Writing Tip: Practice Different Writing Styles

I saw this exercise over at The Longstockings, and thought it would be interesting to try out. Of course I can’t find the exact post now, but it was along the gist of experimenting with writing the first sentence of a story in different genres…which may lead to many more.

I’ll make this a variation from the exercise I read about. How about if we write a few sentences from any point of the story. Beginning, middle or end. Your choice.

Let’s try writing about this storyline:
Two sisters discover a secret passage in their aunt’s house.

So here are the categories I chose:
Easy Reader
MG/YA Fantasy/Adventure
MG/YA Historical Fiction
Edgy YA
Poetry

Keep in mind, the lines don’t have to be perfect. This is an exercise to see if you can find a voice out of your comfort zone. You may find you’re intrigued by a different genre once you try this.

Historical Fiction is totally out of my comfort zone. So here’s my try at it:
Lady Smythe smoothed out imaginary wrinkles from her crisp crinoline skirts. She walked over to the fireplace and ran her fingers along the edge of the mantel. Click. The fireplace groaned open to reveal a long hallway. Elizabeth gasped from her hiding place.