Welcome to this week’s blog hop. Today’s topic is:
Does your writing style change depending on what you are writing?
I’m of the opinion that readers buy my books because they like the subject matter and also my writing style. Therefore I’m loathe to change my style and anyway… I write in the style that suits me and to which I’ve become accustomed. I write realistic women’s fiction family drama, with a touch of humour along the way to offset the ‘misery-lit’ factor.
For me it’s always a shock if authors I’ve loved over the years decide to write in another genre or in another style. I’m not too keen on change.
The only style that I might alter is whether I write in the third person or first person, past tense or present. It all depends on the subject. ‘Falling’, my latest publication, is in the third person/past tense, but the manuscript I’m working on now will be in the first person/present tense and is written as a diary. Below is a little taster of ‘Falling‘, when James first comes face to face with a psychiatrist (by the way…’Plod’ is a UK slang term for a policeman).
Excerpt from ‘Falling’. Copyright 2022 Stevie Turner
“I’m Doctor Whymark. I’m a psychiatrist.”
“Good for you.”
“How are you feeling today?”
“Bloody awful.”
James drummed his fingers on the arms of his chair and wondered how long he would have to be subjected to such shite for. He threw a glance over one shoulder at Plod, who took notes by the door.
“By the way, I’m not mad, just unlucky.” James sighed.
“How so?”
“Well, basically I got caught. We’re all after a seat when the music stops, aren’t we?”
“How do you mean?”
“I didn’t want it to come down to whether I eat or whether I run one bar of an electric fire. Let’s say I decided to augment my future pension a little bit. Trouble is, I used other people’s money.”
“And so when the game was up, you didn’t want to face the music, so to speak?”
“Yeah. Something like that.” James tapped one foot up and down. “I wanted to take the easy way out.”
“Do you still have suicidal thoughts?”
“Only when I’m forced to speak to psychiatrists.”
“Have your parents been to visit you?”
“I don’t want to talk about them.” James clenched his teeth. “And yeah, I jerk off every day.”
“What’s that got to do with it?
“I don’t know. You tell me. You’re the shrink.”
Behind him he could hear Plod stifle a laugh. James yawned and gave unnecessary attention to a clock’s minute hand making its agonisingly slow journey from a five to a six on the wall opposite.
“Have you anybody you’d like us to contact? Wife? Children?”
“If I wanted to contact them I would have. They’ll read about me in the papers anyway.”
“Who will?”
“The people I don’t need to contact.”
“How do you think life has treated you so far?”
“It was all right up until I jumped off the roof. It went downhill after that, and so did I.”
“How do you see the future?”
“The music’s going to stop, but I won’t get a seat.”
Click on the blue button below to discover whether other blog-hoppers’ style changes depending on what they are writing.
Stevie Turner 
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HI Stevie, I think it is best to stick to one genre, more or less, like you do. I did like Partners in Time which was different to some of your others but similar to Finding David. I mainly write historical paranormal because that is what I enjoy.
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Yes, for those two I did enjoy writing something different. I may even do another paranormal one if a good plot comes to me.
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Interesting question. While it’s fun to try different things like point of view in writing, I think most writers develop a style that becomes recognizable over time. I appreciate your style because your plots always move steadily forward.
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Thanks Pete for your comment.
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Of course, I’m with you. 🙂 x
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And that’s the cool thing – we all have options. You stick to what works for you. There is no right or wrong.
Tweeted.
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Indeed. Thanks Daryl.
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Terrific post…I agree with you: I read an Author, whether fiction or non-fiction because of their “voice” – and even if characters or locations change, the voice has a familiar tone for me…
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Thanks John – yes, that’s what I try to achieve… a familiar tone.
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I would prefer to stick to one style, the voices in my head have other ideas.
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Style remains, but like music there are bombastic ballads, and easy ballads. I write “softer” if the content is about people, and “harder” if it’s about action without losing the humans. But then I’ve done “creative” for $, not just a hobby, since I was 19, which required gaining a bit of skill in a wide array of “voices” and “styles”. The things art directors have described to me… Sheesh. If (and as has happened) I need to ghost something, I’ll clone a voice, or use the ghost’s own words and the hell with clean editing. If it’s a tech manual, I cut the fluff (although I always try to add a touch of humanity). I think there needs to enough in the personal toolbox to overcome the bland formulaic sexist/agenda tripe that plagues the Indie landscape. If someone said “There’s big money in adverbs outside of erotica” I could turn Louisa May Alcott or Carolyn Keene in a heartbeat. Elmore Leonard was Elmore Leonard regardless of whether it was historical fiction, crime fiction, political conspiracy fiction… Which goes to many great authors who never forget that most readers outside academia and engineers need people more than narrative. I say write to the story, not to clip art that looks like writing.
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I can’t say I have thought about the style I write in, Stevie. I just write what happens to be in my head at the time…
That was an excellent excerpt, BTW!
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Thanks!
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I seem to be stuck in a regular style that I cannot shake off. For me, it is the way I like to write, so as long as people keep reading my stories, I see no need for change.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Indeed. I feel the same way.
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I have my voice and style and it is what it is. Like you, I believe my fans enjoy the style and subject matter.
That said, we are creatives. I don’t like to be boring and samey, so I do mix things up, even down to writing a different author bio for each book!
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Ah, I’ve never thought of doing that. Writing a different bio is a good idea…
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I need to redo my bio. I moved halfway across the country and haven’t updated it yet!
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