How can you stay up-to-date with writing styles and formats?

As a medical communication writer, I have to interact with multiple clients, projects and therapy areas. These projects and clients and ensure that my writing matches the requirement and I ensure that I learn a lot during the process of writing. Adopting different styles, style guides and formats allows a mutual win-win situation for both my clients and my work. A writer cannot be be a good writer unless he or she spends a good amount of time learning and relearning. The easiest way to learn new styles is by reading implementing and relearning. Incorporating another layer of teaching can do wonders. So I learn, do and then teach- the golden triangle of learning. There is no shortcut to these steps!

Amen, reading is the best way to improve your indivual style of writng. Reading helps you learn how you would like your book to flow from chapter to chapter. I do not think we need to focus on how others write, but keep our minds open to using our own skills and style.

Try reading literature of speciality but always keep a book for your own pleasure close to you. It is amazing how creative the brain gets when it is feeling relaxed. Try ghostwriting. Search for a style and copy it. Write stories, short paragraphs, just to keep yourself active. One paragraph a day keeps the creative block away.

These resources are indispensable and life saviour when I get stuck. In my profession of Medical Communications style guides play a very important role in ensuring standard format. Style guides/handbooks and guidelines come handy in providing both clarity on context and content. This is absolutely important in Healthcare and Medical Communications.

Feedback is uncomfortable but it is critical in your writing growth. Seek for feedback as much as possible. From professional writers, editors but also from readers who love reading. They are wired to see inconsistencies.

Amen, we can learn from other writers how we want our characters to fit in a scene and use our style that expresses who and where they are. Other writers have helped me sharpen my characters, the enviroment they are in, and the information I want the reader to take in about the person and place they are in.

Practice sharpens a writers perspective and how they can get their story to come alive. It will take more practice when you begin but you will need less practice your second book or article.

The best exercise I have done my entire life was to write children's stories. One short story every week. Followed by a technical article. Creative writing helps you simplify technical articles and everyone loves stories.

A true writer never stops sharpening their skills like a pencil continually needs to be sharpened. I use any media method and books to learn from as well as writing groups. When I watch a movie I always have a writing pad to write down ideas that come to my head. I have a writng pad in my book bag. You never know when an idea will come and you want to be ready when it does. ???

Indeed, writing is an evolving craft. As a writer, you need to commit to expanding your knowledge in different topics. Of course, being a specialist is good. But as our digital society evolves, there are more and more things to write about. Taking on new, emerging topics can be challenging but every challenge is an opportunity to help you become a better writer than you are now. The room for improvement, as they say, will always be the biggest room of them all.