Learn about the different Types of Writing Styles that have their tone and temperament along with examples and features for each:
A thought that seems really simple in your mind can be difficult to replicate into written words. However, to convey your thoughts with precision to your readers, you need to be skilled at penning them down.
Writing is not similar to a free-size piece of clothing. Different writing styles serve different purposes. They have specified uses and coincide well with a particular thought.
Choosing wisely what type of academic writing will best suit the idea can help the author gain more credibility and reliability.
What You Will Learn:
Understanding Types Of Writing Styles
To choose correctly what writing style goes best with your thoughts or ideas, it is important to know different styles of writing, observe the already written examples and look at their features.
These different types of writing styles have their own tone and temperament and pair well with a related thought or idea. Read on to learn about them.
Tips To Choose Correct Writing Style
#1) Requirement
It is perhaps the first and the most important step to know what style of writing will go best with the thought or idea you wish to pen down. For example, if you remembered a story from your childhood that you want to share with people, choose a narrative writing style.
Similarly, if you want to share your political opinion over an issue that you strongly believe others should believe too, go for a persuasive writing style.
#2) Formal/Informal
The formality of a written piece is integral. A writer should not switch back and forth between formal and informal tones while writing. Most writing styles are supposed to be formal.
#3) Language Complexity
For budding writers, still working on upgrading their writing skills, it is advised that they work with smaller, simpler sentences and only the words which they are well familiar with the meaning and use.
#4) Tone
The tone of a written text is another important feature in determining the kind of audience that will be interested in its subject.
The tone also determines how the text makes the reader feel about that topic while reading the text. It helps the reader understand why the writer is writing what he is writing. Hence, the writer must set the tone accordingly. Some examples of tone are sarcastic, cheerful, ironic, outraged, critical, vindictive, excited, etc.
#5) Mood
Mood refers to the atmosphere or ambiance that the writer creates in their work. It can be felt in the way that the author writes about the topic. The mood of a written work, no matter which type, can be optimistic or pessimistic, humorous or angry, etc.
#6) Syntax
The syntax is the way in which words and sentences come together to form the text. Usually, it’s in a subject-verb-object agreement. However, the authors can experiment on their own to find a more rhythmic syntax for the text they are writing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q #1) Is it necessary to stick to one style of writing throughout?
Answer: No. It is not a compulsion at all to use just one style of writing throughout the text. You can always mix and match. For example, you can use descriptive writing to describe a particular place or situation while writing a story using a narrative writing style.
Similarly, you can mix descriptive writing style with persuasive writing to create maximum impact or vice versa.
Whatever writing styles you choose to mix, the key is to make the best out of it and know when it’s most effective to use which style of writing.
Q #2) Is it necessary to use complex words and long sentences for better quality work?
Answer: No. Some writers use long, complex sentences with many clauses and complex, heavy words in their written works and some of them don’t. It all dials down to knowing your target audience and catering to what will go best with them.
Complex words and sentences do not guarantee better quality work. The aim is to send out a thought or idea into the world and have it perceived the way you intended it. There is no fixed procedure to do it.
Q #3) What is the difference between mood and tone?
Answer: The tone of a written text is the manner in which it is written. That is the perspective or point of view of the author. The tone is how the writer wants to make the reader feel.
The mood is the emotion the reader can feel while reading the text. For example, the mood is sad or depressing if a death of a character is written about. How the writer feels about the death of that character will set the tone for the text.
Q #4) What are the different pieces of evidence in writing?
Answer: Evidences in writing is the factual information in a text which helps the reader reach a conclusion or form an opinion about the text. These can be – opinions, propaganda, stories, statistics, anecdotes, analogies, etc.
Q #5) What are the different tones in writing?
Answer: There are various tones that a writer uses to convey to the readers how they are feeling about what they are writing. The ten most common tones in types of writing are: formal, informal, optimistic, worried, friendly, curious, assertive, encouraging, surprised, cooperative, cheerful, etc.
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The above image focuses on the relevance of topic ideas and how that can govern the style of writing of a professional writer. For example, in the wake of a global pandemic, writers most often wrote about topics surrounding the coronavirus.
Fact-Check: Insidehighered.com writes, “While many students did not believe they needed any additional help with their writing, a majority – about 60 percent of students were receiving some during college.”
In such a case, those aspiring to pursue writing professionally or even as a hobby must familiarize themselves well with the different types of writing styles that exist.
| Style of Writing | Emotive/ Non-emotive | Visualization |
|---|---|---|
| Narrative Writing | Emotive | Leaves the visualization for the reader |
| Descriptive Writing | Emotive | Visualizes it for the reader |
| Expository Writing | Non-emotive | Visualizes it for the reader |
| Persuasive Writing | Emotive | Visualizes it for the reader |
| Creative Writing | Emotive | Leaves the visualisation for the reader |
| Objective Writing | Non-emotive | Visualizes it for the reader |
| Subjective Writing | Emotive | Does not necessarily visualize it for the reader |
| Review Writing | Emotive/ Non-emotive | Visualizes it for the reader |
| Poetry Writing | Emotive | Does not necessarily visualize it for the reader |
| Technical Writing | Non-emotive | Visualizes it for the reader |
List Of The Different Types Of Writing Styles
Enlisted are some well-known types of writing:
- Narrative Writing
- Descriptive Writing
- Expository Writing
- Persuasive Writing
- Creative Writing
- Objective Writing
- Subjective Writing
- Review Writing
- Poetic Writing
- Technical Writing
Review of different styles of writing
#1) Narrative Writing
Best for fiction and creative writing.
