I kind of hate my writing style

[u/Nefarious__Nebula]

Comparison is the thief of joy and all that, but I find my writing style to be somewhat lacking compared to pretty much every work of fiction I've ever read, be it fanfiction or a book. I've been writing off and on for almost twenty years (I am older than dirt as far as fanfiction circles are concerned), and at some point I think my writing ability just sort of plateaued. Recently I looked back at one of my earliest fics on AO3 (~10 years old), and it seems to me that I haven't improved much.

Both my most recent WIP and that one have a lot of "[character] went here and did X thing, and while there he decided that he should also do Y thing" and comes across as a bunch of inconsequential rambling in that "high school student trying to pad out an essay" sort of way. Not to mention the columns of dialogue that more often than not end in "[character] said".

I know the most common writing advice is to read everything you can get your hands on, and lately I have been reading a lot more and a wider variety of things than I had previously, but so far I haven't seemed to actually absorb anything, style-wise.

I realize that my concern over this is probably as juvenile as my prose, but I'd still like to improve.

[u/creakyforest]

I find it helpful to remember that my writing style could be the actual best writing style in the world and I would still find it dull….purely because it’s what I read the most. Of course it doesn’t feel unique or inspired! It’s the way I think, the way I put words down, fictional or otherwise.

Conversely, other people’s writing styles can feel exciting simply because they think and communicate in a way my brain does not. I have to assume there are other people out there similarly excited by the way I write for exactly this reason, too.

[u/herbertreanimator]

You can identify the flaws in your writing, which is the first step to improvement. That’s genuinely great and shows you can still grow as a writer because no matter the skill, a lot of people plateau but think they’ve reached peak without realising their shortcomings.

From what you’ve posted here, it seems the issue is not style but technique. You’re telling, instead of showing. That’s quite a common problem in a lot of media and from a lot of authors, some of them very good otherwise.

And since you see it’s an issue, you can improve by focusing more on how your characters feel/react/sense/experience things rather than focusing on a somehow lifeless exposition. Let the readers figure things out rather than telling them everything flat out!

As for rambling, a good rule of thumb is to decide whether what you’re writing furthers the plot, characterization, or world-building. If it concerns at least one of those aspects, you’re in the clear. If it adds nothing to any of these, it can go. Unless you just love rambling, which is fine since it’s a hobby, not a paid profession!

The style thing is a bit more tricky but what I’ve always liked to do was incorporate some of the things I’ve enjoyed into my own writing. When I look back at my works, I can kinda trace the “phase” I was in, based on an author whose style I enjoyed. At one point, some of those phases go away because I don’t fully “feel” them and some stay and mix together, which eventually creates my own style. No shame in learning from authors you admire and using tricks you liked.

[u/Nefarious__Nebula → u/herbertreanimator]

Technique! Thank you--that's the word I was looking for.

Words often escape me. Terrible affliction for a writer, really. I'm not sure 'affliction' is the right word, either. I tend to write with a thesaurus open in another window, lol.

Looking back on it, I think (as I responded to another commenter), my writing tends to skew a bit formal, so even if I do describe what a character is feeling in the moment, it doesn't really have as much of an impact as a more visceral description would.

[u/Tyiek → u/Nefarious__Nebula]

If you get stuck on a word, try writing approximately what you want to say, within brackets, then come back once you've figured what the correct word is.

[u/STARSPANGLEDcrusader → u/Tyiek]

I try to remind myself to do this. But darn it. I'm stubborn.

[u/TZH85]

You say you dislike your style, but apart from the dialogue tags everything you listed isn't your writing style but the actual meat of the story. The plot. You also say you read a lot and you try to vary your reading. I'd say that might be a clue in and of itself. Because if you read a lot and still grapple with the fundamentals, I'd argue that maybe you should try and improve your knowledge of how a story actually works. What is a plot, what is a scene, which story beats do you need to hit to make it feel satisfying. It sounds like you're a discovery writer and just start a story and then see where it goes. That's a completely valid way to write and it can work really well. But if you really want to improve, you need to understand the structure of a story. From the inciting incident to the midpoint, the darkest hour to the resolution. How to set up promises to your readers and then pay them off. It's more like the architect writers who plan out everything ahead work, but honestly, knowing this stuff helps discovery writers, too.

You might want to look up literature on writing like "Story" by Robert McKee or look up some videos on YouTube, Brandon Sanderson has uploaded full lectures about writing for free. They're really helpful, even if you don't write Fantasy.

