand. It is pulling your audience in, providing details about a character, the setting, or situation in a manner that helps readers imagine and understand the piece. You are essentially transporting the reader to the world of your work through description.

Descriptive writing can often seem poetic in nature, depending on the language used. Most fictional pieces fall under this writing style, yet we can also find this style in some nonfiction pieces, such as memoirs and creative nonfiction, like first-hand accounts of events and travel guides. Poetry and prose, travel diaries, writing about nature, personal journals, musical lyrics, and fictional novels and plays are all common types of descriptive writing.

If writing in different styles is culinary fusion, descriptive writing is the salt - the most flexible seasoning that can be applied to almost any written piece. While cookbooks are expository texts, we often find descriptive writing in the paragraphs describing the dish at the start of a recipe. Likewise, a persuasive text may employ descriptive writing in select parts in order to draw the reader in - an immersed reader is more likely to be convinced of the author’s opinion. Descriptive writing pairs especially well with narrative writing, as communicating a story is most effective with language that places the reader right there.

A How-To: Key Characteristics of Descriptive Writing

• Have a reason for the description before you start. Bring attention to select details and only highlight those that aid in telling the story
• Use the six senses: sight, touch, taste, smell, sound, and feeling. Try writing about the same character or situation while highlighting different senses. Play around to see which descriptions give the reader the impression or feeling you want to impart
• Use literary devices like metaphors, similes, imagery, and personification
• Show, don’t tell: rather than telling your reader about something in passive language, activate your writing with adjectives, adverbs, and verbs that show what you want to say. Rather than describing your character as exhausted, describe their eyes, their breath, their voice, their posture, their movements - what about them shows they are exhausted?

What does descriptive writing look like?

In Hard Times, Charles Dickens describes the self-centered Mr. Bounderby. Notice the details Dickens opts to highlight to create the character’s impression and the senses he activates:

‘He was a rich man: banker, merchant, manufacturer, and what not. A big, loud man, with a stare, and a metallic laugh. A man made out of coarse material, which seemed to have been stretched to make so much of him… A man who was always proclaiming, through that brassy speaking-trumpet of a voice of his, his old ignorance and his old poverty. A man who was the Bully of humility.’

3) Persuasive Writing

As writers, we often first encounter persuasive writing in the form of a five paragraph argumentative essay in grade school. This writing style is far more nuanced, however, though the underlying goal is the same. Put simply, the goal of persuasive writing is exactly as it sounds - to persuade, to influence the reader into believing or doing something. This style is appropriate if you are taking a stand on a position or belief and your goal is to convince others to agree with you. In opposition to expository writing, your opinions and bias as an author are acceptable. Sometimes your intent may even be a call to action.

Persuasive writing can be found in written pieces including editorial or opinion pieces in newspapers and magazines, letters written to request an action or file a complaint, advertisements and propaganda, business proposals, political speeches, marketing pitches, cover letters, letters of recommendation, academic essays, and reviews of books, music, films, and restaurants. What makes persuasive writing unique is its intersection with psychology - as its goal is to trigger a desired response, as the author, you must know your audience.

A How-To: Key Characteristics of Persuasive Writing

• Have a clear purpose Keep in mind the action you want the reader to take. Sometimes that action is tangible, and other times it is simply forming an opinion or changing one’s mind.
• Build a case Present the current situation and facts and articulate the need for change - what are the consequences if the situation continues unchecked? Outline a plan for change (or options if they exist) and call the reader to action if appropriate.
• Appeal to emotion Showing empathy with your readers begins to establish trust and relatability - this connection will make your readers more inclined to listen to you. Know your audience and what matters to them.
• Appeal to reason Present your argument with facts, data, and other analytical information in a logical manner that makes it irrefutable and reasonable.
• Capitalize on social proof This is the psychological phenomenon in which people assume the actions of others to reflect “correct” behavior. In persuasive writing, this may emerge in the form of testimonials from strangers or people with authority, influencer recommendations, and polls - all which lend credibility to your argument.
• Make comparisons Relate your scenario or situation to something your reader already knows and accepts as true. Use metaphors, similes, and analogies.
• Anticipate and respond to objections/counter-arguments If you leave holes, your audience will fill them with doubts. Anticipate counter-arguments and address them immediately so you won’t appear on the defensive.
• Ask rhetorical questions These aren’t meant to be answered, however they draw attention and invite your reader to continue reading.
• Use repetition Make your point in several different ways. By presenting information in repeating (not mundane) patterns, your audience is more likely to remember your message.
• Tell stories Stories help you to build and strengthen an emotional connection with your reader. They also generate interest and are most effective when your reader may not know much about the topic at hand. Here we can find an intersection with descriptive and narrative writing.

What does persuasive writing look like?

Ralph Waldo Emerson’s seminal essay Self-Reliance and Paul Graham’s How To Do What You Love were written centuries apart, and demonstrate how texts can vary stylistically yet focus on the same goal: to persuade. Both authors pepper their writing with rhetorical questions that push the reader to challenge basic assumptions. In Self-Reliance, Emerson outlines what it means to be self-made and promotes self-reliance as an ideal. Graham, in more colloquial language, challenges readers to redefine their understanding of what “work” should be.

4) Narrative Writing

Are you telling a story? Specifically, does your story include a plot, setting, characters, conflict, and a resolution? If so, you are likely writing in the narrative style. Most fiction novels are written in this style and also employ descriptive writing. The biggest difference between purely descriptive versus narrative writing is that the former simply describes, rather than narrate a sequence of events. Aside from fiction novels, memoirs and biographies, screenplays, epic poems, sagas, myths, legends, fables, historical accounts, personal essays recounting experiences, short stories, novellas, anecdotes and oral histories are all examples of narrative writing.

A How-To: Key Characteristics of Narrative Writing

• Outline the plot of your story. What is the resolution?
• Include detailed descriptions of your characters and scenes - use concrete and descriptive language that gives readers a specific image to visualize and relate to
• Give your audience insight into characters’ inner thoughts and behind-the-scenes information
• Answer the “6 Ws” - who, what, when, where, why, and how - in your piece
• Consider point of view: your story will change depending on the point of view you choose to tell it from. Whose point of view is the most interesting? Help your reader situate themself in your story by telling it from a defined point of view.
• Use dynamic dialogue. Keep it short and believable, rather than having characters explain a situation. Use dialogue to show, rather than tell.
• Know what to tell and what to omit. Leave some elements of the story to your reader’s imagination - this is what keeps them wanting more.

What does narrative writing look like?

See David Foster Wallace’s classic narrative essay Ticket to the Fair , a formidable example of storytelling woven with ample reflection on the Midwest experience and his own identity.

Writing Styles: What are the next steps?

Digging deeper into writing styles - be it your preferred style, the one you work in, or one you rarely write in - can lead to creative surprises and produce more complex pieces that speak to your reader in nuanced ways. As much as it can be a pursuit of passion, writing is also a practice, and writing in different styles can allow you to flex your full range of mental muscle. For example, you may try writing a persuasive essay and descriptive essay on the same topic. Or a poem may become a journal entry or short story. If you’re looking for inspiration, the Writing Prompts guide is an apt starting point.

Try on different styles outside of your comfort zone - experimentation can yield your best work.

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21 Top Examples of Creative Writing

By Rofida Khairalla

Let’s be practical: anyone can be a writer.

Sure, practicing the skill and perfecting the art takes a certain modicum of natural interest in the profession.

But the thing that so many people can often overlook is that being a “writer” isn’t defined by how much you write.

So many times we can get hung up on trying to write a bestselling novel or groundbreaking book that we can forget that there are so many other types of writing out there.

Take a step back for a moment and think about it this way:

Whether you have a blog, a social media page, or spend all day texting that special someone, there’s probably an inner literary genius inside you waiting to burst out on the page.

Maybe you don’t have the time or the patience to write a novel, and that’s okay. There are plenty of different types of writing out there and you can most likely find one category, or several, that allow you to get your thoughts on paper in a way that works for you.

If you’re curious to know more, or are just interested in trying out a new writing genre, we’ve made it easier for you by compiling a list of the top 21 examples of creative writing.

1. Novel Writing

A novel is probably the most popular example of creative writing out there. When you think “creative writing” an image of Stephen King typing madly at his computer is probably the first thing that pops into your head. And that’s okay. Given that novels have been a popular form of entertainment for centuries, it’s not surprising.  Typically what distinguishes a novel from other forms of writing is that novels are usually works of fiction that are longer in length and follow a set of characters and plot structure.

2. Short Stories

When it comes to examples of imaginative writing, not unlike its longer counterpart, the novel, short stories also follow a set plot and typically feature one character or a selection of characters. However, the thing to keep in mind about short stories is that they typically resolve in fewer than 50 pages.

3. Flash Fiction

If you’re up for a real challenge, try your hand at some flash fiction . This type is similar to a short story or novel in the sense that it follows some form of a plot. However, flash fiction usually resolves within a few hundred words or less. There are a few kinds of flash fiction that exist: the six word story, the 50 word story, and the hundred word story. Additionally, flash fiction also has another faction known as sudden fiction, which usually tells a full story in about 750 words.

As an example of imaginative writing, the incredible thing about poetry is that there are so many kinds. From narrative to lyrical and even language poetry there’s so many different ways you can express yourself through a poem. You might be especially interested in pursuing poetry if you enjoy word play or experimenting with the musicality behind words.

Although rap is somewhat of a subcategory of poetry, it’s one of the few forms of poetry that can often get over looked in academic classes. However, it’s probably one of the more contemporary types of poetry available while still sticking to many of the classical rules (or tools) of poetry, including rhyme. Also, it’s one of the areas where the best writers are really produced. The reason for that is because rap forces writers to think on their feet in a way that many other genres don’t.

Playwriting is another great writing style to experiment with, especially if you enjoy the idea of seeing your work come to life. Typically, playwriting involves developing a script that both clearly sets the setting, plot, and characters while also minimizing the amount of description used. One of the key elements of a play is that it’s a collaboration of minds, even though they often don’t work together at the same time. Yet the final product, the performance, is always the end result of work done by the playwright as well as the director, actors and even set designers.

7. Scripts (T.V./Movies)

Like traditional plays, movie or T.V. scripts are often the result of collaboration between a team of people including the cast and crew. However, the big difference is that when you’re writing a T.V. or movie script , you’re often working together with the director and the actors as part of the production team.

Not a fiction writer? No problem! You probably have a unique story worth sharing: it’s called your life. Here’s the deal when it comes to memoirs: the biggest thing to remember is that not everything in your life is considered readership-worthy. In fact, most things probably aren’t. But, most likely, there is a unique angle or perspective that you can take when examining your life.

For example, if you have a really distinctive family history and you’re looking into exploring it, that could be a great subject for a memoir. Maybe you have a really interesting job that exposes you to lots of different people and events on a regular basis; you could write a book about your experiences in that field. The key to writing a good memoir is knowing what angle to take on any subject.

9. Non-Fiction Narratives

Of course, a memoir is just a subsection of a category known as the non-fiction narrative. But not all non-fiction narratives are memoirs. Take for example author Tim Hernandez, who wrote the book Mañana means Heaven . Hernandez writes in a style that is inherently descriptive and interesting, despite the fact that the book’s narrative is mostly based on research and interviews.

10. Songs/Lyrics

Another sector of poetry, songs and lyrics are also a great place where you can express your thoughts and emotions not only through words, but also through music. Whether you’re writing a love ballad or a hymn, there are lots of reasons to enjoy working in this genre. While a lot of this genre is relatively unrestrictive in terms of what you can create, it’s a really good idea to get familiar with the basics of song writing. Especially in an era where so much of the music we hear is impacted by technology, the more you know about the art of song writing, the freer you will be to experiment.

11. Speeches

Speech writing is another great way to express yourself and also reach a wider audience. The thing about speeches is that they are both a form of oral and written text, so the key to writing a really good speech is to take into consideration your phrasing, word choice and syntax. More importantly, the way a speech is delivered can really make or break its success. Practice strong enunciation, confident body language and invoking a clear voice.

12. Greeting Cards

You might hear a lot about greeting cards when people talk about how to make easy money as a writer. But the truth is, being a greeting card writer is anything but easy. You have to be able to keep the greeting card expressions short, catchy and, in a lot of cases, funny. However, if you’ve got the chops to try your hand at a few greeting cards, practice writing limericks and other forms of short poetry. More importantly, read lots of greeting cards to get an idea of how the best writers go about creating the really fun cards that you enjoy purchasing.

It used to be that blogs were the place where teenagers could go to express their teenage angst. But nowadays, blogs are also a great place to be if you’re a writer. There are an unlimited amount of topics you can successfully blog on that will garner attention from audiences. You can use your blog as a forum to share your writing or even reflect on current events, the stock market—really anything! The possibilities are endless, but the key is finding a subject and sticking to it. For example, if you decide to start a blog dedicated to rock music, stick to rock music. Avoid long tangents about politics or other unrelated subjects.

14. Feature Journalism

Feature Journalism is a great place to start if you want to get your feet wet if you’re interested in reporting. Why? Because there are a lot more creative aspects to feature journalism compared to news journalism. Feature stories typically allow you more flexibility with the kinds of details you put into the article, as well as more room for creativity in your lede.

15. Column Writing

If you like the idea of journalism but feel you could never be a journalist in light of your strong opinions, column writing is another avenue you can take. The thing about columns is that they’re typically based in ideas and opinions rather than fact. Yet, because columnists are considered experts in their respective fields, their opinion tends to hold more sway with readers.

As part of the non-fiction narrative family, the personal essay, or even the academic essay, has plenty of elements that are creative. Whether you’re writing about personal experiences or a science project, there are lots of opportunities you have to be creative and hook your reader. Even the most mundane reports have the opportunity to become interesting if you know how to present your topic. As with a lot of non-fiction writing, the secret to writing a good essay is all about your framing. When you begin writing, think about explaining the issue in the most engaging way possible. Just because your writing should cut to the chase doesn’t mean that it should be bland, boring or bogged down in technical jargon. Use anecdotes, clear and concise language, and even humor to express your findings.

17. Twitter Stories

With only 140 characters, how can you tell a story? Well, when you use Twitter, that’s exactly what you’re doing. However, a new phenomenon that’s currently taking over the site is a type of flash fiction called Twitterature, where writers tell a full story or write a poem in 140 characters or less.

18. Comic Strips

If you have a knack for writing and drawing, then you might be especially interested in working on a comic strip. Comic strips are harder project to tackle because they require a lot of preplanning before you start writing. Before you begin drafting you need to know the plot and have a strong outline for how the graphics will look.