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Narrative writing is storytelling in written form. It captures a journey, or a part of it, from the start to the very end. That is to say that it has a beginning, interval, and ending.
It is not necessarily fictional, as it can be a description of a real-life incident from the life of the author or any other individual or thing that the author has written about.
There are vivid descriptions of situations in narrative writing. For example, actions, conflicts, and their resolutions between characters, descriptions of events that provide life lessons, etc.
The writer develops a character and tells the story from their point of view. Hence, narrative writing is written from a first-person perspective. One character might then interact with other secondary characters and have dialogues.
Examples: Short stories, novels, presentations, speeches, creative essays, memoirs, anecdotes, etc.
Features: Written in first person, requires great imagination by the writer, storytelling in written form.
#2) Descriptive Writing
Best for creative writing.
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Descriptive writing is one of those styles of writing where the author writes about every aspect of the event, person, or place they are describing in detail. This is to make the reader feel as if they are actually present there.
It paints a picture with words in the reader’s mind. Descriptive writing pieces are written in the first person and their tone is emotional and personal. It involves writing descriptions using all five senses. Descriptive writing is filled with adverbs and adjectives for an enhanced quality of reading experience. Sometimes, the author also includes similes and metaphors.
Descriptions of such kind can upgrade one’s writing style to a higher level that goes deeper into the minds of the readers.
Examples: Poetry, fictional stories, journals, copywriting, narrative non-fiction, etc.
Features: Detail-oriented writing presents a visual through words, personal tone.
#3) Expository Writing
Best for explaining or informing about a particular subject or topic area.
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Expository writing aims to explain or educate its readers about a particular topic. So the goal is to teach the reader about something rather than persuading or entertaining them.
This style of writing is written to answer questions the interested reader might have about the subject that is being talked about in the text. Questions like who, what, when, where, why, how are answered in expository pieces of academic writing.
This is an objective style of writing where no personal opinions of the author are displayed. It is not supposed to have an agenda, but just state facts to inform the reader. By use of this writing, one attracts the reader towards something undeniable and concretely proven. It is written from a third-person perspective.
Examples: Textbooks, manuals, how-to articles, technical or scientific writing, editorial writing, recipes, training materials, FAQ pages/ blogs, etc.
Features: Written in third person, objective tone, stating facts.
#4) Persuasive Writing
Best for convincing people about a thought or idea.
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Persuasive writing is the style of academic writing where the author aims to make the reader side with the thought or idea being conveyed in the text. It is written when the author has a strong opinion on something or needs to encourage people to take action on an issue.
Empty statements/ arguments would not be successful in convincing anyone. Hence, proper statistical, anecdotal, testimonial or textual evidence needs to back up every statement of the author.
This style of writing is subjective in nature, wherein it’s actually best that the author uses their personal feelings or emotions to further convince the reader of a thought or an idea.
The author must have an all-encompassing knowledge of the other side of the argument they are writing about. This is so they can accordingly include possible counter-arguments to enhance the quality of the written piece.
Persuasive writing is used in non-fiction and rarely ever in fiction.
Examples: Editorials, opinion pieces in newspapers, essays, cover letters, letters of recommendation, sales writing, reviews, advertising, etc.
Features: Persuasive tone, personal opinion displayed, could be written in the first or third person.
#5) Creative Writing
Best for experimenting with your writing and doing some out-of-the-box thinking.
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Creative writing is a style of writing where the author is expected to break free from the shackles of already existing writing structures. The aim is to surprise the reader by storytelling in a completely new way.
It does not ask the author to follow an already given format or use such-and-such writing devices. The author is free to choose how they want to convey their thought or idea to the reader.
Informally, creative writing is the art of making things up. Any form of writing that requires imagination on the part of the author can be categorized under creative writing. Since this does not require the author to follow a set structure, the creative writing style is a skill that can be honed with practice and investing time in it.
In the present times, creative writing is an asset in the professional world and can give an upper hand to an individual applying in a relevant field.
Examples: Biographies, screenwriting, script-writing, flash fiction, creative non-fiction, etc.
Features: As creative as it can get!
Other Different Styles of Writing
#6) Objective Writing
Best for formal writing, presenting a neutral point of view towards a thought or idea.
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Objective writing is a style of writing where the writing is supported by proven facts and pieces of evidence. The information included must be correct; scientifically and statistically. The author must remain unbiased so that the readers can form their own opinions.
