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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/47204
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/47204
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Inspired by @ashleylee, but then I was going into even more detail.

I think this CAN lead to being a mastery, but not if one ONLY copies ONE creator. It's a good learning tool, but studying more styles gives one more options on how to approach any scenario.

Sometimes it may just be from immersion: I'm on an [Arthur Conan Doyle non-Holmes](https://librivox.org/author/467?primary_key=467&search_category=author&search_page=2&search_form=get_results) kick right now via librivox.org , and that leads to my writing in a more formal style than when I am mostly reading online articles.

Sometimes it is direct imitation, just to see HOW did they do it?

If someone's writing handles an area well you have trouble with, study and imitate how they do it, then ALSO see how others do it. Like if you feel there's no "chemistry" between your own characters, find a few Romance authors who have that spark. Maybe first imitate one of them in having your characters meet. Then find a second author, and imitate that one closely. See what was similar or different. Maybe bring in a third romance one, maybe try for something from another genre that also has good character connections.

(Often TV Tropes, though it's a time-sink, can help you identify the tropes (or narrative tools and expectations) that are being used, if you can find your Template Story in there. Or it can give you others to contrast with: [https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BoyMeetsGirl](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BoyMeetsGirl) and [https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MeetCute](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MeetCute) ) Just remember: tropes are not bad, they're tools. Other writers also developed their tools, and there are a lot of ways to do so.

**If you learn well by taking something apart to put it together again, imitation can be an excellent way to gain that understanding of writing.**

Original score: 2