5 Different Blogging Voices

I'm an analyzer by nature - let's just get that one out there - and one of the things I often think about is my writing style, aka blogging voice.  I have often read that you need to find your blogging voice so that you have a unique, authentic, and well-defined style.  Your blogging voice is your online personality that defines how you come across to the reader.  You can read an article about it here (a writer whose blogging voice apparently includes bad words).  

Since I started blogging over two years ago I occasionally often think about what I would like my writing style to be like.  Prior to blogging I had participated in some discussion boards, but I usually found that my contributions were a bit - well - dry and informative, shall we say, rather than chatty and friendly.  So when I started the blog, I really made an effort to try and be more informal, relaxed, and conversational, and dare I say it, even funny.  One of the reasons I wanted to do that was that in real life I feel that I am approachable, chatty, and funny and I didn't think any of those things were coming across in my contributions to the discussion boards.   I worked hard at loosening up my writing style and at the same time I paid attention to how other people were writing on their blogs.  

As I observed different blogs, I started to notice a variety of writing styles and, being who I am, I began to see patterns in the different voices that people used.  Eventually I narrowed down the patterns to five writing styles.  

I thought you might find it interesting to read about the different blogging voices to think about what type of writing style your blog is and what style you admire.   It also seems like a fun way to highlight some of the blogs I read and enjoy (although it is by no means an exhaustive list as I follow over 400 blogs - I know, I know I have a problem!).


It goes without saying that no one writing style is better than another.  They are all just different and even on one blog you may find a variety of writing styles for different types of posts.  By the way, I have linked to a post for each of the blogs listed below that I think is representative of their writing style.  Have fun - I listed lots for your viewing pleasure!

1.  Informative/down-to-earth  - This is the most common writing style.  It gets the job done and lets the audience know the details in a clear and straight-forward manner.   

• Centsational Girl
• Cottag3
• Blue Clear Sky
• On Sutton Place
• http://ricki-treleaven.blogspot.ca/2012/03/chocolate-cake.html
• An Anglo in Quebec
• An Urban Cottage
• Savvy Southern Style
• Colour Me Happy
• Rambling Renovators
• Echoes of Laughter

2. Friendly/chatty - this one is similar to the first, but there is just a little something about it that makes it feel a little more intimate - like you are sitting down for a chat over a cup of coffee.  It's hard to put your finger on the difference, but I think it has to do with being asked questions and involved in some way, being called friend or other terms of endearment, and revealing inside information about the blogger's life.

• Design mom
• The Lettered Cottage
• The Inspired Room
• Razmataz

3.  Humourous - this writing style is one of my personal favourites.  It can range from punny funny to witty funny to sort of verbal slapstick.

• My edit  (witty funny)
• Bowerpower (verbal slapstick)
• A Femme D'Un Certain Age 
• Meridian Road (witty funny)
• Thistlewood Farm
• Young house love (punny funny - they also fit very well with category #1 too)

4.  Inspirational/story-telling - this writing style is difficult to do and works best for the master writers out there.  While I love reading these type of blogs and find them uplifting and inspiring, it isn't really a style I can do well.

• Low Tide High Style (also has amazing photos of birds, among other things)
• My French country Home

5.  Dreamy/wistful/sentimental - the emotional good and bad of life described in a loving sweet way.  While I admire this style very much it is not something I am capable of writing as it really isn't my personality online or in real life.

• Lisa Leonard
• A Day in the Country 
• Cinnamon Post
• Nieniedialogues
• Little Prairie Baby
• The House that A-M Built
• A Country Farmhouse

Would you add any other writing styles?  Which ones describe your blog?