19. Collaboration

This is typically a writing exercise that writers do with other writers to expand on their creativity. Essentially the way the exercise works is that one writer will start a story and another will finish it. You might be especially familiar with this kind of work if you’ve ever read the work of an author that was completed AFTER their death. However, collaboration is just another way you can bounce ideas off another person. You can also collaborate with other writers for world building , character development and even general brainstorming.

20. Novella

An example of creative writing, a novella is essentially the love child of a short story and a novel. Although the novella does feature a plot, the plot is typically less complicated compared to that of a novel. Usually novellas are about 50 pages.

21. Genre Writing

Another type of writing that fiction writers can do is genre writing. If you think of popular writers like Stephen King, Nora Roberts and James Patterson, then you’re probably familiar with genre writing. Essentially, genre writing is when a writer explores different stories in one particular genre, like romance, fantasy, or mystery. There’s a huge market out there for genre fiction, which makes it definitely worth pursuing if you a have preference for a particular kind of literature.

The important thing to keep in mind as a writer is that experimentation is never a bad idea. If you’re genuinely curious about one or more items on this list, give it a go! Some of the best literary works were created by accident.

What did you think of our list of 21 creative writing examples? Do you have experience in any of these types of creative writing? Do you know of any other creative writing examples? Please tell us more in the comments box below!

21 Top Examples of Creative Writing is an article from Writing Tips Oasis . Copyright © 2014-2017 Writing Tips Oasis All Rights Reserved

As a graduate from the University of Arizona in English and Creative Writing, Rofida Khairalla’s love for classical literature and post-modern fiction extends beyond the realm of books. She has provided her services independently as a freelance writer, and wrote on the news desk for the student-run newspaper, The Daily Wildcat. As an aspiring children’s book author, she’s refined her craft amongst the grand saguaros of the Southwest, and enjoys playing with her German Shepherd on the slopes of Mount Lemmon.

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11 Creative Writing Techniques

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List of creative writing techniques

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Personification

Show don’t tell

Repetition in writing

Contrast in writing

The rule of three in writing

Parallelism

1. Metaphors

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5. Personification

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6. Show don’t tell

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Show don’t tell examples >>

7. Repetition in writing

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8. Contrast in writing

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9. The rule of 3 in writing

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The rule of 3 in writing >>

10. Parallelism in writing

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11. Switch the point of view (POV)

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Definitive Guide to Writing Styles

April 26, 2024 by Richard Leave a Comment

This is our Definitive Guide to Writing Styles: Throughout history, writers have employed various styles and techniques to convey their ideas, emotions, and stories effectively. Each writing style has its unique characteristics, purpose, and impact on the reader, making it essential for writers to understand and master these different approaches. Whether you are a novelist, journalist, poet, or simply someone who enjoys expressing yourself through the written word, having a deep understanding of the diverse writing styles can help you improve your craft and communicate your message more effectively.

This comprehensive guide aims to provide a detailed overview of the numerous writing styles that have evolved from the classical to the contemporary, from the artistic to the technical. By exploring these styles, you will understand how writers have used language, structure, and tone to create compelling and impactful works across various genres and mediums.

In this guide, we will delve into the intricacies of each writing style, examining its key features, techniques, and examples from renowned authors who have mastered these approaches. We will also discuss the purposes and contexts in which each style is most effective, helping you choose the appropriate style for your writing projects and target audience.

Whether you seek to inform, persuade, entertain, or provoke thought, this guide will equip you with the knowledge and tools necessary to elevate your writing and leave a lasting impact on your readers. By understanding the nuances of each writing style, you can experiment with different approaches, develop your unique voice, and ultimately become a more versatile and accomplished writer.

So, let us embark on this journey through the fascinating world of writing styles, exploring the power of language to shape our thoughts, emotions, and perceptions. Whether you are a seasoned writer or just starting this definitive guide will be invaluable in your quest to master the art of written expression.

The Importance of Choosing the Right Writing Style

Choosing the appropriate writing style is crucial for effectively communicating your message and engaging your target audience. The right style can make your writing more compelling, persuasive, and memorable, while the wrong style can confuse your readers, disinterested, or even offend. Here are some key reasons why selecting the proper writing style is so important:

• Clarity and Comprehension: Different writing styles are suited to different purposes and audiences. For example, technical writing aims to convey complex information clearly and concisely, while creative writing often employs figurative language and evocative imagery to engage the reader’s imagination. Choosing a style that matches your purpose and audience ensures that your intended readers understand and appreciate your message.
• Credibility and Authority: Your writing style can also impact your credibility and authority on a subject. For instance, academic writing requires a formal, objective tone and rigorous citation of sources to establish the writer’s expertise and trustworthiness. Similarly, journalistic writing must adhere to accuracy, fairness, and impartiality to maintain the reader’s trust. Adopting the appropriate style can demonstrate your knowledge and professionalism in your field.
• Emotional Impact and Resonance: The right writing style can also help you create an emotional connection with your readers. For example, a personal essay or memoir may use a confessional, reflective tone to invite the reader into the writer’s inner world and experiences. A persuasive essay, on the other hand, may employ rhetorical devices and a passionate, urgent tone to convince the reader to take action or adopt a particular viewpoint. You can create a more robust and lasting impact by choosing a style that resonates with your readers’ emotions and values.
• Artistic Expression and Creativity: For creative writers, the choice of writing style is also an opportunity for artistic expression and innovation. Different styles, such as experimental, absurdist, or lyrical writing, allow writers to push the boundaries of language and form, creating unique and thought-provoking works that challenge and inspire readers. You can produce original and memorable pieces that showcase your talents and perspectives by selecting a style that aligns with your creative vision and voice.
• Professional Success and Marketability: Finally, the ability to adapt your writing style to different contexts and audiences can also contribute to your professional success and marketability as a writer. Whether you are crafting a grant proposal, a marketing campaign, or a legal brief, being able to write in the appropriate style can make your work more effective and persuasive. Moreover, demonstrating versatility and skill across multiple styles can open up new opportunities and markets for your writing, increasing your visibility and value as a professional writer.

In conclusion, choosing the right writing style is essential for creating compelling, engaging, and impactful works. By understanding each style’s unique characteristics and purposes and selecting the one that best fits your goals and audience, you can elevate your writing and achieve tremendous success in your personal and professional endeavors. So, take the time to study and practice different writing styles and develop the skills and flexibility to adapt your writing to any context or challenge that comes your way.

The Writing Styles

Academic writing: .

Academic writing follows a formal structure and style for scholarly research and discourse. This writing style is used in various academic disciplines, such as the sciences, humanities, and social sciences, and is characterized by its objectivity, precision, and use of discipline-specific terminology. Academic writing includes research papers, dissertations, conference papers, and scholarly articles, among other forms. Writers must demonstrate their knowledge of the subject matter, engage with existing literature, and contribute original ideas or findings to their field of study. Effective academic writing is well-organized, thoroughly researched, and properly cited, following the conventions and standards of the specific academic discipline.

Absurdist Writing: 

Absurdist writing presents irrational or meaningless situations, often to comment on the human condition. This writing style emphasizes life’s absurdity and pointlessness, using non-sequiturs, contradictions, and illogical plot developments to create a sense of disorientation and existential despair. Absurdist writers often use dark humor and satire to critique societal norms and expectations, exposing the inherent meaninglessness and chaos of the world. Effective absurdist writing requires a willingness to embrace the bizarre and the nonsensical, as well as the ability to use language and storytelling techniques to create a sense of unease and discomfort in the reader.

Analytical Writing:

 Analytical writing examines and interprets a subject, often breaking it down into smaller parts to better understand the whole. This writing style involves critical thinking, research, and the ability to synthesize information from various sources. Analytical writing is commonly used in academic settings, such as research papers, literary analyses, and case studies, as well as in business reports and policy papers. The writer must present a clear thesis or argument, provide evidence to support their claims and draw meaningful conclusions based on their analysis. Effective analytical writing demonstrates the writer’s ability to think logically, interpret data, and communicate complex ideas clearly and concisely.

Apologetic Writing: 

Apologetic writing defends a belief, idea, or action, often in response to criticism. This writing style is used by religious leaders, politicians, and activists to justify and explain their positions on controversial issues. Apologetic writing may involve:

• Addressing counterarguments.
• Providing evidence and examples to support one’s position.
• Appealing to shared values and beliefs.

Effective apologetic writing is well-reasoned and persuasive and demonstrates a deep understanding of the issues at stake.

Argumentative Writing: 

Argumentative writing presents a clear position on an issue and uses evidence to support it. This writing style is used by essayists, journalists, and academics to persuade readers to accept a particular point of view or take a specific action. Argumentative writing involves presenting a thesis statement, providing supporting evidence and examples, and addressing counterarguments. Effective argumentative writing is logical, well-researched, and engages with multiple perspectives.

Biographical Writing: 

Based on extensive research and factual information, biographical writing tells the story of a natural person’s life. Biographers must gather data from various sources, such as interviews, letters, diaries, and historical records, to create a comprehensive and accurate portrayal of their subject’s life. This writing style requires a balance between presenting factual information and crafting a compelling narrative that captures the subject’s personality, achievements, and struggles. Effective biographical writing is well-researched, objective, and engaging, giving readers a deeper understanding of the subject’s life and legacy.

Blogging is a form of online writing that involves creating regularly updated content, usually conversational or personal. Bloggers write about various topics, from personal experiences and opinions to niche interests and professional expertise. This writing style often aims to inform, entertain, or persuade readers while fostering community and engagement through comments and social media sharing. Effective blogging requires a consistent voice, a clear focus, and the ability to connect with the target audience. Successful bloggers often develop a strong personal brand, cultivate a loyal following, and use their platform to influence, educate, or inspire their readers.

Business Writing: 

Business writing involves communicating professionally in business, such as through emails, reports, proposals, or presentations. This writing style aims to convey information, make requests, or persuade colleagues, clients, or stakeholders concisely and effectively. Business writers must adapt their tone and style to suit the specific purpose and audience while maintaining a professional and courteous approach. Effective business writing is well-organized, error-free, and achieves the desired outcome, whether securing a contract, resolving a conflict, or sharing important updates.

Children’s Writing: 

Children’s writing creates content suitable for young readers, often with educational or moral messages. This writing style may include picture books, chapter books, and middle-grade novels, each with unique conventions and age-appropriate themes. Children’s writers use simple language, imaginative storytelling, and engaging illustrations to capture the attention and hearts of young readers. Effective children’s writing requires a deep understanding of child development and learning and the ability to create fun and memorable characters and stories that inspire a lifelong love of reading. You might also want to check out 100 Children’s Story Ideas to Inspire.

Comic Book Writing: 

Comic book writing involves creating stories and narratives through sequential art and text. This writing style is used by comic book writers, graphic novelists, and storyboard artists to craft engaging and visually compelling stories across various genres, such as superhero, fantasy, science  fict ion, and horror. Comic book writing requires a deep understanding of visual storytelling techniques, character development, and world-building. Compelling comic book writing seamlessly integrates text and images, using dialogue, captions, and sound effects to guide the reader through the story. Check out our 100 Superhero writing prompts to inspire your writing.

Comedy Writing:

Comedy writing involves creating humorous content, such as jokes, sketches, or satirical pieces. This writing style aims to entertain and amuse audiences using various techniques, such as irony, sarcasm, exaggeration, and absurdity. Comedy writers often draw inspiration from everyday life, current events, and social norms, using humor to comment on or critique these subjects. Effective comedy writing requires a keen understanding of timing, delivery, and audience preferences and the ability to craft memorable punchlines and characters.

Confessional Poetry: 

Confessional poetry expresses the poet’s experiences, often with intense emotions and vulnerability. This writing style emerged in the 1950s and 1960s, with poets such as Sylvia Plath, Anne Sexton, and Robert Lowell using their own lives as subject matter for their work. Confessional poets often explore themes of mental illness, trauma, sexuality, and family dysfunction, using vivid and sometimes shocking imagery to convey their innermost thoughts and feelings. Compelling confessional poetry requires a willingness to be honest and open about one’s experiences and the ability to use language and poetic techniques to create a sense of intimacy and emotional resonance with the reader.

Cosmic Horror 

Writing Cosmic horror writing evokes fear of the unknown and humanity’s insignificance in the universe. This writing style, popularized by H.P. Lovecraft and other writers in the early 20th century, often features ancient, otherworldly entities that defy human comprehension and threaten to destroy or corrupt everything we know. Cosmic horror writers use vivid descriptions of alien landscapes, eldritch abominations, and sanity-shattering revelations to create a sense of existential dread and helplessness in the face of an uncaring cosmos. Effective cosmic horror writing requires a mastery of atmosphere and tone and the ability to use language and storytelling techniques to create a sense of mounting terror and despair.

Cyberpunk Writing 

Cyberpunk writing explores the relationship between technology and society in a dystopian future. This style of writing, which emerged in the 1980s with works such as William Gibson’s “Neuromancer,” often features a world where corporations have replaced governments, virtual reality has blurred the line between the real and the digital, and cybernetic enhancements have created new forms of social inequality. Cyberpunk writers use vivid descriptions of neon-lit cities, high-tech gadgets, and gritty, street-level characters to create a sense of a futuristic and troubled world. Effective cyberpunk writing requires a deep understanding of science fiction tropes and themes and the ability to use language and storytelling techniques to create a sense of immediacy and social commentary. If you love cyberpunk writing, you will love our 50 Cyberpunk writing prompts .

Diaspora Writing 

Diaspora writing reflects the experiences and identities of people displaced from their homeland. This style of writing often explores themes of exile, cultural identity, and the search for belonging, using the perspectives of immigrants, refugees, and other displaced people to create a sense of the complexity and diversity of the modern world. Diaspora writers may write in various genres, such as fiction, poetry, or memoir, using their experiences and communities to create deeply personal and broadly resonant works. Effective diaspora writing requires a deep understanding of the social, cultural, and historical contexts of displacement and the ability to use language and storytelling techniques to create a sense of empathy and connection with the reader.

Dialectical Writing: 

Dialectical writing presents opposing viewpoints or arguments for a synthesis or resolution. This style of writing, which has its roots in ancient Greek philosophy, involves dialogue, debate, and logical reasoning to explore complex ideas and arrive at a deeper understanding of the truth. Dialectical writers often present two or more characters with conflicting viewpoints, using their arguments and counterarguments to gradually build towards a new perspective that incorporates elements of both sides. Effective dialectical writing requires a deep understanding of the subject matter and the ability to use language and rhetorical techniques to create a sense of intellectual engagement and discovery.

Dramatic Writing: 

Dramatic writing involves creating scripts for the stage, often exploring severe themes and human emotions. Playwrights use this style of writing to craft powerful and thought-provoking stories that actors can perform in front of a live audience. Dramatic writing often delves into complex characters, relationships, and conflicts, using dialogue, action, and symbolism to convey meaning and evoke emotional responses from the audience. Effective dramatic writing requires a deep understanding of human nature and the ability to create compelling and believable characters and story lines.

