WRITING TECHNIQUES

Just like you would wear different types of clothing to different types of events,
there are different writing techniques for different purposes. Writing techniques
can seem overwhelming to master at first, but don’t worry! Read on to learn
about the different writing styles out there and tips and tricks to make your
writing stand out.

Know who your audience is

Before you start writing, it’s useful to have a clear picture in your mind of who is
going to read your work. If you’re writing a cover letter for a job you want, you’ll
have different goals in mind than if you’re writing a poem for someone you love.
Those goals are going to show in your writing. For a cover letter, you want the
writing to be clear, well organized, and free of any spelling or grammar errors. For
the poem, grammar is less important, but you have to use a lot of imagery to
show your loved one how you feel.

Person at desk in front of laptop writing in notebook

Once you know your audience, you can start thinking about what type of writing
is most appropriate for you to reach your goal. If you’re writing for school, the job
is easy: Usually, your teacher will tell you exactly what type of writing they want
you to use. But if you’re out of school, it’s up to you to figure it out. Here is a list
of the common types of writing.

The four types of writing techniques:

1. Descriptive
Descriptive writing is most commonly used in short, creative writing, like poems
and song lyrics. Some authors insert descriptive segments in their stories. The
purpose of the descriptive writing style is to create a vivid image in the reader’s
mind.

When people write in the descriptive style, they use literary devices to help their
images come to life. Some of those tricks include:

(a) Metaphors and similes

When you compare one thing to another completely different thing as a way of
describing it, you are either using a metaphor or a simile. Duran Duran’s song title
“Hungry Like the Wolf” is a good example of a simile used in descriptive writing.
Do you want to learn more about metaphors and similes? Check out this blog
article on metaphors and similes.

(b) Using your senses

Using all the senses, including smell and taste, to describe something can be a
very powerful technique when you’re doing descriptive writing. For example,
instead of writing “The drink was ice cold,” you might write something like, “As I
drank, I felt the back of my teeth hurt and my insides clench at the shock of the
cold water.”

(c) Internal rhymes

This neat trick gives your writing a sense of pace and movement without being
obvious about it. Internal rhymes are usually challenging to pick out unless you’re
really looking for them, but they give your poems and songs a little something
more.
2. Narrative

Narrative writing is a writing technique you use when telling a story. Along with
descriptive writing, it’s the type of writing that tends to be the most creative,
which is probably why many people like it best. When you’re being creative, it’s
okay to bend the rules a little bit, so you don’t need to be perfect about grammar
(though your writing will look sloppy if you’re not careful). Narrative works, like
novels and short stories, usually include a bit of descriptive writing in them. Good
narrative writers use many literary devices to make their writing stand out. Here
is a list of the most common ones.

(a) Parallelism

When you structure all the parts of your sentence for effect, you’ve created a
parallel structure, also known as parallelism. “Love it or leave it” is a good
example. Another example is the first two lines of Shel Silverstein’s poem, “Hug o’
War”: “I will not play at tug o’ war / I’d rather play at hug o’ war.” If you rewrite
those lines without the parallel structure, it looks like this: “I’d rather play at hug
o’ war than at tug o’ war.” It’s nowhere near as engaging!

(b) Alliteration

This is when a series of words starts with the same letter. It’s a great technique if
you want to create a dramatic effect. British tabloids love to use alliteration in
their headlines: “Nattering nabobs of negativity” is one example. Alliteration is
also lots of fun to play around with, especially if you want your writing to sound
over the top.

(c) Great characters with a strong voice

To write a great narrative piece, you need to make sure your characters are
interesting and believable. You also need to pay close attention to how your
characters talk to others and to themselves. Paying close attention to the
characters in your story is super important! If you want to learn more about
developing great characters, take a look at this blog article on characters.

(d) Foreshadowing

Foreshadowing is a fantastic tool to keep your reader engaged. In foreshadowing,

you give your reader a hint that something is about to happen without giving
away any details. Here is an example of foreshadowing: “Mary closed the door to
the office, happy to finally be done with the day, and hopped into the elevator.
Already focused on the weekend ahead, she did not hear the tinny sound of the
telephone ringing at her desk.”

3. Expository

Exposition, also known as expository writing, is a type of writing used to explain,

inform, or describe. If you’re writing a book report, chances are that most of it will
be expository writing. Journalism uses this style, as do most essays. Here are
some tips to help you.

(a) Know the difference between fact and opinion

It sounds obvious, but many people state an opinion and claim it is a fact. For
example, “Gelato has less fat, less sugar, and a lower calorie count than ice
cream” is a fact. But “Gelato is healthier than ice cream” is an opinion because
“healthier” is a value judgment: It is not measurable. Check your work for
comparatives and words like more, most, less, least, better, and worse to ensure
you aren’t stating opinions as facts.

(b) Stick to the third person

The third person is when you use pronouns like he, she, it, or they. If you see I in
your writing, you’re probably stating an opinion, which is generally discouraged in
expository writing. If you see you in you’re writing, you’re probably being too
informal. Learn more about how to write in third person in this blog.

(c) Save your opinions for argumentative and persuasive writing

Expository writing aims to explain, inform, or describe. It can be difficult to do, but
in good expository writing, you need to keep your opinions out of your writing.
Pretend you’re a journalist, reporting on the facts.

4. Argumentative and persuasive

In argumentative writing, you research a topic and take a position on it. Your job
is to convince the reader that your position deserves consideration. In persuasive
writing, you also research a topic and take a position on it, but your job is to
convince the reader that your position is correct and move them over to your
side. While the two types of writing are slightly different, they have enough
similarities that the same techniques apply to both. Here are a few:

(a) Know your fallacies

There are many ways to twist your arguments so that you sound convincing
without actually addressing the issue you’re supposed to be talking about. These
are logical fallacies. A common fallacy is the ad hominem attack, where you focus
on the person who disagrees with you instead of what they are saying. Take this
sentence, for example: “My brother prefers city living to country living, but he’s
an idiot, so what does he know?” Here, the writer doesn’t make arguments for or
against city living versus country living. He prefers to dismiss the argument by
dismissing the person who makes it.

(b) Use facts and emotions

In good persuasive writing, you have to strike the right balance between the data
that supports your position and providing examples that appeal to your readers’
sense of right and wrong. Too much fact, and your writing will seem dry and
unappealing. Too much feeling, and you might sound maudlin.

(c) Consider opposing viewpoints.

A good argumentative writer will always consider the arguments of those who
disagree with them. It’s a powerful technique because it makes your reader feel
heard. It also gives your writing more authority because it shows that you’ve
considered many different perspectives before reaching your position.

That’s it! Those are the four most common types of writing. As you write,
remember that you’ll rarely write in just one style. For example, persuasive and
argumentative writing require some exposition.

TIPS FOR CHOOSING A WRITING TECHNIQUE

Determine what your message is: Knowing the message you are trying to convey
to the reader and the purpose of your writing will help you choose the writing
technique that will be most effective for your piece.

Know your audience: You will also need to consider who your audience is and
which writing technique they will respond to the most.

Try combining writing styles: Many pieces of writing combine two or more
writing techniques to convey a message effectively. For example, salespeople
often use a combination of narrative storytelling and persuasive arguments to
pitch and sell their products.

Use appropriate literary devices: Literary devices—like similes, metaphors and

alliteration—are powerful tools writers can use to improve their writing. Expand
your knowledge about different types of literary devices and know which ones
work best with each writing technique.