Passive Voice and Passive Writing
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- KatherineMcBride
- WalkingOnWater
- KatherineMcBride
- Sunbear
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» KatherineMcBride - Passive Writing
I've seen a lot of tips and guidelines designed to help people identify passive writing. It's hard to understand why we need to write in active voice, but with passive writing.Have you run into any problems? Let's here your version, or your theories on this topic.KMcBrideride
-- posted by KatherineMcBride
» WalkingOnWater - Re: Passive Writing
In response to message posted by KatherineMcBride:The article clarified a lot of fuzzy details for me. It surprised me that words like meandered or wandered are passive, but I think I get it.
Instead of those words I should actually show(write) what the character did and how they did it by anwering the three questions indicated in your article.
Passive: Sally wandered down the alley.
Active: Sally tip-toed by the trash cans, covering her nose from the stench. She swallowed hard to keep the fluids down. She jumped at the sight of a black cat that raced across her path.
Do I get it?
Wendy
-- posted by WalkingOnWater
» KatherineMcBride - Re: Re: Passive Writing
In response to message posted by WalkingOnWater:Hello,
Yes, you 'got it.' This is what allows the reader to experience the situation with your character. It provides what the romance genera calls escapism.
KMcBride
-- posted by KatherineMcBride
» Sunbear - Clarified also
Hi Katherine,Thought you did an excellent job explicating the differences between active and passive.
The clarification is very helpful: Ouch!" exclaimed Tom, as meandering down the shadowy alley he tripped over a trash can full of publishers' rejection slips, and flat on his back in the accursed slips, watched helplessly as a mangy, black cat (belonging to a local book editor) crossed and re-crossed his projected path. . .
Thanks,
Tom
-- posted by Sunbear
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