10 Types of Writing Every Writer Should Know

Writing is said to be an art form that feeds the soul, the reason it has always been a well-loved endeavor since time immemorial. You can express your emotions, feelings, knowledge, and not to be overly dramatic, to give meaning to life. Not only can you do all these, but you can also use it as a good source of income. However, when you take it as a profession, you have to drop your personal preferences and learn different types of writing styles. Versatility is an asset every writer has to have. Here are ten types of writing styles you need to learn as a professional writer:

1. Business Writing

A professional form of communication, business writing is the most common and the easiest to do. It does not need flowery words, beautiful imagery, or writing flair. It has to be easily understandable and purposeful, so the use of simple words and terms is a must.

There are four types of business writing: Instructional, Persuasive, Informational, and Transactional. We can commonly see this type of writing in user manuals, press releases, application letters, project proposals, and many others.

2. Marketing Copy

This is the type of writing that deals with selling. It aims to market a product or encourage people to take action that will result in a sale. It focuses on attracting customers and maintaining them. This is the writing style you need to learn if you want to build brand awareness, gain customer loyalty, and keep them coming back for more.

You can find samples of this writing type on landing pages, paid ads, social media posts, eBooks, case studies, and many more. The copy you can see on Innocent’s website landing page is a perfect example of killer marketing copywriting.

3. News Writing

News writing, also known as journalism, is the type of writing that aims to gather, assess, and present news and information. This writing is based on facts but created in such a way as to pique the interest of readers. Simply put, it is writing that mixes being informative with being engaging. 

This type of writing style is what we regularly find in newspapers, magazines, television, or news websites. A good example is The New York Times website.

4. Academic Essays

An academic essay is the writing type that persuades the readers using an idea that is based on evidence. Careful structuring is a requirement as this type of writing requires clarity and conciseness. Academic papers are commonly associated with prestigious learning institutions, but it doesn’t mean that you have to use complex words and sentences. Since being clear and concise is what you need, simple words will be enough. Here’s an academic example from ProfEssays.com.

5. Technical Writing

This is the writing type you need to learn as a writer if you’re looking to work in technical and occupational fields such as engineering or finance. It is purposeful and intends to solve a specific problem for a particular audience. It uses a descriptive or instructive approach as opposed to novel and other different writing styles that use a narrative tone.

You’ll find this writing type on textbooks, owner’s manuals, instructional web articles, and the likes. This snippet from the Microsoft Help page is an excellent example of technical writing.

6. Scripts

Writing scripts for film, television, plays, video games, or a theatrical production is another type of writing style that’s worth learning. It is writing stories but in a very distinctive approach, very dissimilar to novel writing. A scriptwriter will write about the characters in a screenplay, their actions, movement, emotions, and expressions.

It’s hard to be unaware of scriptwriting as we see it every day and everywhere. Here’s an example.

7. Poetry

Poetry is a form of literature that uses beautiful, imaginative, or expressive thoughts using rhythmical compositions, whether spoken or written. It is intended to create an idea or concept without consideration for grammatical or syntactical structures. We usually read poems that rhyme, but it’s not a requirement. 

It may seem that poetry has no place in business, but it is a must-have because of many advantages. To understand this better, here’s an excerpt from Robert Frost’s poem, The Road Not Taken.

8. Memoirs

Memoirs are much like diaries; they are written accounts of a person’s life based on that person’s facts. The word is derived from the French term mémoire, which means memory. It is a form of writing about looking back at past events and experiences, whether public or private.

Learning how to write a memoir can be a fulfilling endeavor, even if you don’t see a great need for it. If you’re aiming to help others with your past experiences, it’s good to learn this type of writing. A perfect example is an excerpt from Maya Angelou’s memoir, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.

9. Creative Writing 

Creative writing is the opposite of academic, technical, and news writing as it uses the writer’s imagination rather than facts. It is known as the art of making things up. The primary purpose of creative writing is to express emotions, thoughts, ideas, or feelings.

You’ll see this writing type in novels, magazines, blogs, and many others. Business owners use them for generating interest for their blogs as well as engaging their website viewers or social media followers. J. K. Rowling is a famous author known for being a creative writing success.

10. Speeches

Persuasive in nature, writing speeches can help any writer master the art of influencing your audience. It could be as casual as writing a best man’s statement at a wedding or a politician’s speech at an election rally. With this writing type, you need to understand how to create speeches that deliver and persuade.

Read an excerpt from Martin Luther King’s speech in 1963 and see why he’s one of the most influential people in history.

How Content Fuel Can Help

Learning how to write in different writing styles can help boost your writing career. Understanding how to create articles specific for a purpose can make you a versatile writer. However, for businesses looking to create content for a variety of objectives, getting the help of professional writers can be very advantageous.

Content Fuel offers unlimited content and blog writing services at a flat monthly rate of as low as $389 per month. You can submit as many content requests as you want using the preferred writing style that you need. Our team of vetted and qualified writers will take care of all your writing requirements, leaving you more room and time to focus on your business.