14 Creative Writing Styles to Explore in Your Next Project (with Examples + Exercises)

Explore 14 diverse styles of creative writing and experiment with different techniques to develop your own style. 

By Julie Tyler Ruiz

CONTENTS:

• What is style in creative writing?
• Why do you need a writing style?
• 14 creative writing styles
• 5 writing style exercises 

What is style in creative writing? 

Style in creative writing refers to the distinct way a writer uses language to express ideas, create atmosphere, and shape the reader’s experience. It encompasses the choices you make at the sentence level, including word choice, syntax, rhythm, and tone, to achieve a particular effect and set your work apart.

Beyond these smaller components, creative writing style can include broader elements like narrative voice, pacing, and structure, all of which reflect the themes, characters, and emotions of your story.

Let's consider some examples:

• You might tell a story about a lonely, isolated widow using a somber, melancholy style, with sparse, understated language and long, reflective sentences to match the mood.
• Alternatively, a lively and humorous tone might suit a quirky, lighthearted plot.

To learn more about creative writing, read my guides, "What is Creative Writing? Definition, Types, and How to Get Started" and "How to Write Creatively: a Guide to Turning Ideas into Masterpieces."

Why do you need a writing style?

Ultimately, your creative writing style carries meaning. It's an integral part of how you tell your story and influences how readers perceive the characters and themes. Your writing style is also what gives your work a personal, authentic voice, making it not just a narrative, but an immersive and unique experience for the reader.

14 creative writing styles

Here, we're going to explore different creative writing styles you can use in fiction and nonfiction to open up new possibilities for developing your own voice. We'll also look at writing style examples from famous authors, so that you can see how these styles are executed in real published works.  

1. Avant-garde writing style

Avant-garde writing challenges traditional forms and structures, often experimenting with language, syntax, and narrative conventions. It’s often bold and unconventional.

Example: Finnegans Wake by James Joyce features dense, stream-of-consciousness writing that breaks the rules of grammar and narrative.

2. Simple writing style 

This style is characterized by short, direct sentences and minimal description. The focus is on clarity and precision, letting the story speak for itself without embellishment or adornment. 

Example: The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway features clean, straightforward prose that gets to the heart of human struggle.

3. Ornate writing style 

Ornate writing is rich in detail, using elaborate descriptions, metaphors, and intricate language to evoke vivid images and emotions.

Example: The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde features florid language filled with metaphor and lavish descriptions.

4. Straightforward writing style

This style aims to communicate ideas clearly and efficiently, without excessive flourish, complexity, or subtext. It’s often used for direct storytelling.

Example: The Road by Cormac McCarthy—minimalist and stark, using plain language to tell a deeply emotional story.

5. Humorous writing style 

Humorous writing uses wit, irony, and clever observations to entertain. It often relies on absurd situations, playful language, and unexpected turns of phrase.

Example: Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett features sharp, witty dialogue and comic twists on serious situations.  

6. Metaphorical writing style

Metaphorical writing relies heavily on symbolic language to convey deeper meanings. It often uses figurative comparisons to explore abstract ideas and emotions.

Example: Beloved by Toni Morrison—uses rich metaphors to explore trauma, memory, and identity. 

7. Fragmented writing style

Fragmented writing breaks traditional narrative structure, often using disjointed or incomplete sentences and scenes to mirror the complexity of thought or memory. It reflects a scattered, non-linear approach to storytelling.

Example: House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski uses fragmented structure, footnotes, and scattered prose to create a disorienting and multi-layered narrative, mirroring the psychological unraveling of its characters.

8. Descriptive writing style

Description: Descriptive or imagistic writing is heavily focused on vivid, sensory detail. It seeks to immerse the reader in the physical and emotional atmosphere of the scene through detailed description.

Example: One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez uses detailed, sensory-rich descriptions to create magical, immersive worlds.

9. Conversational writing style

Conversational writing mimics the tone of everyday speech, creating a relaxed, informal connection between the narrator and the reader. It's direct, casual, and often colloquial.