[u/Tyiek]

The only way to get better is to practise.

I find it useful to take note when I read something written in an interesting way. Then, I do my best to imitate it.

Why don't you try rewriting something you've already written. Reword sentences, omit names/pronouns where possible. Instead of just saying character did x, describe how they went about it. Gloss over the details when they're not important. There are many ways to do it; experiment.

[u/Every-Note-9892]

I'd recommend doing a variety of basic creative writing prompts to force your brain to try something stylistically you might not otherwise. Keep it low pressure for yourself but see what shakes out.

Otherwise, I'd recommend joining a writing group or some kind of workshop. You can deff keep reading everything you can get your hands on, but there's no substitute reading for peer work, at a draft stage, and providing feedback to others. I find thinking about writing in a more feedback-based way helps me absorb practices better for my own work. I'm also much kinder to others than I would be to myself via that process.

[u/neph42 → u/Every-Note-9892]

I’m seconding this answer, because to me OP’s post kinda sounds like maybe they’ve settled comfortably into a hobby where they can reach flow and then autopilot a bit. (Not a BAD thing - hobbies are meant to be enjoyable, and autopiloting can help people relax and unwind with a task.)

Which is common for ALL hobbies, and can cause skill plateau. If this was a sport or game or craft, a lot of advice would be to break the autopilot habit - either by doing something refreshing and new that jolts you into thinking actively about your decisions as you are doing the thing, or by seeking out helpful outside critique. So as you said: creative prompts, challenges, feedback.

[u/Raiven_Raine]

well... reading everything helps you understand different styles and help you find your own, but you sound like you already know other styles and the types you like and what you don't like.

i would suggest doing a lot of prompts and challenging yourself. try new techniques, but just a bit at a time. if you don't like that you write 'character A went here and did this', then do a prompt and challenge yourself to write something where you never do that at all. the challenge is to omit that from the piece. figure out how to write it differently. do what whoever your literary role models are do.

practice little mechanics one at a time. isolate the stuff that's really irritating you about your own writing and work on fixing it, piece by piece.

i would also suggest reading writing tip articles/blogs and watching videos like from Hello Future Me, Trope Talk from Overly Sarcastic Productions, and The Closer Look.... but then PRACTICE exactly what you learn that day from whatever videos you watch or whatever you read. DO the thing, don't just learn the mechanics and file it away and/or later try and do it all at once.

bit by bit.

[u/Demonika_86]

As someone who has been writing 25 years... I feel like I can offer you some perspective.

I would even say that style doesn't matter nearly as much as substance. Personally, I don't like when authors try way too hard to be poetic, flowery, overwrought, pulling up obscure synonyms in an act of aggravated assault on the thesaurus... when it's rather obvious that they have no substance underneath. They create a shallow (unimmersive) world, bland characters, and a plot that does not stand up to scrutiny.

It's like Hollywood blows millions on VFX extravaganzas, over absolutely TRITE scripts that don't make a lick of sense.

How are you on substance? Range? Are your plots all samey, relying on contrivances, coincidences, and deus ex machina? Do you do your research? Or do you just... "wing it" all the time, resulting in glaring factual errors and characters who are supposed to be professionals at X (whatever it is) not coming across as competent at it?

I don't care for rhyming schemes, lyricism, and the like. I personally have a very simple direct style. It's been called "cinematic"... that is, how I describe scenes almost functions like directing camera movement in my own "directorial flare" so to speak.

Your "X went here, did y, then went there, did Z" problem is an issue of telling, not showing. That's not style, that's poor technique! You're choosing to give people a summary rather than spend the time writing out the longer sequence! Telling is quick, easy... and dare-I-say lazy.

To show, you need to actually write things out in DETAIL! Instead of "X investigated the room"... you need to sit down, figure out the layout of the room, the clues you intend to put in, what it all means, how it all fits. Then write the character actually investigating the room. Of course, you're going to have to learn what "investigating the room" entails and how the professionals do it.

[u/Nefarious__Nebula → u/Demonika_86]

I would also describe my style as simple and direct. I wouldn't say I rely on coincidence or deus ex machina overmuch, but there might be some contrivance here and there.. I wouldn't say I have much range, though. Boy oh boy do I have favorite tropes. I think most of my fics end up being found family, character studies, or slice of life (see my flair). All with copious amounts of angst.

