Comparing Your Style To Other Writers

During one of my internet surfs about publishing and the book world, I encountered a Reddit page. A budding writer there said she hadn’t been able to write her book in a while because she couldn’t stop comparing herself to a very popular author. And anything she writes, she hates it because she feels it’s not as good as that author’s.

I totally understand this scenario. I too had a brief phase like that, when I read books that blew my mind and wanted to recreate that feeling. And I kept feeling like my words weren’t evoking a similar effect. It was a brief stint though, because for me I HAVE to write. Especially when I’m brimming with ideas I’m excited about. So whatever hurdle might want to stand in the way of letting the story out, I will somehow shake it off because the story won’t stay in, unwritten.

However, while some in the Reddit comments were not very sympathetic, asking the writer to get over it and insisting comparison is the thief of joy, etc. I totally understood her feelings.

And I looked back and realized I haven’t had that feeling in a long, long time. And even now, I won’t have the feeling about anyone’s work. Why? Because while I might be 26, I’ve matured very much as a writer in the past four years when I decided to pursue writing professionally. After many stories written, digging deep and trying different approaches to find my own voice, I have built my writing to what is now uniquely me. Even though I know I’ll continue to grow the more I write, I’ve found my foundational voice and direction as a writer. I feel confident in it. Therefore, I cannot read another book that blows my mind, and then start to wish my prose read like the author’s.

The Way Forward

This makes me sure that maturing as a writer is the way forward in this scenario. As a newer writer, especially one that has dreams to be published, you have likely seen big-named authors that stand out amongst the rest and aspire for what they have. You want to make readers feel as rabid about your book the way they feel rabid about these authors’ books. So it’s easy to subconsciously want to walk very closely in their shadow. And any time your real voice peeks out, any time your writing isn’t identical to that author’s, you feel like you’ve written crap. Yet unless you want to repeat verbatim what the author has written, your real voice and story HAS to take center stage. So indeed it’s a serious struggle.

Still—keep striving to advance from new writer to mature, confident writer. Keep writing. Keep working towards finding your voice. Don’t continue chasing the shadows of that author you admire. Be inspired by them, learn from them—to a degree. But also know that their story/writing only moved you so much because they found their own voice and stayed true to it.

Personal Recount

There’s an author whose books I absolutely loved when I first read them. I found myself swept up completely in the story and world they created. And afterwards, I had the above struggle as I tried to recreate that swept-away experience with my own manuscript. Looking back now, after discovering my writing voice, I don’t actually love the author’s writing style. Once you start reading, you fall in and the words paint an active and absolutely enchanting picture; the author is a master at that! But from a more technical standpoint, I saw that there was much wrong with the writing style. And while I think the author should totally enjoy and explore their style, I have come to know that I personally prefer crafting a smoother and more put-together prose. This separation and individuality was a major sign of growth/writing maturity for me!

Do you have two-cents for writers that struggle with such comparison?