Blog Writers – Novel Writers – Non-fiction Writers – Biographers, Historians, Journalists, Grant Writers – Technical Writers – Textbook Writers – All Writers – How Are Writers Influenced by Other Writers – How Does a Writer Acquire that Unique Style of His or Her Own – How Does One Develop an Expertise in One’s Field of Writing that Stands Out –

Munch and Read! Can’t you smell the popcorn?

Composing a blog post, in my opinion, makes you a writer; therefore, this article, if it is read at all, will be read by writers. If you are not one of the writers listed in the title above, then maybe you will be curious enough to read this if you write emails or post cards. My point is that all writers, after a period of time, develop a style of writing or an expertise that is uniquely their own.

I was a legal secretary during two chapters of my life, and as such, I was influenced by lawyers. Their pleadings and legal instruments I typed and retyped as they revised and reorganized them. I was exposed to the wisdom of order and logic. I admired their corporate determination to edit again and again to achieve excellence. They deleted extraneous words and phrases, reduced sentences and paragraphs to the least number of effective words, all to promote a convincing argument. A final version was always far superior to its original form.

When I began my novel, Buddy for David, no one had to convince me to edit my writing. I had learned the value of it.

What event or circumstance, teacher, mentor, or writer influenced your style or manner of writing?

My writing has been impacted by the authors whose products I have read extensively. Although I’ve never intentionally studied an author’s output, their influence on my writing gradually occurred.

Several authors whose books I read in numbers caught my attention by their particular writing abilities.

Dean Koontz demonstrates the use of cadence, as well as a stunning application of adjectives, adverbs, alliteration, and onomatopoeia, all of which he expertly combines to generate a mood of excitement or terror.

Robert B. Parker (recently deceased) was a master of short dialog. He wrote conversations that were natural, brief, and riveting.

John Grisham, a lawyer and writer, artfully tells his stories employing a documentary style augmented by his own charming wit. He skillfully slides the reader into the shoes of the victim running for his life from his or her enemy.

Sue Grafton writes her mystery series in first-person point-of-view, infusing her main character, a private detective, with a personality that draws readers into a bond of friendship and kindred spirit. Grafton’s plots are fresh and intriguing, and she included subplots involving other characters in the main character’s personal life.

Can you recall someone’s writing that influenced your writing style, storytelling mannerism, blog writing, or any writing you do? How did their writing inspire or shape your own?