Editor’s Picks — Top 10: A Perfect Writing Style Is Not Possible

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After the end of her marriage in November 1993, J.K. Rowling returned to England from Spain.

She wrote later, ‘I was set free because my greatest fear had been realized, and I was still alive, and I still had a daughter whom I adored, and I had an old typewriter and a big idea. And so rock bottom became a solid foundation on which I could rebuild my life.’

Writing is hard work. Rowling wrote the novel while living with her mother, on government benefits. When she finished writing her big idea, her manuscript was rejected by 12 publishers. They did not like her writing style.

It was so simple and full of flaws that only a child could like it, the publishers said. And they were right; later, the kids — young and old — loved it.

When one publisher gave one chapter of the manuscript to his daughter to read, she kept asking for the next chapter as if she wanted to know what happened next. Over the years, J.K. Rowling has sold over 450 million copies of Harry Potter to children all over the world.

J. K. Rowling’s writing style is controversial. Reviews on the Internet show great admiration from fans and putdowns from literary critics.

Those who are mainly concerned with writing style, literary standards, perfect characters, and well-crafted scenes, don’t like her work. J.K. Rowling needed the book finished to support herself and her daughter. She didn’t have time to make her writing style perfect.

Decades later, when she wrote not-for-children novels — almost perfect as far as the literary standards are concerned — these novels failed to perform like the Harry Potter series.

You can try to write perfectly — and not sell — or you can try to engage your readers and write a bestseller.

I read a critical essay that revealed the imperfections of Harry Potter. It talked of 13 big plot holes.

“As obsessive fans will tell you, I do slip up!” Rowling admitted on her fan-site. “Several classrooms move floors mysteriously between books, and these are the least serious continuity errors! Most of the fan sites will point you in the direction of my mistakes.”

The beauty of style is hidden in your creativity, originality, and ability to touch the hearts of your readers. Despite the imperfect characters, plot holes, and errors, writing Harry Potter is an accomplishment no other writer has paralleled in the history of written words.

If your style is readable, and you can use it to convey your ideas to your reader, it is your writing style — no matter what anybody else says. You may not like your writing style, but if you stick to it long enough, you’ll have thousands of followers willing to read your work — with all its imperfections and flaws.

Let’s read our top 10 writers who write in their signature style:

10. What If I’m Not Good Enough?

Neha Doshi is an English teacher and a fine writer. Do check her other work.

Since 2018, the Office of National Statistics has conducted surveys regarding the gender pay gap in the UK. What has been revealed is that even in industries where women make up the greater workforce, men earn on average more than women. That is not to say that women earn less for the same work — technically that would be illegal — but that women are lacking in positions of leadership, or do not apply for higher paying roles.

9. I Tried Writing True Crime

Sarah Lyall-Neal, PsyD is a business coach, speaker, and psychologist. She is an excellent writer as well. Her writing style is frank, direct, and engaging. She is talking about how writing true crime gave her a new respect for her favorite content creators. Don’t miss this one.

If you were to ask any of my friends what I geek out on the most, they would likely say true crime. I am a sucker for true crime podcasts, TV shows, and books. What can I say? I love a mystery. There is always someone out there who knows the whole story, finding them is the hard part.

Turns out I’m not alone in my love of true crime content. A study completed by the University of Illinois found that if given a choice of violent reading material, women were more likely to choose true crime, whereas men were more likely to choose non-fiction books about war or gang violence.

8. The Fault In Our Loyalties

Adam Prescott is a software engineer and manager of people. He is an outstanding writer. His style is simple, direct, and engaging. Do check his other work.

Regardless of your position in a company, you’re probably a part of multiple teams. You have an immediate team — the people you work with every day. There’s another team made up of everybody in your department, and you might also be on a team with peers from other departments. And within those teams, there might be even more virtual teams that you belong to.

The point is, you’ve got a lot of teams beyond the one you’re assigned to on the org chart.

7. Losing Your Job is a Blessing

Julia Appa is a 21-year-old student who loves reading and engaging with different ideas. She has been wanting to be a writer since she was six.

She is an excellent writer. Her style is formal, informative, and highly engaging. She is offering a new perspective here. Don’t miss this one.

A majority of Americans hates their jobs. According to a report by CBS News, two-thirds of employees are disengaged at work and feel no real connection to their jobs.

Given that most employees do the same thing every single day for 40, 50 or even 60 hours a week, it’s no wonder they grow tired of their work. If their personal values do not align with the values of the company, there is an even bigger chance they’ll get miserable.