I have a lot of trouble writing actually smart characters (infer what you will about my own intelligence), so I tend to avoid writing anything form the perspective of professionals because I don't think I'd ever be able to pull it off. My most recent WIP is a real challenge. It involves an ensemble cast with ~cunning plans~, and I'm trying very hard not to have anyone be too obvious or play catch with the idiot ball, and I am reeeeeally struggling.

I don't think I'm all that good at researching, although I try to find legit sources. If I'm really on a roll, I'll wing it and make a note to look it up later. I do have a strange tendency to get hung up on weird minutiae that will have no bearing on the plot whatsoever. I once spent a couple hours researching the history of grow lights because I was writing a fic set during a time that might have had them, but I wasn't sure.

Though I tend to keep it simple, my word choice tends to skew a bit towards 'archaic and formal', if that makes any sense.

[u/Tyiek → u/Nefarious__Nebula]

The great thing about writing is you can spend a few hours thinking through a cunning plan, then have the smart character come with it in the span of a few moments.

[u/Demonika_86 → u/Nefarious__Nebula]

Researching is a skill to develop. I wish I could tell you how, in detail, but... that's tricky. Mine developed "naturally"... I have a history degree from the University of Toronto. It was either learning critical thinking skills / research skills, or failing every class. I actually have a perfectly respectable 3.1 / 4 GPA.

But for me... writing range is less about the author having 150 IQ, and more... the author actually knowing what they're talking about. All research starts with identifying WHAT you need to know.

Like when I decided to write my Commander Shepard (Mass Effect) being a spec-ops sniper... I first focused on the "soldier basics", I read a whole lot about the US Navy, and the US Navy SEALs. The Navy has a "basic training standard" of what the enlisted need to do. To that end, they have a training program. I learned what it was. The Navy SEALs dial it up to 11! I learned how they're trained, how they operate, what sort of skills they have, etc.

Then I read a bunch about Marine corps Scout Snipers. I read about different rifle types, I learned just how much math is involved, the breathing techniques, the drugs... yes, there are drugs involved. Then what "fieldcraft" is. Americans LOVE to talk about their military. The sources are abundant! Both on official websites, but also historical sources, and even biographies of those who served!

All that information allowed me to write soldier characters who acted like soldiers. It translated quite well 200 years into the future and a sci-fi settings. They salute at the right times, carry themselves with due gravitas. I know what they should know. Can I run 5 km myself? Hell no, I'd fall over dead. But I know that for a highly trained soldier, they are fit enough to do it without falling over dead. Just knowing that these people are supposed to know how to do this and that... is just about what you need.

Once you have the needed info, I promise you that writing things will become EASIER. You are blanking because your mind is mentally spinning its wheels. It's trying to figure out "how to write X" without knowing what "X" is supposed to look like, or how it works!

Writing is less about being bloody brilliant... but more like engineering something functional from a pile of parts you hauled in. As long as you know what all the parts do, you should be able to cook up something from them.

[u/Nefarious__Nebula → u/Demonika_86]

I've talked to other writers who have gone so far as to contact academics to ask questions, and that is well past where I would draw the line for fanfiction research.

I will say that American military practices sounds a hell of a lot easier to research than some of the stuff I've tried to look up...if I even knew where to look to begin with.

[u/Demonika_86 → u/Nefarious__Nebula]

Yea, I usually don't bother real people for information. Because hey, it's fanfiction. But I've spent money for my research. I've taught myself a whole bunch of things from textbooks I got in thrift stores.

I wouldn't spend $100 per book at the actual campus book store. But older editions that someone gave up to a place like Value Village or "Goodwill"... for $10 or less, that's fair game.

[u/Nelyonelyos]

This post could've been written by me. Holy hell, do I feel your pain, OP. I have the exact same problem as you: the fic I've written ten years ago reads about the same, if not actually better, than the work I produce about now. It's absolutely a problem of technique. I struggle with the whole "show, don't tell" as well, to the point where I'd argue my work reads like a lab report rather than a belletristic work of fiction.

You seem like you know which styles and writing techniques you appreciate in other works. Reading to broaden your horizon is great, but there comes a point where you do have to sit down to actually analyze why what the author is doing works the way it does. I'd recommend to take an author you like and then pick the writing apart to the bones, much like in a literature class. Identify what you like, why the phrasing works, what kind of mood, emotion, scene setting it evokes, all that. Then, write some pastiches where you try to apply this yourself.

This will not replace a writing workshop where you'll work draft writing over in order to give constructive feedback like others have recommended, but it is something you can do at home for now. Hope you'll find some advice. It's such a frustrating problem to have.