Dystopian Writing: 

Dystopian writing imagines a bleak future society characterized by totalitarianism or environmental collapse. This style of writing, which has its roots in works such as George Orwell’s “1984” and Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World,” often features a world where individual freedom has been sacrificed for the sake of social stability, where technology has been used to control and oppress rather than liberate, and where the natural world has been destroyed or depleted. Dystopian writers use vivid descriptions of oppressive regimes, conformist societies, and environmental devastation to create a sense of warning and critique about the dangers of unchecked power and human hubris. Effective dystopian writing requires a deep understanding of social and political issues and the ability to use language and storytelling techniques to create a sense of urgency and cautionary tale. If your story lines lean into the end of the world, you might want to check out our 100 Dystopian writing prompts .

Copywriting: 

Copywriting creates persuasive content for advertising and marketing purposes. This writing style promotes products, services, and ideas, primarily convincing the target audience to take a specific action, such as purchasing, signing up for a service, or supporting a cause. Copywriters must deeply understand the target audience’s needs, desires, and pain points and use this knowledge to craft compelling messages that resonate with them. Effective copywriting is creative, concise, and emotionally engaging, using persuasive techniques such as storytelling, humor, and social proof to capture the audience’s attention and motivate them to act.

Creative Writing: 

Creative writing encompasses imaginative and original writing, often in a literary context. This writing style includes various genres, such as fiction, poetry, drama, and creative nonfiction, and allows the writer to express their unique voice, style, and perspective. Creative writing often explores themes, emotions, and the human experience, using literary devices and techniques to create engaging and thought-provoking works. The primary goal of creative writing is to entertain, inspire, or provoke the reader while showcasing the writer’s artistic skills and imagination. Creative writing can be found in novels, short stories, poems, plays, and screenplays, among other forms. We have over 1000 Creative Writing prompts on our site!

Descriptive Writing: 

Descriptive writing uses vivid language to describe people, places, objects, or experiences in great detail, creating a transparent and evocative picture in the reader’s mind. This writing style often employs sensory details, figurative language, and precise word choice to capture the essence of the subject being described. Descriptive writing can be found in various forms of literature, such as poetry, prose, and creative nonfiction, as well as in travel writing, nature writing, and product descriptions. The primary goal of descriptive writing is to help the reader visualize and experience the subject as if they were there, evoking emotions and creating a lasting impression.

Editorial Writing:

 Editorial writing presents a publication’s or editorial board’s opinion on a current issue or topic of public interest. It aims to inform, persuade, or call readers to action, often taking a solid stance on a particular subject. This writing style requires a deep understanding of the issue and the ability to present a well-reasoned and compelling argument. Effective editorial writing is clear, concise, and thought-provoking, offering a unique perspective or solution to the problem being addressed.

Environmental Writing: 

Environmental writing addresses ecological issues, nature, and the relationship between humans and the environment. This writing style is used by environmental journalists, activists, and nature writers to raise awareness about ecological problems, explore the beauty and complexity of the natural world, and advocate for conservation and sustainability. Environmental writing may include investigative reporting on issues such as climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss, as well as personal essays and nature writing that celebrate the wonder and fragility of the earth. Effective environmental writing is informative and persuasive and inspires readers to take action to protect the planet.

Epistolary Writing: 

Epistolary writing tells a story or conveys information through letters, emails, or other forms of correspondence. This writing style allows the reader to experience the story through the characters’ thoughts, feelings, and interactions. Epistolary novels, such as “The Color Purple” by Alice Walker and “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, are famous examples of this style. Effective epistolary writing creates a sense of intimacy and authenticity as the reader becomes privy to the characters’ private lives and relationships.If you enjoy writing through letters you may enjoy 100 Epistolary Writing Prompts for Telling Stories Through Letters

Erotica Writing: 

Erotica’s writing depicts sexual experiences and desires in a literary or artistic manner. This style aims to arouse and engage readers by exploring sensuality, intimacy, and fantasy themes. Erotica writers often use descriptive language and imagery to create vivid and immersive scenes while developing compelling and relatable characters and relationships. Effective erotica writing requires a balance of explicitness and subtlety, as well as a deep understanding of human sexuality and desire.

Experimental Writing: 

Experimental writing pushes the boundaries of traditional forms and styles, often in an avant-garde manner. This writing style, which emerged in the early 20th century with movements such as Dadaism and Surrealism, usually uses unconventional or fragmented narrative structures, stream-of-consciousness techniques, and linguistic experimentation to create a sense of artistic innovation and challenge to the status quo. Experimental writers may write in various genres, such as poetry, fiction, or drama, using their creative vision and technical skills to create intellectually stimulating and emotionally provocative works. Effective experimental writing requires a willingness to take risks and break rules and the ability to use language and form in surprising and inventive ways.

Existential Writing

Existential writing grapples with questions of existence, meaning, and the human condition. This style of writing, which emerged in the 20th century with writers such as Jean-Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, and Simone de Beauvoir, often explores themes of freedom, responsibility, and the absurdity of life, using fiction, philosophy, and personal reflection to create a sense of the individual’s struggle to find purpose and authenticity in a seemingly meaningless world. Existential writers may write in various genres, such as novels, plays, or essays, using their experiences and insights to create deeply introspective and broadly relevant works. Effective existential writing requires a willingness to confront the big questions of life head-on and the ability to use language and storytelling techniques to create a sense of intellectual and emotional engagement with the reader.

Expository Writing: 

Expository writing is a type of writing that aims to explain, inform, or describe a topic, idea, or process to the reader. The primary goal of expository writing is to convey information clearly and concisely without expressing personal opinions or biases. This writing style is commonly used in academic settings, such as textbooks, research papers, and essays, as well as in journalism, technical writing, and instructional materials. Expository writing often follows a logical structure, presenting information in a systematic and organized manner and using facts, examples, and definitions to support the main ideas.

Fanfiction Writing: 

Fanfiction writing involves creating new stories based on existing characters or settings from popular media, such as books, movies, TV shows, or video games. This writing style allows fans to explore alternative storylines, relationships, and possibilities not addressed in the source material. Fanfiction writers often use their knowledge of the original work to create stories that are both faithful to the established canon and innovative in their own right. Effective fanfiction writing requires a deep understanding of the source material and the ability to capture the voices and personalities of the characters.

Fantasy Writing:

 Fantasy writing involves creating stories set in imaginary worlds that often include magic, mythical creatures, and heroic quests. This writing style allows authors to explore themes and ideas that may not be possible in realistic settings, using world-building and character development to create immersive and compelling narratives. Fantasy writers often draw inspiration from mythology, folklore, and history, using these elements to create rich and detailed worlds that feel both familiar and new. Effective fantasy writing requires a strong imagination and the ability to create believable and consistent magic systems and world-building elements. If you enjoy fantasy writing we have many fantasy writing prompts on our sites, 50 Science Fiction and Fantasy Writing Prompts , 100 dark fantasy writing prompts , 100 fantasy romance writing prompts , 100 fantasy romance writing prompts , 50 Fantasy Writing Prompts: Wizards and Dragons , and 50 fantasy writing prompts to inspire .

Fashion Writing: 

Fashion writing covers fashion trends, designers, and the fashion industry. This writing style is used by fashion journalists, bloggers, and critics to report on fashion shows, designer collections, and street style trends. Fashion writing may also include:

• Profiles of fashion icons.
• Opinion pieces on the cultural and social impact of fashion.
• Guides on personal style and fashion advice.

Effective fashion writing is engaging, visually descriptive, and captures the creativity and dynamism of the fashion world.

Flash Fiction: 

Flash fiction is a concise form of storytelling, often under 1,000 words, that still manages to convey a complete narrative with a beginning, middle, and end. This writing style requires concision, precision, and a strong understanding of story structure and character development. Flash fiction writers must be able to create a compelling story, evoke emotions, and leave a lasting impact on the reader in a limited amount of space. Compelling flash fiction is often surprising, thought-provoking, and emotionally resonant, demonstrating the power of brevity in storytelling.

Food Writing: 

Food writing describes and critiques culinary experiences, recipes, and food culture. Food critics, bloggers, and culinary enthusiasts use this style of writing to explore the art and science of cooking, the history and cultural significance of various cuisines, and the personal and social aspects of food and dining. Food writing may include restaurant reviews, recipe guides, and essays on food-related topics such as sustainability, nutrition, and the food industry. Effective food writing is sensory and informative and conveys the joy and passion of culinary exploration.

Ghostwriting: 

Ghostwriting involves writing content officially credited to another person, often a public figure, celebrity, or expert in a particular field. Ghostwriters collaborate with their clients to capture their voices, ideas, and experiences and create written works that align with the client’s goals and intended audience. This writing style requires strong communication skills, adaptability, and maintaining confidentiality. Ghostwriters may work on various projects, such as memoirs, novels, articles, speeches, and social media content. Effective ghostwriting seamlessly blends the client’s vision with the writer’s skills, creating a final product that accurately represents the credited author.

Gothic Writing: 

Gothic writing is a style that evokes mystery, fear, and the supernatural in a dark, atmospheric setting. This type of writing often features eerie or haunted locations, dark family secrets, and characters grappling with internal conflicts or external threats. Gothic writers use descriptive language and imagery to create a sense of unease and foreboding, often exploring themes of death, decay, and the unknown. Effective Gothic writing requires a mastery of atmosphere and tone and the ability to create complex and psychologically compelling characters. If you like Gothic writing you might like our 100 gothic fiction writing prompts .

Grant Writing: 

Grant writing involves preparing proposals to secure funding for projects, programs, or organizations from government agencies, foundations, or other funding bodies. This writing style requires a clear understanding of the funding organization’s goals, priorities, and application requirements. Grant writers must effectively communicate the need for the proposed project, outline specific objectives and activities, and provide a compelling case for why the funding should be awarded. Effective grant writing is persuasive, well-organized, and strongly aligns with the proposed project and the funding organization’s mission.

Haiku is a Japanese poetic form consisting of three lines with a 5-7-5 syllable structure. This style of writing, which originated in the 17th century, often focuses on nature, seasons, and moments of epiphany or insight, using simple, concise language to create a sense of beauty, transience, and spiritual depth. Haiku writers use vivid sensory details and juxtaposition to create a sense of immediacy and connection with the natural world, often leaving room for the reader’s interpretation and reflection. Effective haiku requires a mastery of the form’s technical constraints and the ability to use language and imagery to create a sense of emotional resonance and universality.

Hard-Boiled Writing

Hard-boiled writing features tough, cynical characters in a gritty, crime-ridden setting. This style of writing, which emerged in the 1920s and 1930s with writers such as Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler, often features a world where corruption and violence are the norm, where the line between right and wrong is blurred, and where the protagonist must navigate a treacherous landscape of double-crosses and moral ambiguity. Hard-boiled writers use vivid descriptions of seedy underworlds, fast-paced action, and snappy dialogue to create a sense of danger and excitement, often using the detective story as a vehicle for social commentary and critique. Effective hard-boiled writing requires a deep understanding of the genre’s conventions and themes and the ability to use language and storytelling techniques to create a sense of authenticity and raw, street-level realism.

Historical Writing: 

Historical writing investigates and interprets past events based on primary and secondary sources. Historians, scholars, and researchers use this writing style to analyze and explain the causes, consequences, and significance of historical events, figures, and movements. Historical writing may also involve exploring the social, cultural, and political contexts that shaped the past. Effective historical writing is well-researched, objective, and provides a compelling narrative that sheds new light on our understanding of history. If you like writing about history, you might find our 50 historical fiction writing prompts helpful.

Horror Writing: 

Horror writing aims to frighten and unsettle readers through suspenseful and disturbing content. This writing style often explores themes of fear, violence, and the supernatural, using vivid descriptions and plot twists to create a sense of dread and terror. Horror writers may draw inspiration from real-life fears and phobias and classic horror tropes and archetypes. Effective horror writing requires a deep understanding of what scares people and the ability to create believable and terrifying scenarios that linger in the reader’s mind long after the story ends. If you like horror you are in the right place, we have 100s of horror writing prompts to spark your creativity like: Daily horror writing prompts, 50 Lovecraftian horror writing prompts , 50 Horror Writing Prompts from Different Points of View , 365 Horrifying Horror Writing Prompts , 100 Vampire, Werewolf, Witch and Ghost Writing Prompts , 100 survival horror writing prompts, and 10 Horrifying Horror Story Prompts . We have many more articles and lists dealing with horror on our site.

Hypertext Writing

Hypertext writing uses hyperlinks to create non-linear, interactive narratives. This writing style, which emerged in the late 20th century with the rise of digital media, allows readers to navigate through a story or informational text non-sequentially, following links and pathways that reflect their interests and choices. Hypertext writers use branching storylines, multimedia elements, and user interactivity to create a sense of immersion and agency for the reader, often blurring the line between author and audience. Effective hypertext writing requires a deep understanding of digital storytelling techniques, user experience design, and creating compelling and coherent narratives that can be explored in multiple ways.

Invective Writing

Invective writing expresses strong criticism or verbal abuse towards a person or group. This style of writing, which has its roots in ancient Greek and Roman oratory, often uses harsh language, personal attacks, and rhetorical flourishes to denounce or discredit an opponent, often in a political or social context. Invective writers may use sarcasm, irony, and hyperbole to create a sense of moral outrage or righteous anger, usually appealing to the reader’s emotions and sense of justice. Effective invective writing requires a mastery of rhetorical techniques, a keen understanding of the audience’s values and beliefs, and the ability to use language and argument to create a sense of urgency and call to action.

Inspirational Writing: 

Inspirational writing aims to uplift, encourage, and motivate readers. This writing style is used by motivational speakers, religious leaders, and self-help authors to provide guidance and support for personal and spiritual growth. Inspirational writing may include stories of overcoming adversity, quotes and affirmations, and practical advice for living a more fulfilling life. Effective, inspirational writing is empowering and compassionate and helps readers find meaning and purpose.

Journalistic Writing: 

Journalistic writing reports on news, events, and issues objectively and truthfully. This writing style is used in newspapers, magazines, and online media outlets to inform the public about current affairs, politics, entertainment, sports, and other topics of interest. Journalistic writing follows a specific structure, often using the inverted pyramid format, which presents the most critical information first and gradually provides more details and background information. Journalists must adhere to ethical standards, such as accuracy, fairness, and impartiality, and verify their sources and facts before publishing their work. Effective journalistic writing is clear, concise, and engaging, capturing the reader’s attention and conveying the essential information quickly and efficiently.

