The Article Writer Mailbag, Take 2
Q. I get hung up sometimes on my blogging writing style. Sometimes I feel as if I write too informally while other times I think I may be too rigid. Help!
A. If I understand you correctly you are experiencing the same thing that all good writers go through: you wrestle over your words. In my opinion, you may want to focus more on what you want to say rather then how to say it.
Writing styles have changed over the years — particularly everything pertaining to the web — and a much more informal style is acceptable. One of the benefits of the web is that it has gotten people to write again, something that had fallen into disfavor over the past few decades.
Will you always like what you write? No way. Strike a balance and write with style and flair, then move on.
As for me the writing style is indistinquishable with the author’s authority, blog’s topic and direction. It’s like an ideology, that no one can have a right to intrude into. So any blog author should stick to his own writing style as it is another element that defines its uniqueness.
And readers will love it - whether they like it or not at first. They read the information they deserve and the writing style with time becomes an attribute of it.
Well said, Selective. Everyone should find their voice and let their words come forth. A stilted writing style will turn most readers off, while the writer who is interesting and unique will gain the audience that they are seeking.
Great advice, Matt.
Still, to some degree, I do regret the sheer amount of informality that the Internet has engendered. I’d much prefer a middle ground between acceptable use of writing conventions and, for lack of a better term, flair. I’ve read too many poorly-written blogs this week, I suppose.
Yours, obviously, is not one of them. Keep up the good work!
Hi Bob! My preference is somewhere in between too. While informal writing does have its place, following what some people write can be a chore. I hope that I am not giving bloggers a pass by throwing words online, but I do understand when people wrestle needlessly as serious writers are known to do.