A Guide To Writing

Versatile is defined as “turning with ease from one thing to another.”

Let’s look at some ways of turning with ease from one particular writing style to another.

Here are some suggestions for making refreshing changes in our writing. These are not the same as editing, fix-it-up type changes, these are shake-up, let’s take a risk and see what happens- type of changes.

Here are some possiblilities: Change the tone: if the tone of your story was optimistic, make it pessimistic. If there is a lot of thinking include more action. If your sentences are long, make them short. Or three long, then one short. If you are very logical, try to inject a bit of irrationality into one of your characters. Change the point of view: if it is in first person switch to third or even second. Change the tense: from past to present or present to past. Add dialogue, a metaphor or a rhetorical question. If your descriptions focus on sight, switch them to sound or taste.

Note: This doesn’t mean that you can’t go back to your old familiar way of writing. If something isn’t broken it shouldn’t be fixed. But maybe one of these changes you make now will inject new life and excitement into your writing.