Legal Writing: 

Legal writing involves drafting legal documents, such as contracts, briefs, or opinions, and presenting arguments precisely and persuasively. This writing style requires a deep understanding of legal principles, case law, and statutory requirements and the ability to analyze complex legal issues and communicate them effectively to legal professionals and lay audiences. Effective legal writing is well-structured, thoroughly researched, and adheres to the legal field’s conventions and formatting requirements.

Lyrical Writing: 

Lyrical writing employs poetic and melodic language to evoke emotions and imagery. This style of writing, which is often associated with poetry and songwriting, uses techniques such as rhyme, meter, and figurative language to create a sense of musicality and rhythm in the text. Lyrical writers often focus on themes of love, nature, and the human experience, using sensory details and symbolic imagery to create a sense of beauty, intimacy, and emotional depth. Effective lyrical writing requires a mastery of poetic techniques, a keen ear for language, and the ability to use words and phrases to create a sense of melody and harmony on the page.

Magical Realism Writing: 

Magical realism writing incorporates fantastical elements into an otherwise realistic setting. This style of writing, which emerged in Latin American literature in the mid-20th century, often features supernatural or mythical events and characters that are treated as a natural part of the everyday world, frequently used to explore themes of cultural identity, political oppression, and the blurring of boundaries between the real and the imaginary. Magical realist writers use vivid descriptions of the natural and the supernatural to create a sense of wonder and enchantment, often leaving the reader questioning the nature of reality. Effective magical realism writing requires a deep understanding of the genre’s conventions and themes and the ability to use language and storytelling techniques to integrate the mundane and the miraculous seamlessly. If you like magical realism you might want to check out our Spellbinding 100 Magical Realism Prompts .

Medical Writing: 

Medical writing involves communicating medical and health-related information to various audiences, such as healthcare professionals, patients, or the general public. This writing style covers multiple topics, from clinical research and drug development to patient education and health journalism. Medical writers must have a strong understanding of medical terminology, human anatomy and physiology, and the latest advancements in healthcare. Effective medical writing is accurate, precise, and tailored to the target audience’s specific needs and knowledge level, ensuring that complex medical information is conveyed in an accessible and engaging manner.

Memoir Writing: 

Memoir writing is a form of autobiographical writing that recounts specific experiences, events, or periods in the author’s life. Unlike an autobiography, which typically covers the author’s life, a memoir focuses on a particular theme, relationship, or period of personal growth. Memoirists often reflect on their experiences, share lessons learned, and explore the broader implications of their individual stories. Effective memoir writing is honest, reflective, and emotionally engaging, allowing the reader to connect with the author’s experiences and gain new insights into the human condition.

Metafiction Writing: 

Metafiction writing self-consciously addresses the conventions and artificiality of storytelling. This writing style often breaks the fourth wall, directly acknowledging the reader and the fictional nature of the narrative. Metafictional works may include self-referential elements, such as characters who are aware they are in a story or plot devices that are openly discussed and manipulated. Metafiction challenges traditional narrative structures by exposing storytelling mechanics and encourages readers to reflect on the relationship between fiction and reality. Effective metafiction writing requires a deep understanding of literary conventions, a willingness to subvert them, and the ability to create engaging stories that operate on multiple levels of meaning.

Minimalist Writing: 

Minimalist writing uses simple, sparse language and focuses on the essential elements of the story. This writing style, which emerged in the mid-20th century with writers such as Ernest Hemingway and Raymond Carver, often features short sentences, limited descriptions, and a focus on action and dialogue rather than introspection or exposition. Minimalist writers aim to convey the most meaning with the fewest words possible, trusting the reader to fill in the gaps and interpret the subtext. Effective minimalist writing requires a mastery of concision and precision and the ability to create compelling characters and storylines using only the most essential details.

Motivational Writing: 

Motivational writing encourages readers to take action and pursue their goals. Life coaches, business leaders, and success experts use this writing style to provide strategies and techniques for overcoming obstacles, building confidence, and achieving success. Motivational writing may include case studies, personal anecdotes, and practical exercises for setting and achieving goals. Effective motivational writing is energizing and action-oriented and helps readers develop the mindset and skills needed to succeed.

Mystery Writing: 

Mystery writing revolves around a crime or puzzle that the protagonist must solve. This writing style often features a detective or amateur sleuth who uses observation and deduction skills to uncover clues and piece together the truth. Mystery writers use suspense, red herrings, and plot twists to keep readers guessing until the final reveal. Effective mystery writing requires careful plotting and pacing and creating complex, believable characters with hidden motives and secrets.We have lots of support for mystery writing on our site including 50 mystery whodunit writing prompts.

Narrative Writing: 

Narrative writing tells a story, usually with a clear beginning, middle, and end. This writing style often involves a plot, characters, and a setting and may be based on real-life events or entirely fictional. Narrative writing aims to engage the reader by creating an immersive experience, using descriptive language, dialogue, and sensory details to bring the story to life. Common examples of narrative writing include novels, short stories, memoirs, and personal essays. A well-crafted narrative often consists of a conflict or challenge the main character must overcome, leading to a resolution or change in the character’s life.

Noir Writing: 

Noir writing depicts a dark, morally ambiguous world, often in a detective or crime story. This writing style, which emerged in the mid-20th century with writers such as Raymond Chandler and James M. Cain, usually features cynical, world-weary protagonists who navigate a shadowy underworld of corruption, deceit, and violence. Noir writers use vivid descriptions of urban decay, complex plotlines, and snappy, often sarcastic dialogue to create a sense of atmosphere and moral ambiguity. Effective noir writing requires a deep understanding of the genre’s conventions and themes and the ability to create complex, flawed characters and intricate, suspenseful storylines. Noir is such a great writing style/genre, check out our 150 tech noir writing prompts .

Op-Ed Writing: 

Op-ed writing, short for “opposite the editorial page,” expresses a personal opinion on a current issue, often in a newspaper or magazine. Unlike editorials representing a publication’s official stance, op-eds are authored by individual writers, experts, or public figures. This writing style allows for diverse perspectives and often sparks public debate or discussion on important topics. Effective op-ed writing is persuasive, well-informed, and offers a fresh or provocative take.

Paranormal Writing:

 Paranormal writing features supernatural or inexplicable phenomena in a realistic setting. This writing style often explores themes of ghosts, psychic abilities, and otherworldly creatures, using a blend of horror, mystery, and fantasy elements to create eerie and atmospheric stories. Paranormal writers often use their stories to explore deeper themes of life, death, and the nature of reality. Effective paranormal writing requires a balance of realism and the supernatural and the ability to create compelling characters grappling with extraordinary circumstances.  We love the paranormal around here, and you might like our 50 paranormal romance story starters or 100 Paranormal Fantasy Writing Prompts .

Pastoral Writing: 

Pastoral writing celebrates rural life and landscapes, often in an idealized or nostalgic manner. This style of writing, which has its roots in ancient Greek and Roman literature, usually features descriptions of rural settings, such as rolling hills, babbling brooks, and peaceful meadows, as well as characters who live in harmony with nature. Pastoral writers often use their works to contrast the simplicity and beauty of rural life with the corruption and complexity of urban society, sometimes as a form of social commentary or critique. Effective pastoral writing requires a deep appreciation for the natural world and an ability to evoke a sense of place and atmosphere through vivid, sensory descriptions.

Persuasive Writing: 

Persuasive writing aims to convince the reader to adopt a particular viewpoint or take a specific action. This writing style presents arguments, evidence, and reasoning to support a position or claim while addressing and refuting potential counterarguments. Persuasive writing is commonly used in opinion pieces, editorials, advertisements, and political speeches. Effective, compelling writing must be well-researched, logically structured, and emotionally appealing to the target audience. The writer may use rhetorical devices, such as ethos (credibility), pathos (emotion), and logos (logic), to strengthen their arguments and persuade the reader.

Philosophical Writing: 

Philosophical writing examines fundamental questions and ideas about knowledge, reality, and existence. Philosophers and thinkers use this writing style to explore abstract concepts, challenge assumptions, and propose new ways of understanding the world. Philosophical writing often involves constructing logical arguments, analyzing existing theories, and engaging in critical thinking. Effective philosophical writing is clear, precise, rigorous, and open to multiple perspectives and interpretations.

Picaresque Writing: 

Picaresque’s writing follows a mischievous hero’s adventures in an episodic, often satirical narrative. This style of writing, which originated in 16th-century Spain with works such as “Lazarillo de Tormes,” usually features a low-born, morally ambiguous protagonist who moves from one adventure to another, often as a means of social critique or commentary. Picaresque writers use humor, irony, and a sense of the absurd to create an understanding of the protagonist’s outsider status and the inherent flaws and defects of the society they move through. Effective picaresque writing requires a mastery of episodic storytelling, a keen eye for social satire, and the ability to create a compelling if not always likable, central character.

Poetry is a form of creative writing that uses language artistically to evoke emotions, ideas, or experiences. Poets employ various literary devices, such as metaphor, simile, alliteration, and rhyme, to create vivid imagery, convey deeper meanings, and explore universal themes. Poetry can take many forms, from traditional structures like sonnets and haikus to free verse and experimental styles. The primary goal of poetry is to express the poet’s unique perspective and evoke an emotional response from the reader. Compelling poetry is often concise yet powerful, using carefully chosen words and phrases to create a lasting impact. Please also see our 50 Poetry Writing Prompts Every Writer should try .

Political Writing: 

Political writing discusses political issues, policies, and events from various perspectives. Journalists, commentators, and political analysts use this writing style to report on elections, legislation, and international relations and provide opinions and analysis on political topics. Political writing may include speeches, manifestos, and policy papers by politicians and advocacy groups. Effective political writing is well-informed and objective and engages with the complexities and controversies of the political landscape.

Review Writing: 

Review writing involves evaluating and critically assessing a product, service, or work of art, such as a book, movie, restaurant, or consumer item. Reviewers provide their informed opinions, highlighting the subject’s strengths and weaknesses. This style of writing requires a deep understanding of the relevant industry or field and the ability to analyze and articulate the key aspects that contribute to the overall quality or value of the subject. Effective review writing is objective, well-reasoned, and provides valuable insights to help readers make informed decisions.

Romance Writing: 

Romance writing focuses on the development of a romantic relationship between characters. This writing style often explores themes of love, desire, and commitment, using obstacles and conflicts to test the strength of the central relationship. Romance writers may write in various subgenres, such as historical romance, contemporary romance, or paranormal romance, each with unique conventions and tropes. Effective romance writing requires a deep understanding of human relationships and emotions and the ability to create compelling and likable characters for which readers can root.

Satirical Writing: 

Satirical writing uses humor, irony, or exaggeration to criticize or comment on society, individuals, or institutions. This writing style aims to expose and ridicule human vices, follies, and absurdities, often to promote social or political change. Satirical writing can take many forms, such as essays, novels, plays, and cartoons, and usually requires a deep understanding of the subject matter being satirized. Effective satirical writing is witty, clever, and thought-provoking, using humor to highlight serious issues and encourage the audience to question the status quo.

Script writing: 

Script writing involves creating scripts for various forms of visual media, such as films, television shows, plays, and video games. This writing style requires a unique format that includes scene descriptions, character dialogues, and stage directions. Scriptwriters must have a strong understanding of storytelling techniques, character development, and visual storytelling. They collaborate with directors, producers, and other creative professionals to bring their scripts to life on screen or stage. Effective scriptwriting creates engaging and memorable stories, compelling characters, and vivid scenes that captivate the audience.

Science Fiction Writing: 

Science fiction writing speculates about future technologies, societies, and scientific discoveries. This writing style often explores themes of space exploration, time travel, artificial intelligence, and dystopian futures, using imaginative world-building and technical detail to create believable and thought-provoking stories. Science fiction writers may draw inspiration from current scientific research and theories and classic science fiction tropes and archetypes. Effective science fiction writing requires a balance of creativity and scientific plausibility and the ability to create compelling characters and storylines that explore the human condition in a futuristic setting.

Scientific Writing: 

Scientific writing presents research findings, hypotheses, and scientific information in a structured, technical style. This writing style is used in academic journals, research papers, and grant proposals and requires a clear understanding of the scientific method, data analysis, and the relevant field of study. Scientific writers must effectively communicate complex ideas, methods, and results, using precise language and visual aids, such as graphs and charts, to support their findings. Effective scientific writing is objective, well-organized, and contributes to the advancement of scientific knowledge.

Self-Help Writing: 

Self-help writing provides advice and guidance for personal growth and improvement. This writing style is used by self-help authors, life coaches, and mental health professionals to offer strategies and techniques for overcoming challenges, achieving goals, and improving overall well-being. Self-help writing may cover many topics, such as relationships, career development, stress management, and spiritual growth. Effective self-help writing is practical and empowering, offering readers concrete tools and insights for creating positive change in their lives.

Social Commentary Writing: 

Social commentary writing offers observations and opinions on social issues and cultural phenomena. Essayists, columnists, and cultural critics use this style of writing to analyze and critique various aspects of society, such as race, gender, class, and popular culture. Social commentary writing may include personal reflections and stories illuminating more significant social issues. Effective social commentary writing is insightful and thought-provoking, challenging readers to examine their beliefs and assumptions about the world.

Speech writing: 

Speech writing involves crafting speeches for public figures, such as politicians, business leaders, or activists, tailored to the specific speaker and audience. This writing style requires a deep understanding of the speaker’s voice, style, objectives, and the audience’s expectations and concerns. Speechwriters must effectively convey the speaker’s message, using rhetorical devices, storytelling, and persuasive arguments to engage and influence the audience. Effective speech writing is clear, concise, and memorable, leaving a lasting impact on the listeners.

Sports Writing: 

Sports writing reports on and analyzes sports events, athletes, and related issues. Journalists, bloggers, and commentators use this style of writing to cover a wide range of sports, from amateur leagues to professional competitions. Sports writing may include game recaps, player profiles, opinion pieces, and investigative reporting on doping, corruption, and social justice in sports. Effective sports writing is engaging and informative and captures the excitement and drama of athletic competition.

Stream of Consciousness Writing: 

Stream-of-consciousness writing presents a character’s continuous flow of thoughts, impressions, and experiences without traditional narrative structure or punctuation constraints. This writing style aims to capture the inner workings of a character’s mind, often in a non-linear or fragmented manner. Famous examples of stream-of-consciousness writing include James Joyce’s “Ulysses” and Virginia Woolf’s “Mrs. Dalloway.” Effective stream-of-consciousness writing creates a sense of immediacy and psychological depth, allowing the reader to experience the character’s thoughts and emotions raw and unfiltered.