This style of writing is fact-driven and must not have any emotional aspect to it. The author is expected not to intensify things as they are being described and keep them straight.
Objective writing style, due to the above-mentioned requirement, is safe to be called fair and accurate. It is devoid of bias and exaggeration, too.
Examples: Texts written for educational purposes, assertive texts, etc.
Features: Neutral tone of writing, pure factual / evidence-based ideas.
#7) Subjective Writing
Best for opinionated pieces of writing.
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Subjective writing showcases the author’s beliefs, preferences, perspectives, feelings, and opinions on things. The author, unlike objective writing, need not bother about the correctness or accuracy of writing.
This type of writing style is supposed to originate from the personal experiences of the author and the observations they have made of the world around them.
This style of writing is essential because it helps build a connection between the author and the reader as the reader reads the written material. Since the personal thoughts of the author are included, it gives the reader an insight into the mind of the writer.
Examples: Travelogues, blogs, opinionated pieces, etc.
Features: Written in first person, shows the personal opinion and thoughts of the author.
#8) Review Writing
Best for writing reviews for various things.
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Review writing, as the name suggests, is a style of writing where one reviews things. Be it a restaurant, food, other commodity, books, or movies.
This type of writing style has gained further importance in the age of digitization. People rarely shop online or book a restaurant for vacation, without reading a review online.
Companies and brands, therefore, pay people to review their products or service well to increase business.
Examples: Product reviews, service reviews, book reviews, etc.
Features: Requires persuasive writing and descriptive writing skills.
#9) Poetic Writing
Best for fiction.
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It is a style of writing where the writer uses rhyme, rhythm, and meter to convey a story or idea. It is a broad style of writing which can be used in fiction. Furthermore, it, of course, uses poetic devices like similes and metaphors.
Sometimes, a prosaic form of writing needs some poetic elements to make it smoother and more continuous. Poetic elements come in handy while painting a picture and making it more vibrant for the reader’s delight.
Masterclass.com Quotes, “Prose with the appearance of poetry sets the reader up for a piece of literature that is going to venture outside the regular format conventions.”
Examples: Novels, poetry, plays, short stories, etc.
Features: Uses various poetic devices, rhythmic structure.
#10) Technical Writing
Best for Educational texts, professional documentation.
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Technical writing is all about writing on a special point that is factual and logical or about a scientific purpose. It is precise in nature, using facts and figures that are objective and non-emotive in nature and only aim to inform the reader.
Examples: User- manuals, medical articles, textbooks, etc.
Features: Facts-driven.
Other Notable Types
#11) Business Writing
Best for formal communications.
Business writing is one of those types of writing styles where the text is concise and to the point. This is done to fit the requirement of the reader or answer relevant questions. Facts and evidences always do it in the most formal and backed up.
It is strongly recommended that while working with this type of writing style, one conveys the thought and purpose of the text in the opening sentence only. The sentences should be simple and crisp.
Examples: Formal e-mails, client proposals, outside business associates, business plans, etc.
#12) Blogging
Best for a personal type of writing, opinionated pieces.
Blogging is one of the most popular types of writing styles in today’s world. With the ever-growing technological advancement, blogging has emerged as a one-stop destination for various types of content.
Amongst the types of tones in writing, blogging is the less formal one, with clear and simple sentence structures and short paragraphs. This is done so that the text is easier to read and comprehend.
Examples: The Greatist for health and wellness, Solopreneurhour for entrepreneurship tips and tricks, etc.
#13) Entertainment Writing
Best for writing an account of enjoyment, about an event or a show.
Entertainment writing, as the name suggests, is one of the different types of writing, where the writer intends to amuse the readers. This does not always mean that it is to describe a joyous occasion. It can describe a tragedy, but entertainingly.
Out of the different types of writing genres, this type of writing style has the most number of readers, by virtue of its content.
Examples: Movie scripts, short stories, storylines, etc.
Conclusion
Once you are familiar with what the different styles of writing are, you can categorize your thoughts/ ideas accordingly under them. After knowing which style of writing you are working with, you can then look at its already given examples and start writing.
It will be to limit your creativity if you stick with just one style of writing. Hence, for budding writers, it is advised that you expand your horizon and work with different academic writing.
When you have practiced enough, you can move on to identifying your area of expertise; the style that you can write best with, or that categories most of what you want to put on paper.
It is also important to look out for the emotive and non-emotive nature of the various styles of writing. A writing style that requires an objective perspective from the writer cannot be inserted into subjective opinions.
Last, you don’t have to bind yourself to one single form of writing, even if you are good at it. The most crucial point is to identify your target audience and know what will create the biggest impact or the most lasting impression.
Suggested reading => Most popular book writing software
Research Process:
- We have carefully researched through 50 different written and published works to distinguish between different styles of writing, both formal and informal.
- The total time taken to read all the material, compile it, and curate an outline for the content was 48 hours.
- We also included expert opinions on the given writing styles: their best features and most appropriate uses.