Imitation Is Your Ally In Writing Great Prose
Sure, it’s important to develop your own voice in writing. However, where do you think this all-original “soul” will come from? Before the bird can fly, it must learn to flap its wings by watching other birds do it. The same holds true for you and your writing.
Don’t be afraid to imitate. No one can fault you for embracing a writing style that isn’t originally your own. In fact, if you’re a novice writer still in search of your identity, doing it is a crucial activity. Ape the writer who has already found himself and learn from his characteristic manner. You don’t have to do it forever – eventually, you’ll find your own unique qualities.
Make imitating different ways of writing a regular exercise you participate in. For example, make a daily activity of copying your favorite writers’ particular voice. Do your favorite mystery novel writer today, try out the style of a remarkable essayist tomorrow and then mimic the best business document sample you can find from your English writing software guide. In between those three and the other styles you try out, you’ll eventually settle into a groove – one that you can call your own.
Here’s the important thing to remember amidst all these: write from your own experience. While your vehicle of expression may not be original, your experience is unique to yourself. Let that be the defining characteristic that shapes your writing. Eventually, you’ll discover that it’s also the same thing that will help you find your own unique voice.