Technical Writing:

 Technical writing communicates complex information clearly and concisely to a specific audience. This writing style is used in various industries, such as engineering, computer science, and healthcare, to create user manuals, product specifications, software documentation, and other instructional materials. Technical writers must have a deep understanding of the subject matter and be able to explain complex concepts and processes in a way that is accessible to the intended audience. Effective technical writing is well-structured, uses precise language and terminology, and often includes visual aids, such as diagrams, charts, and images, to support the text and enhance understanding.

Theological Writing: 

Theological writing explores religious beliefs, practices, and spiritual ideas in a scholarly or reflective manner. Theologians, religious scholars, and spiritual leaders often use this writing style to analyze and interpret religious texts, doctrines, and traditions. Theological writing may also include personal reflections on faith, spirituality, and the human experience. Effective theological writing is well-researched and thoughtful and engages with the complexities and nuances of religious thought while remaining accessible to the intended audience.

Travel Writing: 

Travel writing describes a traveler’s experiences, observations, and recommendations for visiting a particular destination or embarking on a journey. This writing style aims to transport the reader to the described location, providing vivid details about the sights, sounds, smells, and sensations encountered along the way. Travel writers often share their insights, historical and cultural context, and practical advice for other travelers. Effective travel writing is engaging, informative, and evocative, inspiring readers to explore new places and gain a deeper appreciation for the world around them.

Thriller Writing: 

Thriller writing creates intense suspense and excitement, often in a high-stakes plot. This writing style usually features a race against time, a dangerous villain, and a protagonist who must use their skills and cunning to survive. Thriller writers use fast pacing, plot twists, and cliffhangers to keep readers in their seats. Effective thriller writing requires a mastery of suspense and tension and the ability to create complex and morally ambiguous characters.

Western Writing: 

Western writing is set in the American Old West, often featuring cowboys, outlaws, and frontier life. This writing style frequently explores themes of honor, justice, and the struggle between civilization and wilderness. Western writers use vivid descriptions of the rugged landscape and colorful characters to create a sense of place and time. Effective Western writing requires a deep understanding of the historical and cultural context of the American West, as well as the ability to create compelling and archetypal characters.

Young Adult Writing: 

Young adult writing targets readers aged 12-18 and often deals with coming-of-age themes. This writing style usually features teenage protagonists grappling with issues of identity, relationships, and the transition from childhood to adulthood. Young adult writers may write in genres such as fantasy, science fiction, or contemporary realism, using relatable characters and engaging storylines to connect with their audience. Effective young adult writing requires a deep understanding of the concerns and experiences of teenagers, as well as the ability to create authentic and compelling characters and story lines.

In conclusion, this comprehensive guide has provided a detailed exploration of the diverse and fascinating world of writing styles. From the classical to the contemporary, from the informative to the imaginative, each style represents a unique approach to the art of written expression, with its purpose, techniques, and impact on the reader.

Throughout this guide, we have examined the key characteristics and examples of dozens of writing styles, ranging from the concise and precise methods of technical and journalistic writing to the evocative and experimental forms of poetry and absurdist writing. We have also discussed the importance of choosing the appropriate style for your purpose and audience and how the right choice can enhance your work’s clarity, credibility, emotional resonance, and artistic merit.

However, it is essential to remember that mastering these writing styles is not simply memorizing rules and formulas. Instead, it is an ongoing exploration, experimentation, and growth process as you develop your unique voice and perspective as a writer. By studying the works of great authors and practitioners of each style and constantly challenging yourself to try new approaches and techniques, you can continue expanding your writing skills and creativity.

Moreover, in today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, the ability to adapt and innovate with different writing styles has become more critical than ever. With the proliferation of new media platforms and technologies, writers must be able to craft compelling content across a wide range of formats and channels, from social media posts and blog articles to interactive narratives and immersive storytelling experiences. By deeply understanding the various writing styles and their potential applications, you can position yourself at the forefront of this exciting and transformative era in written communication.

As we conclude this definitive guide to writing styles, we encourage you to embrace the richness and diversity of the written word and continue exploring and experimenting with different approaches and techniques in your writing. Whether you are a seasoned professional or a passionate amateur, a poet or a programmer, a journalist or a novelist, the power to express yourself effectively and creatively through writing is one of our greatest gifts and responsibilities as communicators and storytellers. By mastering the art of writing styles, you can enhance your skills and impact as a writer and contribute to the ongoing evolution and vitality of the written word as a medium for human understanding, imagination, and connection.

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About Richard

Richard Everywriter (pen name) has worked for literary magazines and literary websites for the last 25 years. He holds degrees in Writing, Journalism, Technology and Education. Richard has headed many writing workshops and courses, and he has taught writing and literature for the last 20 years.  

In writing and publishing he has worked with independent, small, medium and large publishers for years connecting publishers to authors. He has also worked as a journalist and editor in both magazine, newspaper and trade publications as well as in the medical publishing industry.   Follow him on Twitter, and check out our Submissions page .

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The 4 Main Types of Writing Styles and How to Use Them as a Writer

Understanding the 4 main types of writing styles can help you grow as a writer and attract an audience for your written work. Here’s how to identify each style of writing and tips for using each of the 4 common writing styles to develop your written skills.

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One of the things that can help you grow as a writer is to learn the 4 main types of writing styles and use the characteristics of each to further develop your own personal voice as a writer.

By learning how to use the different writing styles in your work, you will not only improve your skills as writer, but also learn ways to better connect with your audience of readers.

In this post we’ll cover the 4 main types of writing styles and how to use them as a writer to create compelling books, stories, essays, poetry, articles and more.

What are Writing Styles?

Writing styles are basically another way of saying the form or type of written work you are creating. Think of it as a classification for being able to identify what kind of writing you are creating.

For example, if you are writing a cookbook, that is a completely different style of writing than if you were writing a steamy romance novel!

Each writing style has a different purpose – and therefore, different characteristics are present when you are writing each type of different work.

Now that we understand what a writing style is – let’s talk about the 4 main writing styles which are commonly talked about amongst writers and literary educators.

The 4 Main Writing Styles & What They Mean

The four main writing styles which are commonly recognized are expository , descriptive , narrative , and persuasive .

Style #1: Expository

The definition of expository is this: “intended to explain or describe something.”

Most types of written work that fall into this category explain something in more detail, or provide insight and instruction in regards to a particular topic.

What types of writing fall into this category of expository writing style?

While there are many different types of written work which can be categorized as expository style of writing, you can often identify this type of writing by noticing the purpose of the work.

• Does the work intend to explain something in more detail?
• Does the written piece inform?
• Does the written piece answer questions such as “what, how and why?”

Here are some examples of the different types of writing pieces which can fall into the category of expository writing:

• Newspaper and Magazine Articles {not including editorials}
• Non-Fiction Books
• How-To Books
• Self Help Books
• Writing about Hobbies & Interests
• Recipes & Cookbooks
• Instructional Guides
• Scientific Research
• Textbooks & Educational Resources
• Business Articles & Books
• Medical Research, Journals and Articles

When you write expository style pieces, your main goal as a writer is to inform your readers with insight and facts that pertain to the subject of your piece.

For example, if you are writing about the history of ice cream, you would be including a lot of research and fun facts into your piece.

Note that this type of writing style is not intended to persuade or influence your audience. In writing your piece on the history of ice cream, you would NOT be trying to persuade your readers.

You would not want to say things like “Everybody should eat ice cream!” and “These 5 reasons will convince you forever to choose strawberry swirl flavored ice cream as your favorite flavor.”

Sometimes it can be confusing on whether an article is expository or persuasive. For example, an article called “The 5 Unexpected Health Benefits of Ice Cream” – would not fall into expository writing, even though it is providing information.

The word “benefits” has a positive connotation to the title. If you were to be writing an article on possible health benefits on ice cream, it would be very important that you as the writer keep your opinion separated from the facts and information if you plan for it to be an expository style piece. To be expository in nature, you would want to use a title such as “Scientists Research The Health Effects of Ice Cream.”

Books and articles that explain how to do something are also very popular examples of expository writing. Cookbooks are very popular, as they explain to others the tips, techniques, and recipes on how to cook something. How-to books for hobbies and crafts are also a good example of this type of writing.

Style #2: Descriptive Writing

Descriptive writing goes deeper than expository writing. While expository writing might have some descriptive details and factual information, descriptive writing will make use of many writing elements and literary devices such as metaphors and similes.

The purpose and goal of descriptive writing is to bring your reader into the written work as if the reader were to be experiencing it first hand.

Most fictional pieces fall under the category of descriptive writing, and even some non-fiction pieces such as memoirs and creative non-fiction can fall under the category of a descriptive writing style.

If you are writing fiction, the more descriptive you can be with your words, the more relatable your story will be to the reader.

For example, we recommend that writers ask their characters questions as one way to really intimately understand the details about a character. Details about the setting, events, and people present in a story will help your readers be able to imagine and understand the piece.

This style also includes poetry. If you browse through some of our poetry writing prompts , you will see there is a lot of attention put on using details to create a scene or feeling in writing a poem!

Here are some examples of types of descriptive writing pieces:

• Poetry & Prose
• Travel Diaries
• Personal Journals
• Lyrics in Music and Songwriting

Most pieces using only a descriptive writing style are not very long. It is uncommon for a fictional novel to be 100% fully descriptive without getting into our next writing style, which is narrative writing.

Style #3: Narrative Writing

Narrative writing is far more complex that simple descriptive writing.

While a poem for example may describe a scene or even events or people – generally you do not get into the deep inner thoughts of the characters or even get a full story with a clear middle, beginning, and end complete with conflict and dialogue.

Nearly all fiction novels fall into the case of narrative writing, as well as longer epic poems and sagas.

In narrative writing, there is a story to be told – a clear plot complete with setting, characters, dialogue, conflict and resolution. A narrative piece often has a timeline or sequence of events which further build to the point of conflict and resolution.

Here are some examples of the works which would be considered to have a narrative writing style:

• Fiction Novels
• Memoirs & Biographies
• Screenplays
• Myths, Legends, and Fables
• Historical accounts
• Essays which talk about a lesson learned or valuable insight from an experience

Narrative writing pieces are generally easy to identify, although sometimes it can be confused with descriptive writing styles. The key difference in determining which one a written work might be is whether or not there is a developed storyline or plot.

If there is a well developed plot and storyline, you are most likely reading narrative writing.

Style #4: Persuasive Writing

Persuasive writing is a type of writing style where the purpose is to influence someone into believing or doing something. As the word “persuasive” suggests – your goal is to persuade someone’s actions or thoughts to align with your own goals as the writer.

The persuasive writing essay is a popular homework assignment for many kids. For example, a student might be assigned to write an essay to convince their parents of something. “Why We Should Get a Pet Rabbit” and “5 Reasons You Should Not Make Me Clean My Room”.

Persuasive writing is intended to convince someone of something, and so it usually needs to have a good bit of research and logical analysis – but also should attempt to make an emotional connection to the desired audience as well.

A classic piece of writing which serves as an example of persuasive writing is Thomas Paine’s book Common Sense , which was written in the Colonial times of the American Revolutionary War, urging citizens that separating from England was of utmost importance.

Here are some examples of types of writing which are persuasive writing:

• Editorial & Opinion pieces in Newspapers and Magazines
• Essays on a specific belief or “hot button” topic
• Letters written to request an action or file a complaint
• Advertisements {Convincing you to buy something}
• Copywriting {Note, copywriting is different from copyright!}
• Company Brochures
• Business Proposals
• Political speeches

When the intention of the work is to convince the audience of something – this falls into persuasive writing.

How to Use the 4 Main Different Writing Styles as a Writer

Now that we know the different types of writing styles, you may be wondering how do you use each style?

The first thing to do is think about what you are planning to write and what the intention is. What is your goal and what type of message are you trying to communicate to your readers?

Expository Style Writing:

In this type of writing your goal is to inform your readers about research or data.

When writing expository style pieces, follow these guidelines:

• Avoid using words which have a positive or negative connotation
• Do not insert your opinion or attempt to persuade your audience into thinking, feeling, or doing something based on your beliefs
• Use research and cite your sources
• When writing online, link to additional resources or websites
• Use quotes, illustrations or informative graphics to highlight the information
• Give concise and clear directions

Descriptive Writing Style:

This type of writing has the goal to describe something and bring into your reader’s imaginations

Here are some tips for writing with descriptive writing styles:

• Use literary devices such as metaphors and similes.
• Use well thought out adjectives and adverbs to describe nouns and verbs.
• Bring attention to small details
• Use the 6 senses: sight, touch, taste, smell, sound, and feeling

Narrative Writing Style:

In narrative writing style, your goal is to convey a storyline to your readers.

Here is how to achieve this type of writing style:

• Outline a storyline, plot or timeline sequence of events
• Include detailed descriptions of your characters and scenes
• Give your readers insight into the inner thoughts or behind-the-scenes information to elements of your story
• Answer the 6 W questions in your writing: Who, What, When, Where, How, and Why?
• Make it so your piece of work conveys an important lesson or insight – what is the moral of the story? What was the outcome of this experience?
• Use concrete language which gives readers a specific image to visualize and relate to

Persuasive Writing Style:

When you are writing to persuade, your intention is to convince your readers to side with you. This can be as simple as convincing them to buy your latest new product, or even writing about important social and humanitarian issues.

Here are some tips for writing persuasively:

• Include information, data, and facts to back up your argument
• Cite your sources and give readers access to additional information
• Appeal to your readers on an emotional level – how will siding with your opinion connect with them and make them feel?
• Take into consideration your reader’s needs, wants, and desires and how your message will help your reader achieve these.

Understanding Writing Styles Can Help You Be a Better Writer

No matter what type of writing you enjoy creating – understanding the basic main 4 types of writing styles can help you become a better writer.

If you are writing a how-to article for example, you will be able to understand what types of elements to ensure your piece of work includes. If you’re writing a descriptive poem, knowing what type of language to use can help convey your message for abstract concepts.

Use these different writing styles as a fun writing exercise!

Even if you typically only write for one style, it can be a lot of fun to push yourself to try to write for the different types of styles. For example, try writing a persuasive essay, and then a descriptive essay on the same topic. It can also be fun to write a descriptive poem and then turn it into a narrative essay or short story.

Not sure what to write about using these different writing styles? We have TONS of ideas for you with many different writing prompts! Check out our list of 365 writing prompts ideas which are sure to inspire your creative muse!

Using prompts is a great way to help you start writing in different writing styles and push yourself to a new exciting challenge for your writing skills!

I hope this article about the different writing styles and how you can use them as a writer will be helpful for you in building and developing your written skillset.

What types of writing styles do you enjoy writing the most? Have any tips for writing in expository, descriptive, narrative or persuasive styles of writing? We’d love to hear your ideas and experiences in the comments section below!

