Review the type of writing markets and forums that you want to write for, and diversify your writing style to match the writing style published in those markets and forums. One size does not fit all.

When I reviewed the rules and guidelines for the master’s thesis that I wrote for my Master of Science Degree in Criminal Justice at the University of Cincinnati (UC), I was actually glad to see UC’s published statement that the average master’s thesis at UC was about 25-30 pages. Finally, no one was tying my hands with these teeny 2-3 page papers! I was free to research, analyze, and write a paper with enough detail to actually adequately explore my chosen topic (a copy of my master’s thesis is on the portfolio page of this blog). My final thesis was about 42 pages, not including the reference pages.

While it is important to “stay on topic,” writing styles may vary some depending on the specific writing market or forum. You’d more than likely write shorter and snappier sentences and paragraphs for a blog, than you would for an investigative article, marketing copy, or academic papers.

Write intelligently and concisely for any writing market and forum, and never forget to think of and consider your readers.