top of page

5 Types of Writing Styles You Need to Know


Writing in general can seem hard. Even for English majors, authors, and journalists. Even if you are a voracious reader and have a vocabulary of over 5,000 words. Even if you start each new piece of writing with the intent of doing it justice and making it the best work you possibly can.


If you struggle with writing, you're not alone. Many people have a hard time with it. And if you're like most, you're probably not aware of how exactly you're writing. That's why this article exists. With this guide, you'll learn about five different writing styles, and once you're aware of them, you'll know how to use that knowledge to your advantage.


The descriptive writing

Writing that creates a picture in the reader's mind is called the descriptive style. It's the style used when writing a novel, a screenplay, a song lyric, or a poem. The reader should be able to see, hear, and feel what you're writing about. This use of language is often very visual, and you can use specific details to give the piece more depth.


The informative writing

Informative writing aims to provide facts, figures, dates, or other information to support a claim or prove a fact. This is the writing style used when writing an article for, say, Wikipedia. You might also use it when writing a research paper, a technical manual, or a how-to. It's appropriate to use when you want to inform, educate, or persuade your readers. It's also appropriate when you want to convey authority, as in reference or biography pieces.


The creative writing

The creative writing style is used to create new works of literature, poetry, plays, or music. It's the style used when writing a short story, a song lyric, or a novel.


This is the type of writing used when you're just winging it. You're just letting your thoughts flow wherever they want to go and see where they take you. The creative writing style is not analytical or objective, but meant to be a purely personal outlet.


The analytical writing

The analytical writing style is meant to analyze, interpret, or explain something. This might be a historical event, a scientific discovery, or a piece of literature. This is the style you use when doing research papers, term papers, or research projects in school. It's also the style used for writing an article for publication in a journal.


The analytical writing style is about looking at a situation from all angles and breaking it down into its smallest parts. It's about picking apart a work of art and determining what each part is, where it came from, and why it was chosen. This type of writing is important in any academic setting, but especially in fields like history, literature, or journalism where interpretation is a large part of the work.


The persuasive writing

The persuasive writing style is about creating a specific mood or attitude in the reader. There are many ways to do this, depending on your goals and the tone you wish to create. Here are some examples:

  • Making an audience feel enthusiastic or optimistic by writing in a bright, enthusiastic, or descriptive tone.

  • Writing in a way that makes the reader feel calm and relaxed, such as with a soothing passage of poetry.

  • Writing in a way that makes the reader feel indignation, such as with a piece discussing social or economic issues.


There's no one correct way to write, so keep in mind that every piece of writing you do will have a different style. Each of the writing styles mentioned above have their strengths and weaknesses, and you need to find the style that's best for your needs. The more you write and explore, the easier it will be to tell which one you're using.

LEARNING HUB 

This hub offers writing tips and resources to help YOU write more concise and savvy content -- be it resumes, articles, manuscripts, or any form of written communication.

BLOG          RESOURCES       WRITING COURSES     
bottom of page