Chelle Stein wrote her first embarrassingly bad novel at the age of 14 and hasn't stopped writing since. As the founder of ThinkWritten, she enjoys encouraging writers and creatives of all types.

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6 Types of Writing Styles Every Writer Should Know

If you’ve got decent writing skills, you’re armed with the ability to inspire, entertain, persuade, and instruct. You can help others explore an entirely new point of view, immerse readers in an unfamiliar world, and make complicated knowledge more accessible.

No doubt about it. There’s tremendous power in writing. At least, there is if you know how to adapt your technique for the goal you want to achieve.

That’s where writing styles come into play.

You see, the objective that guides your work should always inform the way you write; you’d likely use different words for a business letter than you would for a poem. Your sentence structure, rhythm, and pace would be different, too. 

Those distinctions are what define different types of writing styles. And when you know how to name and categorize those different styles, you’re better prepared to discuss your craft as an author, your assignments as a student, or your qualifications as a professional.

So let’s take a tour of the most common types of writing styles. In this article, you’ll learn all about:

• Narrative writing
• Descriptive writing
• Expository writing
• Persuasive writing
• Technical writing
• Creative writing

You’ll get to know the goals for each one, see a few examples, and even pick up a few tricks for mastering the style.

Before we get into all that, I’d like to clear up one potential point of confusion:

Aren’t You Supposed to Find Your Own Writing Style?

If you spend much time around DabbleU or any place where people love talking about creative writing, you may have heard the term “writing style” referred to as an individual technique, rather than an entire category of written communication.

That’s because the literary world is confusing, and sometimes we use one word for two different things. Like sequel and sequel .

In creative writing, an author’s writing style is their own unique combination of voice , tone , diction , and syntax. It’s the literary fingerprint you develop over time, and you can learn how to do that here .

In this article, however, we’re talking about writing styles as broad categories that indicate what the author wants to achieve and how the piece should be written to achieve that goal.  

Now that we’ve cleared that up, let’s start exploring the six most common types of writing styles.

Narrative Writing

The goal of narrative writing is to tell a story. There’s a main character who confronts a challenge in their pursuit of a goal . The character makes choices that have consequences—good and/or bad—and it all comes to some sort of resolution . 

Most of the time, the purpose of the story is to entertain or connect with the reader on an emotional level. 

However, advertisers can use narrative writing to persuade consumers to buy a product. Historians can use it to highlight the humanity and modern relevance of past events. Speechwriters can tap into their narrative writing skills when they want to energize listeners with an inspiring tale.

This style of writing is so powerful because it engages the reader’s emotions and invites them to imagine unfamiliar experiences.

Narrative Writing Examples 

The most common forms of narrative writing include:

• Short stories
• Flash fiction
• Autobiographies /biographies
• Narrative nonfiction
• Narrative poetry

The goal of narrative writing is to draw the reader into the setting and immerse them in the story. That means this particular style uses dialogue , a lot of descriptive language, a distinctive voice, and a strong point of view. You know, stuff like:

Sam Vimes sighed when he heard the scream, but he finished shaving before he did anything about it. – Night Watch

“‘You are,’ he says, ‘the absolute worst idea I've ever had.’” – Red, White, and Royal Blue

Narrative Writing Tips

To nail narrative writing, you need:

A main character readers will love - This usually means creating a blend of vulnerability , virtue, and flaws .

A compelling conflict - The stakes should be high for your main character, and the conflict should grow more serious as the story progresses.

Vivid sensory details - Strong imagery pulls your readers into the narrative and helps them empathize with your characters’ experiences.

Deeper meaning - Use the narrative to explore deeper themes your audience can connect to.

Descriptive Writing

Descriptive writing aims to help readers imagine an environment, person, or experience. 

While all the other types of writing styles in this article can stand alone, descriptive writing is often used to support other styles.

For example, it comes in handy when you want to describe the setting of a novel. You could also use this style to paint a picture of your neighborhood at rush hour if you were writing a persuasive article about the need for more traffic lights in your town.  

Ultimately, the purpose of descriptive writing is to convey essential information or evoke specific emotions by creating an image in your readers’ minds.

Descriptive Writing Examples

You can find a ton of descriptive writing in fiction, like this:

“...by the time I met her she was already a rather bizarre old woman with shoulders rounded into two gentle humps and with white hair coiled around a sebaceous cyst the size of a pigeon egg crowning her noble head.” –The Stories of Eva Luna

You’ll also see it in nonfiction.

“A fox steps from the woods, its shoulders are bright, its narrow chest is as white as milk. The wild eyes stare at the geese. Daintily it walks to the pond’s edge, calmly it drinks.” – The Ponds  

You see descriptive writing pretty much everywhere description is needed.

Descriptive Writing Tips

Here are some quick suggestions for the next time you need to describe a scene like a pro:

Nail down what you really want to say - What do you want to communicate to your readers? What feelings or actions are you hoping to inspire? Choose words and images that will help create the mood and message you’re going for.

Engage the five senses - Use concrete details to conjure scents, sights, tastes, sounds, and physical sensations for your audience. This is the heart of the “show, don’t tell” rule. If you’re not familiar with it, you can learn about it here .

Stick to essential details - Rather than painting every detail, focus on the images that indicate the overall tone or theme. If you show the reader the morning glories winding up the trellis and offer them the scent of orange blossom on a soft breeze, they’ll fill in the rest of the picture themselves.

Expository Writing

In expository writing, the goal is to share information that’s relevant to the reader in the current context.

That is to say, this writing style is all about the facts: who, what, when, where, and why. 

Entire works can be categorized as expository writing. Textbooks fall under this category. So do news articles.

But you might sometimes hear the term “expository writing” used in relation to fiction, which is confusing, because the entire point of fiction is that it’s not based on fact.

In this context, expository writing—more commonly called “ exposition ”—refers to relevant information that would be considered factual within the world of the story.

More specifically, it’s additional information the reader needs in order to fully understand the narrative. For example, in a novel where the protagonist refuses to fall in love, details about their past heartbreak would count as expository writing.

Expository Writing Examples

This writing style includes things like:

• Instruction manuals
• News stories
• Encyclopedias
• Guides and how-to articles (like this one you’re reading!)

In the context of fiction, this style of writing looks like this:

“In Mallard, you grew up hearing stories about folks who’d pretended to be white. Warren Fontenot, riding a train in the white section, and when a suspicious porter questioned him, speaking enough French to convince him that he was a swarthy European...” – The Vanishing Half

That passage offers insight into the protagonist’s upbringing, shedding light on the way that character processes a situation she’ll wrestle with throughout the entire novel.

Expository Writing Tips

Here are some tricks for making sure your expository writing is clear, engaging, and relevant:

Know your audience - Your goal is to convey essential information, so make sure you speak in a language your readers will understand. This is especially true for textbooks and other educational materials.

Organize information logically - What does your reader need to understand first in order to understand everything else? How can you divulge this information as clearly as possible? If you’re writing fiction, at what point in the story would it be most helpful for your reader to gain this insight?

Stick to what matters - Resist the temptation to share everything you know on a given topic or—in the case of fiction—every little fact you’ve dreamed up. Only share what’s relevant to this reader at this moment.

Persuasive Writing

This is a fun one. In persuasive writing, your goal is to convince the reader of something.

Maybe you want them to take a certain action like buying a product, funding a nonprofit, or calling their representative. Maybe you just want them to see things your way. Whatever your specific objective is, the big idea is that you’re harnessing the power of language to make it happen.

In many cases, persuasive writing calls on several other types of writing styles. Narrative and descriptive writing can stir readers’ emotions, which can sway personal opinions and inspire action. And expository writing can play a persuasive role by providing compelling facts and statistics.

Persuasive Writing Examples

If someone is trying to get someone to act or think a certain way, it’s persuasive writing. That includes:

• Advertising in all its forms
• Cover letters
• Business proposals
• Grant proposals
• Query letters
• Product reviews
• Political speeches

You can even throw a little persuasive writing into your Nobel Prize speech if you want to, like so:

“Why do leaders accept that for children in developing countries, only basic literacy is sufficient, when their own children do homework in algebra, mathematics, science, and physics? Leaders must seize this opportunity to guarantee a free, quality, primary and secondary education for every child. Some will say this is impractical, or too expensive, or too hard. Or maybe even impossible. But it is time the world thinks bigger.” –Malala Yousafzai

Persuasive Writing Tips

Want to get your readers to do your bid—I mean, see things your way? Here are some tips for nailing a persuasive piece:

Empathize - Know your audience, including their dreams, fears, frustrations, and values. This allows you to meet them where they are and speak to their priorities.

Help them empathize with you - This is where those narrative and descriptive writing skills pay off. Paint a clear picture of your own experiences, challenges, fears, or visions for the future. Make it easy for your audience to see things from your perspective.

Provide supporting evidence - Emotional appeal is the secret to snagging your reader’s attention, but facts and figures will help them feel better about taking your side.

Technical Writing

Ready for the driest writing style on this list?

That’s not entirely fair. Technical writing can be fun. But it’s usually not. Fun is not the goal here. The only function of technical writing is to translate specialized knowledge into information that’s clear and accessible to the reader. 

User guides, company handbooks, case studies… these are all forms of technical writing.

In this particular style, there’s no need to spark emotion—in fact, that could hurt your goal of translating complex information. Technical writers rarely seek to convey a specific tone or write in an engaging voice. It’s just clear, direct instruction.

Technical Writing Examples

A lot of technical writing looks like this:

“From the Start Menu, open the Control Panel and select Sound.” –the Samson Q2U manual sitting on my desk

But it’s not all step-by-step instructions. Within this writing style, you’ll also find:

• E-learning content
• Case studies
• Academic writing
• Training manuals
• Corporate handbooks
• Corporate memos

…and pretty much anything else that demystifies techspeak or corporatespeak into something the average person can understand.

Technical Writing Tips

If you want to master this particular writing style, start with these tips:

Know your reader - The entire point of technical writing is to create clarity for your audience. So it’s essential that you understand what their current level of expertise is. That way, you won’t talk down to them or over their heads.

Use direct, precise language - Don’t worry about making it sound lovely. Fancy words and figurative language will only cloud your meaning.

Structure information logically - Think carefully about how you lay out knowledge. What details does your reader need to understand in order to make sense of the rest of the information?

Creative Writing

Creative writing is a massive category. It includes all work that emphasizes creativity and personal expression rather than conveying objective information.

Under the vast umbrella of creative writing, we have fiction, creative nonfiction , and poetry. Each of those categories includes multiple forms and genres. 

For example, novels, short stories, novellas, flash fiction, plays, and screenplays all fall under the heading of fiction. Within each of those sub-categories there are genres like science fiction and romance . 

There are even sub genres, but if you really want to get into all that, you can learn about it here .

All this to say, the term “creative writing” encompasses a lot . But, really, it all comes down to using words to communicate our subjective interpretations of what it means to be human.

Creative writing includes stuff like:

• Screenplays
• Personal essays
• Travel writing
• Nature writing

Because this writing style is all about experimenting with words to discuss abstract concepts like love and grief, creative writers tend to use a lot of literary devices and figurative language in their work. That results in engaging work like this:

“Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendía was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice.” – One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez

“You do not have to be good.

You do not have to walk on your knees

for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.

You only have to let the soft animal of your body

love what it loves.” 

–”Wild Geese”

Creative Writing Tips

You can find just about all the creative writing tips you could possibly want in DabbleU . There are hundreds of articles in there, covering everything from choosing your story structure to avoiding purple prose .

But if you want a few quick tips before you browse DabbleU, here are some big ones:

Immerse the reader in your world - This is where that old “show, don’t tell” advice comes in handy. Whether you’re writing a fantasy novel , a personal essay, or a haiku, include specific, concrete details that help your audience disappear inside your universe.

Explore a theme - Even a whodunit written purely for funsies has something to say… about human nature, about trust, about the importance of small details. What’s the underlying message of your piece?

Find your voice - What unique perspective do you bring to your writing? What tone do you slip into naturally when you write? What type of diction do you tend to use? Work to find your voice, and you’ll be able to craft creative prose that is distinctly your own.

Master Your Writing Style

I hope this little romp through writing styles has given you enough clarity to feel like you can discuss each style like a pro. Or at least like an informed beginner.

Of course, as you may have guessed, there’s a lot more to learn. And if it’s creative writing you want to learn about, stick with us.

Not only are there hundreds of free articles available in DabbleU, but you can also have advice and inspiration sent directly to your inbox once a week! All you have to do is click here to sign up for our free newsletter—loads of knowledge, zero spam.

And, of course, a lot of style.

Abi Wurdeman is the author of Cross-Section of a Human Heart: A Memoir of Early Adulthood, as well as the novella, Holiday Gifts for Insufferable People. She also writes for film and television with her brother and writing partner, Phil Wurdeman. On occasion, Abi pretends to be a poet. One of her poems is (legally) stamped into a sidewalk in Santa Clarita, California. When she’s not writing, Abi is most likely hiking, reading, or texting her mother pictures of her houseplants to ask why they look like that.

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Earning A Master’s In Creative Writing: What To Know

Updated: Nov 1, 2023, 1:51pm

Do you want to create written work that ignites a reader’s imagination and even changes their worldview? With a master’s in creative writing, you can develop strong storytelling and character development skills, equipping you to achieve your writing goals.

If you’re ready to strengthen your writing chops and you enjoy writing original works to inspire others, tell interesting stories and share valuable information, earning a master’s in creative writing may be the next step on your career journey.

The skills learned in a creative writing master’s program qualify you to write your own literary works, teach others creative writing principles or pursue various other careers.

This article explores master’s degrees in creative writing, including common courses and concentrations, admission requirements and careers that use creative writing skills. Read on to learn more about earning a master’s degree in creative writing.

Why You Can Trust Forbes Advisor Education

Forbes Advisor’s education editors are committed to producing unbiased rankings and informative articles covering online colleges, tech bootcamps and career paths. Our ranking methodologies use data from the National Center for Education Statistics , education providers, and reputable educational and professional organizations. An advisory board of educators and other subject matter experts reviews and verifies our content to bring you trustworthy, up-to-date information. Advertisers do not influence our rankings or editorial content.

• 6,290 accredited, nonprofit colleges and universities analyzed nationwide
• 52 reputable tech bootcamp providers evaluated for our rankings
• All content is fact-checked and updated on an annual basis
• Rankings undergo five rounds of fact-checking
• Only 7.12% of all colleges, universities and bootcamp providers we consider are awarded

What Is a Master’s in Creative Writing?

A master’s in creative writing is an advanced degree that helps you develop the skills to write your own novel, poetry, screenplay or nonfiction book. This degree can also prepare you for a career in business, publishing, education, marketing or communications.

