Her musical style can also be identified with her songwriting. As a musical artist, Oslin wrote most of her material. Many of her compositions centered on characters going through the trials and tribulations of middle age. According to Oslin, she developed songwriting inspiration from her friends who were going through martial difficulties. "I learn from watching people and try to put it in terms that music fans would find interesting," she explained in 1988. Bill Friskics-Warren of "The New York Times" wrote that Oslin "gave voice to the desires and trials of female baby boomers on the cusp of middle age." In "Finding Her Voice: The History of Women in Country Music," Oslin "became the beacon of inspiration for every middle-aged woman who felt vibrant yet overlooked." Dennis Hunt of "The Los Angeles Times" called her writing "penetrating, vivid tales of women in turmoil."