Every writer has their influences. It’s common, especially for beginners, to start by emulating those they admire. Their works provide a valuable framework for learning and discovering your voice.
But imitation shouldn’t mean plagiarism. Your writing must contain something unique—something that’s you. Let’s discuss how you can find that balance in your writing journey.
Why Writers Start as Copycats
Like everyone else, writers learn by mirroring the masters. Regardless of genre or format, there’s always someone you admire in the craft. They’re probably the ones who inspire you to write!
But when you copy your heroes, the result feels lacking and hollow. So what’s the difference? Is there a formula that great writers keep secret?
Your writing feels wrong because:
- Their writing skills are at a level you find difficult to copy.
- You admire their words, but they aren’t your own.
- You don’t understand why they write the way they do.
But that’s only during the start of your copycat journey. As you dissect and replicate their techniques, you begin to understand what makes effective writing.
Emulating your favorite writer can also be comforting. You get a sense of direction while you’re still establishing your own style. It makes the initial uncertainties of writing more tolerable. And when you feel uninspired, you can get into their mindset to spark new ideas.
How To Imitate Your Favorite Writer
Check out these few tips you can use to better understand and mimic your writing heroes.
Copy word for word.
Choose one of their words and transcribe it exactly as it is written. This forces you to look at the minute details of their writing.
Why this word? What’s the point of that comma? Why use this particular storytelling technique?
This isn’t rare. Hunter S. Thompson, Jack London, and Robert Louis Stevenson did it with works they loved. Even copywriters swear by copying successful ads by hand.
Read like a writer.
As a reader, you are more concerned with figuring out the meaning of what you’re reading. When you read like a writer, you also focus on syntax instead of only meaning.
You begin to distill another writer’s vocabulary, themes, tone, and structure. The combination and usage of all these things is a big part of what makes their voice and style unique.
Rewrite their works and ideas.
Consider how you would have written their works. What would you have kept or changed?
Rewrite a short excerpt of their works in your own words. Try to maintain their tone and structure.
Or you can write short scenes inspired by the themes and events they explore. Write while imagining how they would have described it.
This helps you internalize their writing without direct copying. It also gets you to explore a different way of writing from your own.
Read their worst works.
Try to find a writer’s earlier works. They’re the pieces that are rough, awkward, and often straight-up bad. See how they’ve grown as a writer.
This isn’t limited to your heroes. Read any terrible book, really. Think of what makes it terrible, avoid it, and think of what improvements you would have made.
In the words of Alan Moore (Watchmen, V for Vendetta):
“As a prospective writer, I would urge you to not only read good books. Read terrible books as well, because they can be more inspiring than the good books.”
Don’t stop at one writer.
John Milton said it himself: “Copy from one, it’s plagiarism. Copy from two, it’s research.”
Plenty of fantasy writers get accused of being Tolkien copycats. It’s not because they populate their world with elves, dwarves, and orcs. That’s not enough to be plagiarism. If it was, Tolkien himself would be a copycat, having drawn heavily from mythology.
It’s because they write stories too close to his worldbuilding and prose. When you only pull from one influence, it’s easy to become tethered to that writer’s style.
Blend what you learn from multiple writers. This helps you create a multi-layered piece that isn’t confined to any single voice. Make it yours by using influences as building blocks, not strict blueprints.
Experiment.
Dedicate specific writing sessions to copying them. Experiment with their habits, techniques, or routines.
Discover what works for you and what doesn’t. Over time, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of their style and insight into your own.
Integrate, Don’t Duplicate
Imitation is a thin grey line. On one hand, you can create a work that is inspired. On the other, a work that is plagiarized.
Remember, copying your favorite writers should only be one step to finding your unique style. Adapt what you admire to express your ideas, experiences, and perspectives. Imitation should be a springboard, not the ceiling.
Which writers do you like to imitate? Share your thoughts below!
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Cole is a blog writer and aspiring novelist. He has a degree in Communications and is an advocate of media and information literacy and responsible media practices. Aside from his interest in technology, crafts, and food, he’s also your typical science fiction and fantasy junkie, spending most of his free time reading through an ever-growing to-be-read list. It’s either that or procrastinating over actually writing his book. Wish him luck!
