Discover different writing styles to level up your communication and captivate your audience through words
Your writing style says a lot about you as a creative. Depending on the one you opt for, it also has the power to inspire powerful emotions and actions in your readers. From persuasive to narrative and expository, we take a look at five of the most common forms of writing, along with how you can put them into practice to reach your creative goals.
You don’t need to be an experienced writer to apply these methods. Below, you’ll find courses taught by leading professionals that are designed to help you to express yourself from scratch.
1. Creative writing
In theory, creative writing applies to all the styles on this list but, for Shaun Levin, it refers to writing about topics you’re passionate about. He teaches creative writing in colleges, schools, and art galleries alongside publishing works like Alone with a Man in a Room, Seven Sweet Things, and Snapshots of The Boy.
Shaun shares practical exercises you can do to enhance your creative writing in his course, Creative Writing for Beginners: Bringing Your Story to Life. Explore ideation, perspective, narrative styles, materials, observation, and beyond to sharpen your skills as a writer and bring your interest to life on the page.
2. Narrative writing
Narrative writing is all about creating stories—something we naturally do as human beings all the time, often without realizing. With over 25 years of experience as an author and creative writing teacher, it’s what Alberto Chimal specializes in. He has published over forty novels and collections of short stories with the aim of bringing people together.
In his online course, Introduction to Narrative Writing, he teaches you how to write memorable stories step by step. Discover the fundamental parts of a story, including the plot structure and emotions, along with the different genres you can opt for, and start writing narratives that captivate your audience.
3. Persuasive writing
Persuasive writing, as its name suggests, is a style designed to incite action. Whether it’s for a campaign aimed at boosting sales, or a poster you want to stop people in the street, knowing how to craft persuasive copy in the right tone is essential for any brand. That’s where the profession of copywriting comes in.
In this course, taught by senior copywriter Paul Anglin, you’ll learn to craft copy that grabs people’s attention on social media. Having worked with brands like Apple, Nike, and Microsoft, it’s something Paul has a wealth of experience in. Join him and discover how to brainstorm ideas, develop them with insight, and deliver them creatively to tell your brand’s story.
4. Descriptive writing
When it comes to documenting moments and memories, words can be just as powerful as photographs. With descriptive writing, the key is in the detail. By describing an event at length with the senses in mind, you can invite readers to experience it for themselves.
Travel Journaling: Document Feelings and Memories, taught by author Aniko Villalba, is an online course dedicated to showing you the basics of descriptive writing. She has published several books such as Dias de viaje and El sindrome de Paris, as well as interactive diaries including Mapa subjetivo de viaje. Follow her steps and learn how to document your thoughts and feelings through writing.
5. Expository writing
In contrast to descriptive writing, which relies on personal interpretation, expository writing is based on facts. This style is most commonly found in newspapers, journals, and technical articles with the aim of providing information. If you’re interested in pursuing a career in journalism or publishing, expository writing is a skill you’ll need to master.
Paco Herranz is a journalist who specializes in teaching his craft to others. Since working for a renowned Spanish newspaper and reporting on events around the globe, he now shares his knowledge on writing in the Journalism, Edition, Production, and New Technologies master's program at the CEU San Pablo University, as well as through classes on the history of journalism at the University Carlos III of Madrid.
In this course, he teaches you the fundamental journalistic techniques and genres, from interviewing to news reporting, as well as how to use them to write stories.
Develop your writing skills further:
- See all of Domestika’s online writing courses.
- Learn the keys to writing a novel with writer Cristina López Barrio.
- Check out Shaun Levin’s other course and learn to write from personal experience, Short Story Writing: Create Fiction from Personal Experience.
- New to this craft and not sure where to start? Discover these simple writing exercises to make it a part of your daily routine.
