Writer Wordart (Photo credit: MarkGregory007)
Last time we looked at different writing styles in the physical sense; longhand vs. mechanical vs. computer, and the advantages of each. Today, let’s look at choosing a style that suits the story, essay, poem, etc. that we’ve decided to write.
Each writer has a personal style of writing. It might be fluid and easy of speech, formal and more staid in delivery, or anything in between. It is the natural way that the writer thinks and expresses those thoughts. How that personal style translates into specific genre or subject is the focus for this discussion. Think of it as a brief summary of writing to the niche.
If you’ve been writing for any length of time, you know that each time you begin putting words to paper is different than the last. Your emotional state has changed since your previous project, the subject matter is something that you’re either not too comfortable with or one that you’re engrossed in and rearing to start on. All sorts of factors go into how you approach your project.
One of the principal factors among the many is the subject, followed closely by the market and audience for which the piece is written.
An action story requires a fast pace in its delivery and often a loosening of language use. Essays take a slower view of the subject, regardless of the point of view. Writing and reading flash fiction is like trying to eat the Popsicle at noon on a July day before you have colored sugar water running down your arm to meet your elbow. Poetry and lyrical prose are probably the slowest and most thoughtful of the genres/styles, other than academic.
Anyone who’s done academic writing must write a deliberate, detailed, and informative piece. The audience demands that the writer take the time to clarify the subject in a way that leaves nothing to doubt as to the facts and conclusions. This demand allows little leeway for embellishment. The purpose is precision in a concise package for busy experts in the field. The precise writing slows the reading to ensure reader comprehension.
The intended audience has the final say in the writer’s successful delivery. Children’s literature requires specific language use and scope of subject, depending on the age range involved. Young adult fiction leans toward faster paced action stories that cause the heart to pound and the mind to fly along the character’s path. Graphic novels take childhood comic books to new heights in both plot lines and expression for the enjoyment of both teens and adults.
Adults will wonder bookstore aisles looking for specific niche material and favorite authors, whether in fiction or non-fiction. The same person might find interest in many areas; gardening, decorating, mysteries, science fiction, etc.
Writing to the niche allows the writer to expand their reading audience, but requires learning the niche’s needs in language type, delivery, and restrictions. Once the needs of the niche are understood and become comfortable, the writer can “take a vacation” and write for several different niches in any given week. This ability broadens horizons and gains audiences from previously missed areas.
Have you explored other niches than your favored ones? Are you ready to try? Begin by reading in new areas. Study the different styles and needs of those niches. Then, give it a whirl, if only for your own entertainment value.
A bientot,
Claudsy
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