In a recent workshop, I was asked to explain the difference between passive and active voice. Think of active voice as being more direct, with a noun (the subject of the sentence) doing a verb (the action of the sentence): “Daryl caught the ball” (noun=Daryl, verb=caught) or “The script revealed the killer on the first…
Tag: Passive Voice
The Strong vs the Weak
In my writing critiques I often advise authors to use more strong, active verbs and fewer weak, passive verbs. Yet, when it comes to verbs, strong doesn’t actually mean active and weak doesn’t actually mean passive, even though that’s what they are often labeled today. Starken und Schwachen Verben When I was an undergrad I…
Guest: Jason Henry Evans – Craft Corner, The Passive Voice
Welcome to the Craft Corner. I am relatively new to the world of writing fiction, so as I step into landmines and blow up another writing convention, I will be sure to write about it here. Enough about me. Let’s talk about the passive voice. What is it? Why is there such an uproar over…