What Are The Different Kinds Of Writing? Writing Style Types

What are the main types of writing?

The different kinds of writing could be broadly classified as follows:

• Fiction: Writing about imaginary things that do not exist. This type of writing is often used to describe someone’s feelings or thoughts in a creative way.
• Factual: Writing about real life events, people, places and things that can be verified for accuracy.

Sometimes factual writing also has elements of storytelling and imaginative opening statements which make the reading easier to follow.

Note that this definition excludes poetry because it is written to evoke an emotional response in the reader rather than tell a story.

• Reportage: Writing that is based on first hand accounts or personal experiences by reporters or journalists who write about what people say or do on a certain topic, place or event.

How many different styles of writing are there?

Let’s narrow it down a bit more and discuss the detail:

10 different types of writing

• Narrative: Writing that tells a story from beginning to end. 

Imagine you are writing a story or novel. Narrative writing focuses on a character or characters and what they do in certain situations. The main idea is to evoke an emotional response from the reader. 

Narrative writing can be from various points of view, which is the perspective of the writer or narrator.

The most popular POVs for narrative writing are:

• First Person: The character speaking is ‘I’. Example: “I walked out of the classroom at 8 pm on Friday afternoon.”
• Second Person: The character speaking is ‘you’. Example: “You walked out of the classroom at 8 pm on Friday.”
• Third Person Omniscient: The character speaking is like God. He/she knows what’s going on in everyone’s minds.
• Third person limited: The character speaking is limited to the main character of the story.
• Expository: Writing that explains something in detail or writing the purpose of a product or service. Expository writing can be either objective or subjective.

It is factual and doesn’t normally tell a story, although it could. Expository writing is usually easy to read and follow.

• Descriptive: Writing that describes what something looks like based on the writer’s own observations or experiences. It is usually factual or objective. Descriptive writing can be subjective. Sometimes descriptive writing can also tell a story.
• Persuasive: Writing designed to convince others how to view a topic, place, service etc.

Writing that tells the reader to do something or buy something so they will act. It is usually objective, but could be persuasive writing by describing the consequences of someone not acting in a certain way.

 – Subjective: Writing that expresses how the author feels about a topic.

Writing that says what the writer thinks about something, instead of just describing it in detail and drawing the reader’s attention to the subject.

• Objective: Writing which is based on research, statistics, facts and figures to support an argument or point of view.

Objective writing usually relates to nonfiction where the writer’s position (either origin or goal) must be clearly specified at the beginning of the work but not necessarily expressed in the body of paragraphs.

How to do different styles of writing

Your style of writing will depend on what you aim is. For product reviews, short punchy sentences based on observations are best.

For longer pieces, you can try to use more descriptive language to highlight your points and add more value.

Each style of writing suits a certain purpose or goal.  For example, you may want to impress or inform readers, instead of just saying what is obvious or describing how something looks. In such cases, you could use narrative, rhetorical or persuasive writing in your work.

Bullet points are great for descriptive writing because they allow you to get your point across quickly and easily.

Internet surfers move quickly and so you need to grab their attention. If you want that traffic to turn into sales, you need to use persuasive writing and ensure your product pages are carefully laid out.

Reviews are more in depth and should have a friendly tone, as it is your job to recommend the product to others. Users want to hear about your experience of a product, so they can decide whether or not they will purchase it.

For example: “Product X was a great buy for me as it helped me solve my problem Y.”

A major difficulty with review-style writing is that it can come across as being too salesy. You need to find the right balance between giving your opinion and persuading your reader to purchase the product.

Tips for better reviews:

• Do a lot of background research before purchasing the product, so you can save time writing your review. Make sure to include any limitations or caveats that you encountered when using the product, as it will help your readers make a decision as to whether they will purchase it or not.
• Include a video review. For example, if you review a new computer, show your readers how it works. You can also include a video unboxing, to show them what the product looks like before they purchase it.
• Write your own questions and answers about the product to provide information that users want to know. This will ensure that your review is user friendly and easy to understand for everyone who reads it.
• Get others to look at your review and give you feedback. You may decide to make changes to it before publishing it.

Have a conversation about the product in your review, as this will keep it interesting for readers.

What different kinds of writing jobs are there?

Writing jobs are found in a variety of industries and can be grouped into the following categories:

• Copywriter: Creates adverts intended to sell a product or service. This profession involves coming up with persuasive language and testing adverts with various types of target audiences.

Copywriters usually work freelance or within an advertising agency. They must have a good understanding of market trends and sales strategies, as well as an ability to write clearly and concisely. They usually work to deadlines and must ensure that their writing meets all legal requirements.