6. How to Budget Your Way to Debt Freedom

Matt Reicher is a researcher, writer, and content creator. He is a superb writer. His style is formal, direct, and engaging. Do check his other work as well.

“There is scarcely anything that drags a person down like debt. “~P.T. Barnum

The United States is a country in which a large part of its citizens lives in financial disarray. Stress and anxiety from our debts are exacerbated by the current pandemic’s added economic woes. It can leave one feeling lost like there is no light at the end of the tunnel. But, merely taking an in depth look at your financial situation and making positive changes will eventually fix things. To do this properly, you’ll need to create a budget.

5. Why You Should Avoid Making Own App

Dmytro Khmelenko is a software engineer and a fine writer.

Some time ago I started exploring available options for a side hustle. In the beginning, I was thinking about doing something interesting after work and learn new technologies. After some time I started thinking if it is possible to monetize it. You have an app, users all around the world are using it, making purchases and you become rich just like Warren Buffett said once.

If you don’t find a way to make money while you sleep, you will work until you die.

― Warren Buffett

4. Vaccine Opposition, an Origin Story

Bashar Salame loves to write about restoring health and enhancing life. He is an exceptional writer. His style is informative and engaging. Don’t miss this one and check his other work.

Science saves, plain and simple. Science saves time, science saves energy, and above all, science saves lives. Scientific advancements have led to a vast array of efficiencies, improvements in energy production and usage, travel, as well as countless medical breakthroughs.

One reason for this has to do with clinical trials. Typically, a clinical trial begins with animals. Provided the study shows efficacy and the animals do well, only then will researchers move on to people. Beginning with small groups, researchers increase trial participants until a well representative portion of the population is studied.

3. It Is Possible To Move Beyond Grief

Dr. Deborah M. Vereen is an educator and an author. She writes to speak her truth. She is a skilled writer. Her writing style is honest and engaging. Don’t forget to check her other work.

The 2019 holiday season was very typical for me. I embraced the excitement and the true meaning as I always did.

While I silently protested as my father asked me to complete his Christmas shopping for my mother during the final hours before store closed as he did most of my adult life, I braved the cold evening elements as well as the crowds and purchased his gifts. My daughter and I selected memorable gifts for my mother on his behalf. I remember how carefully I wrapped a large box containing several packages of gourmet coffee that I ordered for my father for yet another Christmas. The delicious aroma of the flavored coffee packages penetrated the large box as I wrapped it. The smell of the fresh coffee added enjoyment to my gift wrapping.

2. 5 Red Flags You Must Not Ignore in People You Hang Out With

Haris Mohammad is a coach, trader, and engineer. He writes about personal growth, money, and business. He is an excellent writer. His writing style is thought-provoking and engaging. Do check his other work.

There are certain kinds of people we hate to have around us. Most notably, the kind prone to abusive and violent outbursts. However, not everyone bad for us gives out such loud and obvious signals.

In fact, certain traits make people likable to us when it’s in our best interests to stay away from them. Besides, sometimes even well-meaning friends can cause us much harm through unintended consequences of their actions.

1. Now Is the Time to Discuss Order Fulfilment

At number one, it is Paul Myers MBA. He is a top writer in Business, Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Startups and Innovation.

If you are interested in topics he writes about, follow him. He can provide you valuable advice in his areas of expertise. Don’t forget to check his other work and wait for his next piece.

COVID-19 caused the global pandemic that led to supply chain disruption at a scale never witnessed before. A once in a lifetime event that brought hardship for offline retailers, but a silver lining too as many pivoted, accelerating their eCommerce channel strategy.

Third-party logistics companies are front line workers that stepped up to keep the gears of commerce turning. They are the silent outsourcing partners that help brands, from startups to established players in the online retailing space, to scale and cope during this pandemic.

Final Thoughts

If your story was selected as one of the Top 10, please share another one of your stories in the comments with a brief introduction and a short review that can convince a reader to read your piece. (Please write the review in the third person and start it with your name.)

I must have missed something today. I cannot read every story on Illumination and Illumination-Curated. Dr Mehmet Yildiz, the Chief Editor and Founder of Illumination and Illumination-Curated, read, highlighted, and applauded every good story when he started his publications. He still reads almost all of the good ones. I try — and fail daily — to read all of the masterpieces.

Dr Mehmet Yildiz has kindly allowed our top 10 series a full shelf on the front page of Illumination-Curated and Illumination:

So, help me to find and rank the best work of the writers of Illumination and Illumination-Curated.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Why and How to Publish Stories As Frequently as Possible

You can read my curated stories here.