In a creative writing master’s degree program, you can expect to analyze literature, explore historical contexts of literary works, master techniques for revising and editing, engage in class workshops and peer critiques, and write your own original work.

Creative writing master’s programs usually require a thesis project, which should be well-written, polished and ready to publish. Typical examples of thesis projects include poetry collections, memoirs, essay collections, short story collections and novels.

A master’s in creative writing typically requires about 36 credits and takes two years to complete. Credit requirements and timelines vary by program, so you may be able to finish your degree quicker.

Specializations for a Master’s in Creative Writing

Below are a few common concentrations for creative writing master’s programs. These vary by school, so your program’s offerings may look different.

This concentration helps you develop fiction writing skills, such as plot development, character creation and world-building. A fiction concentration is a good option if you plan to write short stories, novels or other types of fiction.

A nonfiction concentration focuses on the mechanics of writing nonfiction narratives. If you plan to write memoirs, travel pieces, magazine articles, technical documents or nonfiction books, this concentration may suit you.

Explore the imagery, tone, rhythm and structure of poetry with a poetry concentration. With this concentration, you can expect to develop your poetry writing skills and learn to curate poetry for journals and magazines.

Screenwriting

Screenwriting is an excellent concentration to explore if you enjoy creating characters and telling stories to make them come alive for television or film. This specialization covers how to write shorts, episodic serials, documentaries and feature-length film scripts.

Admission Requirements for a Master’s in Creative Writing

Below are some typical admission requirements for master’s in creative writing degree programs. These requirements vary, so check with your program to ensure you’ve met the appropriate requirements.

• Application for admission
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution
• Transcripts from previous education
• Writing samples
• Letters of recommendation
• Personal statement or essay

Common Courses in a Master’s in Creative Writing

Story and concept.

This course focuses on conceptualizing, planning and developing stories on a structural level. Learners study how to generate ideas, develop interesting plots, create outlines, draft plot arcs, engage in world-building and create well-rounded characters who move their stories forward.

Graduate Studies in English Literature

Understanding literature is essential to building a career in creative writing. This course prepares you to teach, study literature or write professionally. Expect to discuss topics such as phonology, semantics, dialects, syntax and the history of the English language.

Workshop in Creative Nonfiction

You’ll study classic and contemporary creative nonfiction in this course. Workshops in creative nonfiction explore how different genres have emerged throughout history and how previous works influence new works. In some programs, this course focuses on a specific theme.

Foundations in Fiction

In this course, you’ll explore how the novel has developed throughout literary history and how the short story emerged as an art form. Coursework includes reading classic and contemporary works, writing response essays and crafting critical analyses.

MA in Creative Writing vs. MFA in Creative Writing: What’s the Difference?

While the degrees are similar, a master of arts in creative writing is different from a master of fine arts in creative writing. An MA in creative writing teaches creative writing competencies, building analytical skills through studying literature, literary theory and related topics. This lets you explore storytelling along with a more profound knowledge of literature and literary theory.

If you want your education to take a more academic perspective so you can build a career in one of many fields related to writing, an MA in creative writing may be right for you.

An MFA prepares you to work as a professional writer or novelist. MFA students graduate with a completed manuscript that is ready for publishing. Coursework highlights subjects related to the business of writing, such as digital publishing, the importance of building a platform on social media , marketing, freelancing and teaching. An MA in creative writing also takes less time and requires fewer credits than an MFA.

If you want to understand the business of writing and work as a professional author or novelist, earning an MFA in creative writing might be your best option.

What Can You Do With a Master’s in Creative Writing?

Below are several careers you can pursue with a master’s in creative writing. We sourced salary data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Postsecondary Creative Writing Teacher

Median Annual Salary: $74,280 Minimum Required Education: Ph.D. or another doctoral degree; master’s degree may be accepted at some schools and community colleges Job Overview: Postsecondary teachers, also known as professors or faculty, teach students at the college level. They plan lessons, advise students, serve on committees, conduct research, publish original research, supervise graduate teaching assistants, apply for grants for their research and teach subjects in their areas of expertise.

Median Annual Salary: $73,080 Minimum Required Education: Bachelor’s degree in English or a related field Job Overview: Editors plan, revise and edit written materials for publication. They work for newspapers, magazines, book publishers, advertising agencies, media networks, and motion picture and video production companies. Editors work closely with writers to ensure their written work is accurate, grammatically correct and written in the appropriate style for the medium.

Median Annual Salary: $55,960 Minimum Required Education: Bachelor’s degree in journalism or a related field Job Overview: Journalists research and write stories about local, regional, national and global current events and other newsworthy subjects. Journalists need strong interviewing, editing, analytical and writing skills. Some journalists specialize in a subject, such as sports or politics, and some are generalists. They work for news organizations, magazines and online publications, and some work as freelancers.

Writer or Author

Median Annual Salary: $73,150 Minimum Required Education: None; bachelor’s degree in creative writing or a related field sometimes preferred Job Overview: Writers and authors write fiction or nonfiction content for magazines, plays, blogs, books, television scripts and other forms of media. Novelists, biographers, copywriters, screenwriters and playwrights all fall into this job classification. Writers may work for advertising agencies, news platforms, book publishers and other organizations; some work as freelancers.

Technical Writer

Median Annual Salary: $79,960 Minimum Required Education: Bachelor’s degree Job Overview: Technical writers craft technical documents, such as training manuals and how-to guides. They are adept at simplifying technical information so lay people can easily understand it. Technical writers may work with technical staff, graphic designers, computer support specialists and software developers to create user-friendly finished pieces.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About a Master's in Creative Writing

Is a master’s in creative writing useful.

If your goal is to launch a career as a writer, then yes, a master’s in creative writing is useful. An MA in creative writing is a versatile degree that prepares you for various jobs requiring excellent writing skills.

Is an MFA better than an MA for creative writing?

One is not better than the other; you should choose the one that best equips you for the career you want. An MFA prepares you to build a career as a professional writer or novelist. An MA prepares you for various jobs demanding high-level writing skills.

What kind of jobs can you get with a creative writing degree?

A creative writing degree prepares you for many types of writing jobs. It helps you build your skills and gain expertise to work as an editor, writer, author, technical writer or journalist. This degree is also essential if you plan to teach writing classes at the college level.

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Sheryl Grey is a freelance writer who specializes in creating content related to education, aging and senior living, and real estate. She is also a copywriter who helps businesses grow through expert website copywriting, branding and content creation. Sheryl holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications from Indiana University South Bend, and she received her teacher certification training through Bethel University’s Transition to Teaching program.

Fyodor Dostoevsky

A short biography of fyodor dostoyevsky, fyodor dostoyevsky’s writing career, early writing, fiction career, another wave of failure, political involvement and mock execution, impact of prison, return to europe, dostoyevsky’s masterpieces, fyodor dostoyevsky’s writing style, psychological aspects.

Dostoyevsky’s works have more psychological struggles than physical ones. His narrator penetrates deep into the minds of the characters revealing their full inner and outer personalities. Whenever he expresses the mental level of a character, his narration becomes the same as the character’s class and psyche.

Unreliable Protagonists

Likewise “Crime and Punishment” and “The Legend of the Great Inquisitor” can be regarded as works of satire. In this way, satire makes the center of Dostoyevsky’s writings. These create ironic representations of the point that he wants to convey through his characters.

Gothic Elements

Time and space, representation of the disintegrated age, combination of various forms in a single unity, themes in fyodor dostoyevsky’s writings, depiction of suicide.

There is a stark depiction of the feelings and actions of suicide in Dostoyevsky’s literary works. It is because of the contemporary situation in Russia. The era of 1860-1880 was nearly n epidemic era for suicides in Russia. Therefore, many writers depicted it in their writings.

Autobiographical Elements

Religious themes, works of fyodor dostoevsky.

Writing Creatively to Make Sense of the Times We Live In

Journalist katrin schumann talks about why she writes fiction..

Updated July 12, 2024 | Reviewed by Davia Sills

• Studies show that the act of all kinds of writing hones our reflective abilities.
• Creative writing stretches our imagination, increases emotional resilience, and alleviates stress.
• Writers of nonfiction examine complex issues that are relevant to our times.
• Novelists examine the issues using characters as a vehicle for empathy.

Studies show that the act of writing hones our reflective abilities, stretches our imagination , increases emotional resilience , and alleviates stress . In my conversation with journalist-turned-novelist Katrin Schumann, we discuss how creative writing, in particular, is a worthy pursuit to understand the issues of our time. Schumann is the author of the nonfiction books Mothers Need Time Outs Too and The Secret Life of Middle Children, as well as the novels The Forgotten Hours and This Terrible Beauty .

You’re a trained journalist and the author of nonfiction books. Why, in the last few years, have you focused on writing fiction?

Writing nonfiction has been a way for me to examine complex issues that are relevant to our times, including psychological ones, but I’ve found that in recent years, I’ve been drawn to fiction because it allows me to get closer to the subject. In exploring thorny issues like loyalty and trust or co-dependency , I’m able to do more of a deep dive in fiction. The form allows me to sit with the complexities, to live in the gray areas with my characters.

I can’t always do this with nonfiction, where I’m approaching the topic from a specific angle, seeking solutions. In fiction, I have space to explore nuances that fascinate and confuse me and try to make sense of the inevitable contradictions. It’s messier and more delicate than nonfiction. For me, this feels more true to the human experience.

All writing involves deep reflection. Do you find the act of writing fiction to be a different kind of therapy?

Yes. Spending years creating characters and situations that grapple with serious, real-world problems lets me explore my own difficult experiences. For instance, I’d been wrestling with the aftermath of dealing with a narcissist when I started writing my first novel. By fictionalizing those challenges, I was able to find the courage to linger in the dark areas, examining them from all angles in order to find where the light might get in.

I discovered greater empathy and resilience in myself while also being able to acknowledge the trauma I’d been through. It’s using my imagination, combined with researching some very real and current psychological challenges, that ultimately feels most powerful to me and an effective way to reach readers.

How does fictionalizing the story give you more latitude or depth in exploring topics? You write about things like self-reliance and depression, and I’m wondering why not just write articles about it.

I write to figure out my own issues and to learn, but also to share. For me, fiction writing makes me work harder and go deeper. I’m trying to change people’s minds and hearts in subtler ways. I’m reflecting on experiences I’ve had, wrestling with what they mean, and how we can all learn from them and come out the better for it.

Yet, I don’t want to be prescriptive; I want people to draw their own conclusions. I research deeply about whatever topic I’m tackling.

To write my last novel, I studied the history of neuropsychology, dissecting studies on substance abuse . I conducted interviews. For all my books, I gather and study facts and figures, but with novels, I take that a step further. I put those facts and figures into play with my imagined characters to explore what happens. I imbue the impersonal with empathy and allow readers to try to figure out how they feel about how the characters contend with the issue. This approach leads me to meaningful personal discoveries while also taking the reader along on the emotional journey.

How do you decide whether to approach a topic in a nonfiction book or in a novel?

The more I’m personally involved with the topic, the more I want to explore it in fictional form. Ironically, for fiction, I feel like I should have an even better understanding of some of these psychological challenges than if I were covering them through straight nonfiction reportage. I first have to understand the topic and its history so my story is not only realistic but feels authentic.

I want readers to trust me, which means I have to be thorough. It’s my aim to take them on a ride that’s compelling as well as informative. And I love learning something new when I’m immersed in researching and writing fiction.

If writing fiction is about wrestling with your own demons, why not simply journal?

Journaling is, without question, a beneficial reflective activity. Yet what differentiates this kind of work from journaling about our problems or writing blog posts is that novelists are committing more time and energy to the deep dive on a specific topic. My last novel took almost three years to write, and during that time, I was reading everything I could get my hands on about the topic in order to distill it so that readers might find it relevant to their own lives.

At that stage, it’s not really about me anymore; it’s about the human condition. And in the end, that’s what readers relate to, I think. It’s what makes them call their friends and say, “I just finished this great book. You’ve got to read it.”

More about Katrin Schumann 's work

Lynne Griffin, R.N., M.Ed. , researches family life and is a novelist.

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Write Like It’s Going Out of Style: How Embracing My Passion Helped My Practice

Dec 07, 2021

• Creative writing will make you calmer.
• Creative writing will increase your empathy.
• Creative writing will make you happy.

It’s 7:30 a.m., with one school drop-off complete. I power up my tablet and start writing. But my morning is not for briefs, memos, or emails, but rather my “morning pages.” Whether I’m working on my next screenplay, that pesky, never-complete novel, or that how-to book that I never get to, the quiet morning is for creative writing, not work.

This exercise does wonders for my mind-set and jump-starts my day. Plus, it makes me a more interesting person (or so I think). To have goals outside of work is not a mere exercise in self-care. It’s also self-preservation. But it also has an added, surprising benefit: It’s great practice for my practice.

As litigators, many of us read and write all day long. I have met many litigators who admit that they haven’t read a book in years because they read for a living. I too am not the best at “leisure reading,” often catching myself thinking that I should be reading an article on employment law or the docket before the Supreme Court instead of getting lost in turn-of-the-century Paris.

Writing, for me, has always been different. Like riding a bike in the city, you have to be present while writing. The exercise requires focus. You likely won’t drift off while writing as you might with a hardback at the end of a hard day. With writing, you are not consuming; you are creating. While writing is just one way to create, it is one very familiar to the typical litigator. For this reason, it is approachable, possible, and achievable as a hobby. If you haven’t tried it, I encourage you to pick up a pen or a laptop.

Here are three reasons why everyone should try creative writing:

1. Creative Writing Will Make You Calmer

Have you ever felt like you were walking in a minefield? Yes, I’ve cite-checked, too. Litigators are necessarily worried over the details. We want perfection, and our clients expect us to get close. But creative writing is not about being flawless or even correct. It is about truth and vulnerability. Once you start writing with those goals, your writing will take on a new dimension. While it might not transfer to your brief, it will show up in your practice. Like every litigator, I have heard “I wish we were meeting under better circumstances” more than a few times in my career. Let the calm, forgiving nature of creative writing wash upon your clients! Am I being too dramatic? Sue me.

2. Creative Writing Will Increase Your Empathy

Empathetic people are good for business. After all, clients want to feel that their attorney cares about them. Empathetic people also come across well to judges, opposing counsel, and colleagues. Regardless of what that one sad, angry attorney told you back in your clerkship years, it’s not a great look to be a bulldog when your clients should be settling their case. We all know those attorneys, and we never refer business to them.