Example: In The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Holden Caulfield’s first-person narration feels like he's speaking directly to the reader in a casual, conversational tone.

10. Witty, sarcastic writing style

Witty or sarcastic writing uses cleverness, irony, and humor to make sharp observations or critiques. It often mocks societal norms, characters, or situations, and relies on quick, biting dialogue or narration.

Example: Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding uses witty commentary and sarcastic humor to reflect on modern life and relationships.

11. Abstract writing style

Abstract writing tends to be more conceptual and less grounded in concrete details. It may explore big ideas, emotions, or experiences in a non-literal, often philosophical way, leaving much open to interpretation.

Example: In Absalom, Absalom!, Faulkner's style is highly abstract, often using long, winding sentences, stream-of-consciousness narration, and fragmented perspectives to explore themes of memory, time, and the haunting legacy of the South. The novel’s narrative is dense and layered, told from multiple, unreliable viewpoints that overlap and contradict one another, leaving much of the story open to interpretation.

12. Emotional writing style

Emotional writing is deeply expressive, centered on conveying the intensity of feelings through both characters and narration. This style immerses readers in the raw emotions of the characters, crafting a powerful and visceral experience. The language often amplifies the psychological and emotional states of the characters, allowing readers to feel their joy, pain, or inner conflict.

Example: The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini vividly captures the emotional complexity of guilt, redemption, and the longing for forgiveness, immersing the reader in the personal struggles of the protagonist, Amir.

13. Personal writing style

Personal writing is introspective and reflective, often drawing directly from the author’s own life or internal experiences. It is intimate and honest, allowing the reader to see the narrator’s innermost thoughts and vulnerabilities.

Example: Educated by Tara Westover is a deeply personal memoir, recounting the author's experiences growing up in a strict, isolated family and her journey to self-discovery.

14. Object reporting writing style

Objective or reporting-style writing is factual and neutral, often used in journalism or nonfiction. It avoids personal bias or emotion, presenting the facts in a straightforward and clear manner.

Example: In Cold Blood, a work of creative nonfiction, author Truman Capote builds an engaging narrative, and yet his style remains objective, focusing on reporting the facts of a real crime.

5 writing style exercises

Experiment with these 15-minute exercises to discover your unique and authentic writing style:

1.  Write one page in a stream-of-consciousness style. Let your thoughts flow freely without filtering or worrying about punctuation or grammar. Focus on capturing inner emotions or frustrations, letting your internal monologue carry the piece. You could write about a personal experience, a memory, or a character’s thoughts. For extra focus, try this exercise while imagining a character stuck in a frustrating situation (e.g., a bad first date or an annoying work meeting).
2. Write a short story about an ordinary event, like buying groceries or waiting for a bus. Focus on delivering the narrative as clearly and simply as possible. Use short, simple sentences and avoid adjectives or adverbs. Keep the language direct and let the story’s natural progression carry the reader. This exercise will help you practice keeping prose clean while maintaining the reader’s engagement.
3. Choose a person, emotion, or place, and write one page describing it entirely through metaphor. Avoid direct description; instead, compare the subject to other things or abstract ideas. For example, describe love as a “wildfire,” or compare a person’s stubbornness to “a mountain unmoved by the winds.” This exercise will push your creativity and challenge you to find new ways to represent the familiar.
4. Write a short scene involving a misunderstanding, using wordplay, irony, or sarcasm to make it funny. Focus on how the characters' inner monologues or dialogue convey humor. You could write about a frustrating situation where the character’s internal thoughts express their witty, sarcastic responses. This exercise helps you explore character voice and comedic timing.
5. Write 300 words describing a room or setting using all five senses. Aim to evoke a strong mood or atmosphere through highly detailed language. Incorporate at least three metaphors or similes and focus on sensory descriptions to build an immersive environment for the reader.

For more writing style support, see my article, "How to Improve Your Writing Style: 6 Easy Tips for Fast Results."

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