Every writer has their own unique style. The style shines through in every work the author creates, whether it be in a short non-fiction work or a long and drawn out, suspense-filled fiction novel that requires multiple volumes to be completed. An author’s style is like a fingerprint, they are all different and that is how writing is supposed to be. If every author wrote the same exact way, who on earth would want to read it? No one, simply because of the boredom.

An author should never fear repercussions of being themselves even if that means writing exactly the way they talk, exactly as they think. This will make the mental playground of writing so much more worth while. By all means, if what an author is writing is meant for a younger crowd then, of course, they should filter their thinking and writing as they would their speech when the work is meant for children to enjoy.

However, the same thing rings true from the other side. If an author is writing for the adult crowd, then filtering they way they think, speak and write should not be an issue.

Again, as human beings we speak the way we think and we write the way we speak and think; this is not a paradox, just true.

That being said, slang should not be left out of the dialogue. By dialogue I am referring to words spoken between characters, not the information in the text body. Most of modern day society uses slang of some kind to some degree every day, therefore it would not be that far fetched to assume that reading the type of speach the reader is accustomed to would not be much of a problem.

Another point in the whole idea of writing in a unique style is the world of poetry. Some of the most famous poets will actually misspell a word or two (sometimes even more than that) on purpose. That’s right, on purpose. That is not to say poets misspell every word when and where they can, they only use it when necessary to convey the message intended.

Poets have discovered that purposely breaking one word to form another will actually deliver the idea they want to convey much more effectively, making their poems not only rhyme better in certain stanzas but also convey the emotion they intended. This particular talent is not only reserved for poetry, some song writers use the same concept, usually via a sort of slang as do writers of novels.

It would be safe to say that it would be quite difficult to deliver the whole ‘down home southern style story’ without throwing in a 'y’all, yonder and reckon' somewhere in the dialogue. The same applies to the rough and tough sounds of other types of speech.

Point being, authors should never try to write something they can’t get caught up in themselves; that is where a writer finds their own style. That’s where remembering to “write your way” is one of the greatest tools an author has at their disposal.

Although, there is nothing wrong with articulating with great grammar and spelling in the main text body, authors should not limit themselves to those norms nor should they always conform to the standards laid out in perfect speech when working within the dialogue between characters. Even the most judgmental critic recognizes the need for unique styles of writing, that is a major part of being a creative writer aka an author. If your characters are supposed to be from a different country, allow that to flow into their dialogue in a comprehensible manner.

Remember, write your way does not mean to throw the grammar and spelling book away because these are essential to the development and marketability of your work. The main thing to remember is to outline your story with a good plot with characters that fit the era and locations you plan on writing about. Keep the information in your book free of grammar issues while allowing your characters to have interesting personalities of their own.