Should I say things in a positive way?
Suppose you want the reader to know how dark a room is. You set your scene. A teenager walks into a room and you write, “There was no light in the room.” The first thing the reader will see is the light that isn’t there. You are writing in a negative way — you are telling the reader what is not true.
Instead simply say, “The room was dark.” This is positive. You are showing the readers what you want them to see: the darkness.
What verbs should I use?
The answer is strong verbs. Vague verbs like walk, cry, fall, and touch don’t tell the reader anything important. They are so much in use in everyday vernacular that they don’t command attention or create an active scene for the reader.
Instead of the word walk, why not plod or amble? Can you feel the importance these strong verbs add to your style? Instead of the verb fall, how about collapse or crumple? These unusual, powerful verbs will grab the reader. These verbs needn’t have adverbs to boost the meaning.
Try the word weep instead of cry. Perhaps you should try to use the word caress or poke in place of touch.
Why would you say: “The dog ate quickly” when you could create a real scene by saying “The dog gobbled”? Strong verbs lift your writing from the ordinary and give your work a style that is all your own.
How complicated should my style of writing be?
Your style should be simple. Here are two examples of the beginning paragraphs of two novels.
His heart beating like a snared rabbit, he squirmed past the wire of the gate and was out. The guards saw him, of course, as he knew they would, but he dove into the crowd on the sidewalks and hoped they would hesitate an instant before firing. Though he could not run fast because of his hunger, he was able to bob and weave through the pedestrians, under a horse cart and around a corner before the first shots echoed against the apartment buildings. (Sophia House by Michael D. O’Brien)
Or
Katie Finglas was coming to the end of a tiring day in the salon. Anything bad that could happen had happened. A woman had not told them about an allergy and had come out with lumps and a rash on her forehead. A bride’s mother had thrown a tantrum and said that she looked like a laughingstock. A man who had wanted streaks of blond in his hair became apoplectic when, halfway through the process, he had inquired what they would cost. Katie’s husband, Garry, had placed both his hands innocently of the shoulders of a sixty-year-old female client, who had then told him that she was going to sue him for sexual harassment and assault. (Minding Frankie by Maeve Binchy)
Consider these two paragraphs. Look at the style. They aren’t weighed down with symbolism or metaphors. They aren’t deep. They don’t have to be read twice to be understood. They are simple, direct, and unpretentious. Every sentence says exactly what it means to say.
Each author is telling a story. That is the secret of having a good writing style.
Should you imitate another writer’s style?
No! Don’t try to make a serious piece funny by imitating Erma Bombeck. Don’t take your short story so seriously that you imitate Ernest Hemingway. Just write your story. Relax and write as well as you can. Your style will grow and take care of itself.
Next time, let’s talk about pace.
Copyright 2021 Karen Kelly Boyce
Karen Boyce
Karen Kelly Boyce lives on a farm in N.J. with her retired husband. She is a mother and grandmother. She is the author of “The Sisters of the Last Straw” series published by Tan Books. You can see her work and learn more about her on her website: www,kkboyce.com