The 10 main types of writing styles are Narrative Writing, Descriptive Writing, Expository Writing, Persuasive Writing, Creative Writing, Objective Writing, Subjective Writing, Review Writing, Poetic Writing, and Technical Writing.
List of 10 Major Types Of Writing Styles
1. Narrative Writing
Best for fiction and creative writing.
Narrative writing is storytelling in written form. It captures a journey, or a part of it, from the start to the very end. That is to say that it has a beginning, interval, and ending.
Examples: Short stories, novels, presentations, speeches, creative essays, memoirs, anecdotes, etc.
Features: Written in first person, requires great imagination by the writer, storytelling in written form.
2. Descriptive Writing
Best for creative writing.
Descriptive writing is one of those styles of writing where the author writes about every aspect of the event, person, or place they are describing in detail. This is to make the reader feel as if they are actually present there.
Examples: Poetry, fictional stories, journals, copywriting, narrative non-fiction, etc.
Features: Detail-oriented writing presents a visual through words, a personal tone.
3. Expository Writing
Best for explaining or informing about a particular subject or topic area.
Expository writing aims to explain or educate its readers about a particular topic. So the goal is to teach the reader about something rather than persuading or entertaining them.
Examples: Textbooks, manuals, how-to articles, technical or scientific writing, editorial writing, recipes, training materials, FAQ pages/ blogs, etc.
Features: Written in third person, objective tone, stating facts.
4. Persuasive Writing
Best for convincing people about a thought or idea.
Persuasive writing is the style of academic writing where the author aims to make the reader side with the thought or idea being conveyed in the text. It is written when the author has a strong opinion on something or needs to encourage people to take action on an issue.
Examples: Editorials, opinion pieces in newspapers, essays, cover letters, letters of recommendation, sales writing, reviews, advertising, etc.
Features: Persuasive tone, personal opinion displayed, could be written in the first or third person.
5. Creative Writing
Best for experimenting with your writing and doing some out-of-the-box thinking.
Creative writing is a style of writing where the author is expected to break free from the shackles of already existing writing structures. The aim is to surprise the reader by storytelling in a completely new way.
Examples: Biographies, screenwriting, script-writing, flash fiction, creative non-fiction, etc.
Features: As creative as it can get!
6. Objective Writing
Best for formal writing, presenting a neutral point of view towards a thought or idea.
Objective writing is a style of writing where the writing is supported by proven facts and pieces of evidence. The information included must be correct; scientifically and statistically. The author must remain unbiased so that the readers can form their own opinions.
Examples: Texts written for educational purposes, assertive texts, etc.
Features: Neutral tone of writing, pure factual / evidence-based ideas.
7. Subjective Writing
Best for opinionated pieces of writing.
Subjective writing showcases the author’s beliefs, preferences, perspectives, feelings, and opinions on things. The author, unlike objective writing, need not bother about the correctness or accuracy of the writing.
Examples: Travelogues, blogs, opinionated pieces, etc.
Features: Written in first person, shows the personal opinion and thoughts of the author.
8. Review Writing
Best for writing reviews for various things.
Review writing, as the name suggests, is a style of writing where one reviews things. Be it a restaurant, food, other commodity, books, or movies.
Examples: Product reviews, service reviews, book reviews, etc.
Features: Requires persuasive writing and descriptive writing skills.
9. Poetic Writing
Best for fiction.
It is a style of writing where the writer uses rhyme, rhythm, and meter to convey a story or idea. It is a broad style of writing which can be used in fiction. Furthermore, it, of course, uses poetic devices like similes and metaphors.
Examples: Novels, poetry, plays, short stories, etc.
Features: Uses various poetic devices, and rhythmic structure.
10. Technical Writing
Best for Educational texts, professional documentation.
Technical writing is all about writing on a special point that is factual and logical or about a scientific purpose. It is precise in nature, using facts and figures that are objective and non-emotive in nature and only aim to inform the reader.
Examples: User- manuals, medical articles, textbooks, etc.
Features: Facts-driven.