When you think of a writing aesthetic, Pinterest images of perfect writing spaces may come to mind. While where you do your writing can certainly have an aesthetic, a writing aesthetic is so much more than that.
In fact, your writing aesthetic is about the writing itself, not the space in which you do it. You have likely experienced a specific aesthetic without even realizing it. Why do you gravitate to the types of books you do? What about your favorite authors makes them your favorite?
These questions poke at the idea of a writer’s specific aesthetic. There’s a reason you turn to a specific style of beach read on vacation. It’s because you enjoy that particular writing aesthetic. Let’s take a look at this type of aesthetic, how to find yours, and of course, why it even matters.
Writing aesthetic: what you learn
What is a writing aesthetic?
A writing aesthetic is the tone of your work, communicated through the style of your prose, the themes you cover, messages in your writing, protagonists you choose, etc.
There are a myriad of factors that contribute to each writer’s personal writing brand:
- How they use prose
- The worlds they put their characters in
- The development, and ending, of their characters
- The themes they use their writing to communicate
- And much more
Just as personal branding needs to be a conscious choice for authors looking to build their platform, you should proactively consider what your writing aesthetic is and if it communicates the message and vibe you intend.
Examples of writers’ aesthetics
Before discussing how to find yours, let’s take a look at a few well-known aesthetics from several writers.
Nicholas Sparks
Consider Nicholas Sparks’ writing aesthetic. I still remember going to see The Fault in Our Stars and the entire theater crying in the rows behind me.
We all knew what we were getting into when we bought a ticket to see his novel on the big screen: romance, difficult life circumstances, and likely, a heartbreaking ending. This is the essence of his aesthetic.
Dani Pettrey
On the other hand, when you open a Dani Pettrey book you know you’ll find elements of thrillers, often a subplot of romance, and an ending that makes you feel both satisfied yet eager for the next book.
She uses her prose to drive the plot forward and focuses on the intricacy of her plots over a more literary style of writing. As a result, her books are riveting and a very fast-paced read.
Victoria Aveyard
However, when I think of Victoria Aveyard, I think of extremely detailed worlds, unexpected character development, distinct genre, and romantic tension.
Brené Brown
For an example of a nonfiction writer’s aesthetic, consider bestselling author Brené Brown. What comes to mind when you think of her work?
You likely thought of the word vulnerability, one that resulted in her TED Talk going viral. You may have thought of the approachability of her work and how it empowers others.
When I think of her I often think of her well-researched insights and professionalism, interspersed with a mix of chosen swear words. She uses her work to help others, is down to earth, and well-thought.
Did you notice what differentiates each of these writing aesthetics? Let’s now take a look at yours.
How to find your writing aesthetic?
A helpful first step to find your writing aesthetic is to analyze your current writing style, the themes you write on, and the authors who inspire your writing/writers you emulate.
What are the 4 types of aesthetics?
There are many writing styles, and therefore writing aesthetics, but you may start by focusing on descriptive, narrative, expository, or persuasive:
- A descriptive writing aesthetic leans on the power of heavy, descriptive language to bring settings and ideas to life.
- A narrative style focuses on telling a story via focusing on plot and characters. Narrative aesthetic can be applied to nonfiction as well as fiction (for a nonfiction example, check out Blue Like Jazz).
- An expository style writer uses their writing to inform. Communicating facts is their primary objective.
- Persuasive writers may exposit but they do so with the goal of persuading. They may use ethos, pathos, or logos as a means to this end.
You can mix and match a few of these together. For example, perhaps you are a fiction writer and focus on literary fiction, but write in a way that exposits (provides factual information).
If you write persuasive nonfiction, maybe you are an advocate for a healthy lifestyle but also use detailed description to share your own journey to health.
What are the themes you gravitate to?
There are various themes in storytelling and the ones you repeatedly gravitate to can help you articulate your writing aesthetic.
Here is a short list of various themes you may have used in the past or want to use in the future:
- Coming of age
- Power
- Justice
- Corruption
- Love
- Nature
- Freedom
- Survival
- Overcoming
Whether you write fiction or nonfiction, these themes apply. If you have written a variety of work, say short stories, blogs, and a full-length manuscript, you may wonder if you can articulate your themes across these works.
Simply look at the various threads that run throughout your various writing. Maybe you wrote a fiction thriller on survival, guest blogged for a nature enthusiast on the top five ways to ensure a good camping experience, and crafted a short story on your experience hiking Yosemite.
While these may not seem distinctly similar, they each have the thread of survival and/or nature. Once you articulate the themes that run through all your works, you’re well on your way to articulate your writing aesthetic.
What authors do you emulate?
One of the most helpful ways to articulate your aesthetic is to read widely as a means of discovering the types of authors you tend to emulate. While you never want to copy a writer’s distinct style, you can use their writing as inspiration for your own.
You may want to read in your genre, and this is a great choice, but don’t overlook the importance of reading outside your genre to articulate your style.
For instance, you might find a journalist whose writing you love and resembles yours, even though you write historical fiction.
If you write nonfiction, you can pull ideas for narrative writing from a great, fiction book series you love. I don’t write middle grade fiction, but I’ve learned so much from reading the Harry Potter series. Let’s look at a few great authors with differing writing aesthetics.
Percival Everett
Percival Everett wrote James (winner of the National Book Award), which is a poetic, philosophical narrative that pulls from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
His writing is concise and poetic all at once, weaving deep insights into high action in an effortless manner that kept me turning pages.
James Clear
Well-known as the author of Atomic Habits, James Clear focuses on the power of making small, “atomic” changes to create lasting, big results.
Per the messaging of his book, he uses small sentences that pack a powerful punch. Whether you sign up for his 3-2-1 newsletter or follow him on social media, his writing aesthetic chases productivity and hitting goals.
Jackie Hill Perry
Jackie Hill Perry is a poet and hip hop artist who is now known as an articulate speaker and author. While she writes nonfiction, her love for crafting language comes through on every page of her writing and even in her public speaking. If you want to write in a more literary style, but also write nonfiction, you may benefit from her work.
Articulating your own aesthetic
Once you identify the type of writing style you gravitate to, themes you love, and authors you emulate, choose a keyword or two from each category.
For example, you may write descriptive fiction, incorporate themes of overcoming and survival, and use a concise yet literary tone. Just as you play around with book cover design before settling on the perfect one for your book, do the same with your writing aesthetic.
Don’t forget your aesthetic will morph and grow as you achieve more and more as a writer.
Why aesthetic matters
The aesthetic readers associate with your writing matters because it is an extension of your personal brand. Often, the steps to success include brainstorming and then refining your author brand again and again.
If you want to make money publishing books on Amazon, readers need to know what they are getting when they choose to purchase your book.
Imagine for a moment that you are Alex Aster, the author behind the bestselling novel, Lightlark. Instead of writing its sequel, Nightbane, with a similar tone and setting, what if she had written a self-help book?
She likely would have lost the majority of her readers. Why? Her readers follow her because they love her characters, setting, and plot. They follow her for her distinct writing aesthetic.
While I’m sure Alex could write a fantastic book on how to press on despite the odds being stacked against her, at least right now, this type of genre does not align with her writing aesthetic.
You can always evolve your aesthetic, but take calculated steps to do so in order to avoid shocking your readers and risk losing a portion of your readership.
Writing aesthetic: take your next step
Now that you what an aesthetic entails, it’s time to take your next step. Take our free Publishing Path Assessment to determine the best way to reach your author goals!
