Welcome to our weekly blog link-up!
We’re in the middle of a month-long writing challenge called 31 Days of Five Minute Free Writes. Each day in October I provide a one-word writing prompt and encourage participants to free write for five minutes flat.
See a list of challenge participants here.
I’ve been writing my own series on 31 Days of Writing Tips. You can find other posts in this series on this page.
Today’s writing prompt is: ACTIVE
Today’s writing tip is: Use active voice (not passive voice) as much as possible in your writing.
This tip was one of my biggest struggles while writing my first book. Apparently I naturally gravitate to passive voice unless I make a conscious effort otherwise!
In his article, “How to Fix Passive Voice,” bestselling author Jerry Jenkins points out that using active voice is one way to help your work stand out and look more professional to editors and readers alike.
He writes, “Avoiding passive voice will set you apart from much of your competition, but even better, if will give your writing a distinct ring of clarity. Scour your work-in-progress for passive voice, root it out, replace it with active, and see how much more powerfully it reads. That’s the kind of writing that gets more of an editor’s time.”
What’s the difference between active voice and passive voice?
In active voice, the subject of the sentence DOES the action.
In passive voice, the subject RECEIVES the action, or is acted upon.
Here are some examples:
Passive: My hand was bitten by a dog.
Active: A dog bit my hand.
Passive: The event was organized by Pam.
Active: Pam organized the event.
Passive: The birthday cake was baked by my daughter.
Active: My daughter baked the birthday cake.
A challenge for you: Scan through your work and change as many passive sentences into active voice.
Find more writing tips here.
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Have you signed up for the FREE Virtual Writer’s Retreat yet?
I’ll be one of six speakers sharing tips and practical steps for how to write your book.
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Even if you can’t participate live on October 26th, sign up anyway because the videos will be available for free for 48 hours in the event Facebook group. If you’d like lifetime access to the video content and other bonuses, you can get all of it for just $39! Such a deal!
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Join the link-up below with your own five minute free write, then visit your link-up neighbor to read their post and leave an encouraging comment!
The voice I use is always active,
even when I surely ain’t.
It’s usually a profane directive
that will peel the ******* paint.
The tumours hew to cancer’s laws,
and it’s so hard to draw breath,
but perhaps my words will give pause
and I’ll scare it half to death.
I always thought that ‘gentlemanly’
would be written on my final blurb,
but every second word seems lately
to be a seven-letter adverb.
I really don’t know how Barb can bear it;
it’s like living with a sailor’s parrot.
Andrew,
Every time I read your poetry, I think: “How does he do that?!”
I surely hope and pray that if you have children you will publish your work. What a legacy:)
Katie
Katie, wow, thank you!
The poems will eventually be published, in a couple of volumes. A good friend will act as my memorialist in this regard.
My students call me the queen of rooting out passive voice ;). I allow them one form of the verb ‘to be’ per paper that they turn in if they want an A.
Anita, I just completed the rough draft of a paper which can have NO to-be or helper verbs. My undergrad classes instilled this in me, so that was one part of the assignment I didn’t have to think about too long.
Thank you for serving your students well.