Creative writing will make you more empathetic. Perhaps you are exploring a character who is nothing like you. She’s not particularly intelligent and suffers a humiliating rejection in the most romantic of places. You have this idea—a shell of a person—but you need to explore her experiences, perspective, and motivations. By going through this exercise with each character, you pull from your circle of friends, family, and even acquaintances. You imagine how that person would react to that conflict. How often do you do this in real life? Not a lot. Even before social distancing, human beings weren’t wired to walk around in strangers’ shoes. By living with your characters, you get your steps in.

3. Creative Writing Will Make You Happy

Writing can feel selfish. I could spend those ten minutes that I put toward my morning pages in ways that directly affect others. I could chat with my husband, order Christmas presents, catch up on emails, call an old friend, or do dishes (anyone notice all the dishes these days?). But writing makes me happy. It’s also comforting. As your characters develop, you look forward to seeing them again.

Lawyers aren’t known for being happy. Perhaps it’s the nature of the job, or maybe it’s just the invention of the cell phone, but we are a salty bunch. You can’t discount the psychological impact of nerves, either. People call us when they are nervous, and we ingest their nerves and process them as if they were our own. While that visual is less-than-appealing, here’s one that is:

She was sitting on a beach, quietly sipping her margarita. The sun beat down on her itchy straw hat, which was less for protection that it was for show. A chunk of salt fell to the sand. Camouflaged, hidden. I wish, she thought. Just then, a shadow appeared to her left. The lump—the manifestation of her humiliation—appeared. She choked on lime juice. But it was not him. The old woman smiled. “I have something to tell you. You are just like me, and you will be just fine.”

Emily Farr is Legal Counsel, People, for Trustly, Inc., an open banking technology designed to let customers easily pay across any device online via a VerifiedACH™ platform. Employee advises Trustly's People Team, working to...

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Home > Blog > 7 Best Copysmith Alternatives & Competitors (2023)

7 Best Copysmith Alternatives & Competitors (2023)

• Smodin Editorial Team
• Updated: July 14, 2024
• General Guide About Content and Writing

This post covers 7 best Copysmith alternatives & competitors, including writing tools better suited for teachers, students, researchers, content re-phrasing, AI detection, and more.

Copysmith is an AI-powered content generation tool that’s aimed exclusively at marketing writers and SEO writers, offering features such as:

• Product descriptions
• Bulk content generation
• eCommerce store integrations (such as a Shopify integration)
• AI image generation

But Copysmith is not going to be the right tool for everyone. Below, we review 7 of the best Copysmith alternatives available and sort them by use case.

• Smodin – Best Overall
• Jasper – Good Alternative for Marketing Teams
• ProwritingAid – Good for Long-Form Content
• Writesonic – Good for Ad Writing
• Smart Copy – Good for Copywriting
• Hemingway – Good for Style and Tone Edits
• Rytr – Good for Marketing Writing

*Note : At the time of this writing, Copysmith is turning into Describerly, so some of the specifics of what they offer may have changed.

1. Smodin – Best Overall

Smodin is an all-in-one AI-powered writing tool. It’s our choice for the best Copysmith alternative, as it can be used by all types of writers – from marketers and blog writers to students, teachers, and other professional writers.

Get started with Smodin for free . Or keep reading to learn about Smodin’s key features, including:

• AI Essay Grader
• AI Article Generator
• AI Essay Writer
• Rewriter/Paraphraser
• Plagiarism Checker
• AI Content Detector

Here’s a quick overview of how the AI Grader works.

First, customize your AI Grader settings . Pick whether you want to grade the essay with Standard AI or Advanced AI. For the most detailed feedback, stick with advanced AI. You can grade essays in English and dozens of other languages.

Then, assign your rubric. You can pick default criteria from Smodin, like “analytical thinking” and “clarity,” or upload your own. Our AI grader will evaluate the essay based on this rubric.

Once that’s done, upload the essay, and Smodin will grade it. In seconds, Smodin analyzes your content based on the rubric. Then, your content gets a letter grade. Again, imagine using this as a student to see your essay’s score before sending it to your teacher.

The AI easy grader makes it easy to make changes to your essay. The rationale behind your paper’s grade is broken down on the left side of the screen. This rationale explains how your essay performed in light of your defined criteria.

Use AI to grade your writing today

You can use Smodin to write articles for you. This feature is perfect for students but also bloggers, web marketers, and content writers.

You can choose the language you want your article written in, the title or keywords (if you want your content to rank for a specific keyword, then use that keyword), how long your article should be, and whether it needs an image and a conclusion.

Smodin will propose an article outline, showing you all the main sections and subsections of the article. You can edit this outline to customize the approach to your strategy/needs.

Once you click “Generate Article,” Smodin will write the entire article for you in seconds.

You can then:

• Edit the article
• Request revisions
• Or accept the article as written

Try our AI Article Writer for free

Smodin produces 20,000 high-quality essays each day.

With Smodin’s AI essay writer, you get:

• An AI research assistant : Our advanced AI algorithm lets you find relevant sources for any sentence or text. This is perfect for research papers and academic writing.
• Structured text: Our AI tools work together to create a logical flow and coherent argument in your essay. This will help your essay read better and will improve your chances of a good score when it comes to “clarity,” “structure,” and “critical thinking.” These are all key aspects of any essay grading rubric.
• Different essay types : You can have Smodin write a descriptive essay, persuasive essay, expository essay, argumentative essay, compare and construct essay, and narrative essay.

You can try it out for free by entering 5 words describing your topic.

For example, here’s what it looks like to have Smodin write an essay on France’s involvement in the American Revolution.

We suggested the title “France’s Role in the American Revolution.” Smodin recommended changing the title to the much more engaging “France’s Crucial Role in the American Revolution.”

It’s a much better title that also helps structure the piece. Now, the essay is about how France played a key role in the revolution .

Then, Smodin proposes an outline.

You can change the outline if necessary. If no changes are necessary, click “Generate Essay.”

Note: The essay workflow above is part of our free plan. Smodin can generate longer and more detailed essays (including cited sources) when you upgrade your account .

Smodin AI Rewriter

Copysmith doesn’t have a rewriter tool, making Smodin’s AI rewriter a good option if you want to re-write/paraphrase existing content. Re-writing is great for bloggers, students, and other writers who are working with many different content types and struggle to put things “in their own words.”

It’s also a great way to avoid AI detection and plagiarism.

Just paste the content you want to rewrite, then let Smodin’s rewriter do the work.

Smodin turns your existing content into new, original content that retains the original version’s meaning.

Plus, Smodin makes it easy to confirm that the new content isn’t accidentally plagiarized.

Click here to start rewriting

Smodin’s plagiarism checker is another tool that Smodin has that Copysmith does not.

Sometimes, writers plagiarize intentionally; other times, it’s accidental. Either way, it’s never permitted, and you must ensure your content is plagiarism-free before submitting it – whether as a student or a professional writer.

Just paste or upload the text you want to check to check for plagiarism. Smodin will scan online files and databases for similar/exact content.

If it finds plagiarized content, Smodin lists the sources of where that content has been published before.

This is perfect for:

• Students who have written a paper but have forgotten where they sourced a quote.
• Teachers and academic institutions that need to check for plagiarism

Click here to check for plagiarism

Smodin can also check for AI-written content. It’s easy to do and very accurate.

Here’s a paragraph we asked ChatGPT to write.

We then put that paragraph in our AI detection tool.

And voila, it’s correctly graded at 100% likely to be written by AI.

Click here to start using the AI Detector

The above is a partial list of what makes Smodin such a good Copysmith alternative. You can also use Smodin to generate:

• Story scripts
• Recommendation letters
• Reference letters
• Personal bios
• Research papers
• Title and headline generators

Start using Smodin to elevate your writing .

2. Jasper – Good for Marketers

JasperAI is a good Copysmith alternative if your focus is only marketing writing.

Jasper is a versatile marketing writer – it can be used across all marketing strategies. Marketers can use Jasper to write blog posts, product descriptions, and professional emails.

Plus, Jasper can integrate with GPT-3.

Here’s a non-exhaustive list of what you can get from Jasper:

• AI-powered copywriting
• AI-led content strategy
• AI blog writing
• AI-powered SEO

But JasperAI can be too expensive for some writers . Pricing plans start at $39 per month (when you pay month to month). This entry-level pricing plan is for individuals. You’ll need to spend more if you’re part of a team.

At the time of this writing, Jasper has over 1800 reviews with an average star rating of 4.8/5.

Read Jasper reviews here

3. ProwritingAid – Good for Creative Writers

ProWritingAid is an all-in-one AI writing tool.

With ProWritingAid, you can check grammar/spelling, evaluate your style, and see detailed reports about your piece’s structure and overall readability.

ProWritingAid has helpful features for:

• Creative writers
• Professional (non-creative) writers
• Higher education
• Tools for non-native English speakers

ProWritingAid can do a lot of in-depth, comprehensive analysis. Think of It as a pro-level tool for very serious writers. It’s also popular in the creative writing community, championed by short story writers and novelists who want to edit/revise their manuscripts.

However, its features can be overwhelming and overkill for some writers. For example, if you’re working mainly with blogs or just need to grade your essays, ProWritingAid will come with many unnecessary features.

It also doesn’t have a reputation for being ideal for marketing writing and SEO writing.

At the time of this writing, ProWritingAid has over 430 reviews with an average star rating of 4.6/5.

Read ProWritingAid reviews here

4. Writesonic – Good for Copywriting

Writesonic is an AI content creation platform. It’s used primarily by marketers. Specifically those who want to write ad copy. But Writesonic can also help writers brainstorm blog post ideas and generate product descriptions.

These are some of Writesonic’s core features:

• AI writing : Writesonic has an AI article writer, a paraphrasing tool, a summarizing tool, and more. These templates help you use AI to create relevant and engaging content.
• Chatsonic : Writesonic’s chat tool is an alternative to ChatGPT. You can use it to converse, integrate with Google Search, chat with PDF, and create AI images.
• Botsonic : You can use Botsonic for no-code chatbot creation. This means you can create sophisticated chatbots without any coding experience.
• AI Art Generator : You can use Writesonic to detail what kind of images you want – and in what style – and Writesonic will use AI-powered technology to create those images.
• Audiosonic : You can use Writesonic to help diversify your content – by using text-to-speech AI tools. Now, your text-based content can be transformed into podcasts and more.

At this time, Writesonic has over 1800 reviews with an average star rating of 4.8/5.

Read Writesonic review here

5. Smart Copy – Good for Ad Copy

Smart Copy is an AI writing tool from Unbounce.

You can use Smart Copy to:

• Create landing pages : You can use Smart Copy’s Classic Builder, which is a drag-and-drop landing page builder that lets you customize and control nearly every aspect of your design. You can also use Smart Copy’s Smart Builder, which uses a combination of AI and Unbounce’s landing page experience to build a landing page for you quickly.
• Write copy : You can use Smart Copy as a writing tool, which can help eliminate writers’ block, save time, and write a lot more copy.
• Optimize traffic : You can use Smart Copy to optimize your traffic. This means you can use an AI-powered conversion optimization tool to direct traffic to the best landing page for them.

At the time of this writing, Unbounce’s Smart Copy has only 1 review with a star rating of 5/5

6. Hemingway – Best to Improve Style

Unlike the other tools we discussed above as Copysmith alternatives, the Hemingway Editor is a free tool that tries to improve content readability. So it’s not a tool that can generate content for you, but can improve your content.

To use the free app, paste your content into the Hemingway Editor. Immediately (see the image above), Hemingway highlights lengthy, complex sentences, unnecessary adverbs, and passive voice.

Your score gets a readability grade, so you can see if it’s “hard to read” or not. This means you can use Hemingway in tandem with all of the tools we cover in this post. And because it’s free, you don’t need to worry about adding more money to your content production budget.

Plus, you can easily publish content from the app to WordPress or Medium.

But writers should keep in mind that:

• The edits are just suggestions : Hemingway tells you the quantitative facts about the content — how long it is, how many adverbs, whether it’s passive voice, etc. It doesn’t tell you if it’s good, clear or engaging. If you go through and make changes based on Hemingway, your content might become incomprehensible. Plus, by definition, edits Hemingway suggests will almost always shorten your content, which could hurt if you have word count requirements.
• It won’t help you write more content: Hemingway can be useful for a skilled writer who wants to refine/improve their writing. But if you’re struggling to write an essay or article, it won’t help.

At the time of this writing, Hemingway has 11 reviews with an average star of rating of 4.4 out of 5

Read all of Hemingway’s reviews here

7. Rytr – Good for Marketing Writing

Ryter is an AI writing assistant that you can use for several different use cases, such as:

• Blog idea outlines : Come up with good ideas for your next blog posts with Rytr
• Blow writing : Once you have your idea, you can use Rytr to write the blog post itself.
• Create a brand name : Describe your business and let Rytr develop creative and catchy names for your brand or business.
• Create a business pitch : You can use Rytr to simplify your ideas into one compelling, coherent elevator-style business pitch.
• Generate catchy call to actions : You can use Rytr to come up with CTAs, which you can then test to see which ones are more likely to convert.

In nearly all of these use cases, you can pick the language, style, and tone of the writing. That way, Ryter’s content fits nicely within your brand and voice.

At the time of this writing, Rytr has over 15 reviews with a rating of 4.6 out of 5.

Read all of Ryter’s reviews here

Next Step: Choosing the Best Copysmith Alternative for You

Above, we looked at several different types of Copysmith alternatives. We looked at tools that can help you a) produce more content, b) write better content, and c) evaluate content (such as grading it, checking for plagiarism, and checking for AI).

The next steps are to try these different tools and see which one works best for you.

A good place to start is with Smodin is an all-in-one AI-powered writing tool. It’s our choice for the best Copysmith alternative, as it can be used by all types of writers – from marketers and blog writers to students, teachers, and other professional writers.

Get started with Smodin for free . Or click below on the feature you’re most interested in:

8 Best universities for Creative Writing in Moscow, Russia

Updated: February 29, 2024

• Art & Design
• Computer Science
• Engineering
• Environmental Science
• Liberal Arts & Social Sciences
• Mathematics

Below is a list of best universities in Moscow ranked based on their research performance in Creative Writing. A graph of 1.73K citations received by 1.77K academic papers made by 8 universities in Moscow was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.

We don't distinguish between undergraduate and graduate programs nor do we adjust for current majors offered. You can find information about granted degrees on a university page but always double-check with the university website.

Please note that our approach to subject rankings is based on scientific outputs and heavily biased on art-related topics towards institutions with computer science research profiles.

1. National Research University Higher School of Economics

For Creative Writing

2. Moscow State University

3. Russian State University for the Humanities

4. RUDN University

5. Moscow State Pedagogical University

6. Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration

7. Moscow State Linguistic University

8. Moscow State Institute of International Relations

Universities for Creative Writing near Moscow

Art & Design subfields in Moscow