When writing, have you ever changed how you wrote and took inspiration form the way others wrote.
I know I did and I'm experimenting with how I write still.
Tell me if you ever had
Where to begin...
When I first started writing my style was horribly clumsy and terribly unrefined.
I'd go so far as to say it was about ten leagues worse than the worst ai-gen trash you'd find anywhere these days.
I could barely string a couple of sentences together to craft anything resembling "creative writing", but that was back when I was in high school.
Over the years I've since honed and refined my style and authorial voice, drawing inspiration from several of my own favorite authors and creators, before finally reaching the point where I felt confident enough to actually put my name on the works that I'd released.
Numerous critiques from my professors and beta-readers, along with inspiration drawn from the classical and gothic authorial styles converged to help me refine and craft my own style alongside the years I'd spent running TTRPG campaigns and adventures for my friends, along with plenty of reading and self-reflection brought me to the point where I'm at now.
Among some of my favorite authors to read are Erin M. Evans, R.A. Salvatore, John Flannagan, Anne Rice, C.S. Lewis, Mary Shelley, and of course, J.R.R. Tolkien, and without a doubt their styles have certainly had an influence on mine. Though, if you asked if I write like any of them, I'd have to say no. Right now, with where I am at today, I can confidently say my style, and my authorial voice, are my own.
It is built around a literary density reminiscent of classical and gothic authorial styles, with a deliberate and intentional control over pacing, tone, and characterization. Whether it's 'Good' or not, well that's not for me to arbitrarily say since that's truly a matter of personal preference. I'm comfortable with it, and it is as close as I've managed to get so far to the style I most enjoy reading. That said, it certainly isn't for everyone, and I'm sure quite a few will self-select out of reading early on.
So yes, I've changed how I write in many ways over the last twenty years or so that I spent honing and refining my authorial style and voice to the point where it is at today.