The 4 Main Writing Styles Every Aspiring Writer Should Master!

Flynn Hannan
Writers Republic
Published in
4 min readAug 2, 2019

If you are newbie writer, you would understandably not know the basics of writing. But this does not mean that you should stay ignorant on the matter. If you truly want to achieve great things as a writer, you should try to learn as much as you can about the writing process. One aspect of the writing process that you should really try to master are the 4 main writing styles. These writing styles are some of the most commonly used. And once you do start your writing journey, it is important that you have these writing styles down pat. Here are the 4 Essential writing styles every aspiring writer should master.

1. Expository Writing

This writing style is by far one of the more common writing styles, and is used a lot by veteran writers and newbies alike. Expository writing is more about explaining a concept. When you write in an expository style, you don’t need to share your own opinion; you just need to share information. All in all, expository writing is all about sharing knowledge to the wider audience. Here are a few examples of expository writing.

Examples of Expository Writing:

· Instructional guides

· Textbooks

· Recipes and Cookbooks

· Newspaper Articles

· Magazine Articles

· Non-fiction books

· Research Journals

· Self-help books

2. Persuasive Writing

Where expository writing is all about explaining a concept, persuasive writing is all about persuading the audience to believe in a position or belief. So if you are writing in a persuasive style, your main intent is to sway the reader’s opinion to that of your own.

This is why persuasive writing involves a lot of research work. Because in order for you to persuade the audience to your line of thinking, you will need well researched facts and references to back up your claims.

Here are a few examples of persuasive writing.

Examples of Persuasive Writing:

· Political speeches

· Advertisements

· Brochures

· Business proposals

· Letters of recommendation

· Letter of complaint

· Cover letters

· Testimonials

· Opinion and editorial pieces

3. Descriptive Writing

The Descriptive Writing style’s main intent is to describe. It is used to give specific details on a person, place or event. It is particularly useful when writing in fiction, because the writer can use metaphors and similes to make his or her writing more multifaceted. Here are a few examples of descriptive writing.

Examples of Descriptive Writing:

· Poems

· Journal Writing

· Lyric Writing

· Travel books

4. Narrative Writing

The Narrative writing style is a bit more complex compared to the other three. This is because the narrative writing style is all about telling a story. This makes it more multifaceted and complicated to write in. The Narrative Writing style has a lot more components because it entails that you tell a complete story. So aside from describing the events to the audience, you will also have to include the setting, characters and dialogue into your writing.

All in all, the narrative writing style is all about telling a story. This is why narrative writing is a favorite of fiction writers because you can literally create entire worlds with just your words.

Examples of Narrative Writing:

· Epic poems

· Myths and Legends

· Urban legends

· Fiction novels

· Historical accounts

· Memoirs

· Biographies

· Screenplay

These 4 writing styles may seem basic at first, but they are truly essential if you want to make your writing as complete as possible. So take the time to practice and master these writing styles. By mastering these 4 writing styles, you are arming yourself with the necessary tools to create great work. Now you are equipped with the right tools to reach your full writing potential.

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Flynn Hannan
Writers Republic

Bibliophile , Senior Indie Editor at Writers Republic