• Product description writer: Writes descriptions for websites, catalogues, and ebooks. These writers research the product or service that they are writing about and write accurate descriptions about it, providing information so that people can make an informed decision.

They should know how to write in a friendly manner which will persuade the reader to purchase the product.

• Technical writer: This is an entry level job with lots of variety. Technical writers write technical documents such as manuals, descriptions and instructions, which have to be easy to understand and follow for the user.
• Copy editors: Correct grammar, spelling, punctuation and prepositions, ensuring that all copy reads well. They check that the copy is free from errors and smooths out any inconsistencies.
• Proofreaders: Check for mistakes in text by looking at it closely. Proofreaders make sure that wording is correct in all places including the title. They check for correct punctuation, capitalization, spelling and grammar.
• Technical writers: Technical writers ensure that there are clear instructions on user-friendly software and hardware. They write manuals to make things easier for customers who are using the product or service that they’re writing about.

What are the different kinds of writing skills?

The skills you need to write a professional website are very different from the kind of writing you would use in school.

In school, you would have to produce clear and concise writing, whereas in the business world, the different types of writing needed are more technical and require a higher level of detail.

Some of the things that help distinguish between good writing and poor or awkward writing are:

• Additionally, there is a huge difference between good grammar, spelling and punctuation as compared to bad grammar, spelling and punctuation.
• Good grammar, spelling and punctuation reflect a sense of respect for the reader who is taking the time to read your work.
• Bad grammar, spelling and punctuation reveal a lack of care on the part of the writer.

How should I start writing my resume?

A resume is a way for you to introduce yourself to an employer and convince them that you are the person they want on their team. It needs to be written in a way that highlights your skills while also being accurate.

Consider the following before you decide how to write your resume:

What is your goal for this resume?

If you are trying to get an interview, it may be helpful if you emphasize skills (such as management or teaching skills) that are typically more relevant for interviews.

On the other hand, if you want a job in a certain field that is generally associated with other types of experience (such as accounting), then emphasizing those skills may be helpful.

If you are a recent graduate or have been in a field for a short period of time, you may not have enough experience to fill an entire resume.

In such a case, putting yourself in the best light may require less emphasis on skills and more emphasis on other areas such as your education and work experience if it’s relevant.

What different styles of writing can be adopted for a novel?

Novels are written in a style of writing called prose, which is basically like everyday speech.

However, some novelists adopt different styles for different points of view. For example, if the story is being written from the point of view of a particular character, then that character’s style can be used.

Other methods include writing in various styles which represent a ‘voice’ for each character. For example, a character may speak in slang or have an accent or dialect to represent it’s background. This will allow readers to identify with certain characters more easily based on their speech patterns and language.

The whole point of prose is to tell a story in an interesting way. Prose contains all elements of the many different writing style, but is not so formal. Prose is like everyday speech, so it is informal.

How can I learn to write a book?

The first step is to decide what type of book you want to write. If you are writing a novel, talking about your characters and the setting can be helpful in learning about the world that you have created.  

If you are writing non-fiction, then you will need to research your topic and find information that will help your readers know more about it.

When John Steinbeck was asked how to write a book, he said “Write a page a day. pretty soon you’ll have a book!” This is true. If you write everyday, your book will gradually grow.

How do I write a speech?

Writing a speech can be intimidating, especially if you are not used to public speaking. There are certain steps you can follow to make the writing process simpler.

One of these is to have only one purpose in your speech. For example, if you are writing a persuasive speech, your speech should persuade your audience to follow a certain course of action.

Another step is to write down all of the points that you want to make in order and then use those points as the basis for each part of your speech.

There are two big problems with speechmaking – beating nerves and remembering all the points. There are several techniques you can try to make these problems easier.

Getting an expert opinion about your speech will also help you decide if it will be successful. An editor or the person presenting your speech should give you advice on how to improve it and tell you what is wrong with it.

Roman senators used a special memory technique when making speeches. They would say “In the first place …” and carry on with their point. This first place was the entrance hall of their house where they would place an object to remind them of the first point.

The next room would the second place and so on. In this way they would walk through their house in their imagination, picking up all the objects as the speech progressed.

To avoid forgetting what points you want to make, it’s a good idea to write them down. You can also add a summary or chart of your points to remind yourself of what they are. Sleep on them and they will tend to stick in your mind the next day.

Use humor in a speech. This is a good way of making the audience feel more at ease. It also helps them concentrate on your speech.

Resources relating to different types of writing:

What Are the 5 Different Types of Essays? A Complete Guide

Writing Styles – The Graduate Writing Center

The 5 Most Commonly Taught Writing Styles

Types of Writing Styles – About Writing: A Guide – Open Oregon

8 Different Types Of Writing – Marketing91

Teacher Guide To Different Types of Writing