The Magic Of Active Voice
Elevating Your Fiction Writing
Introduction
There are amazing possibilities within the world of fiction writing. Whether you’re writing a romance novel or a fantasy tale, the power of the written word is there to create captivating characters and transport readers to another world. But to make your writing as powerful as possible, you’ll need to understand the importance of active voice.Active voice is a writing style that’s used to make your writing more direct, engaging, and vivid. When you use active voice, you give readers a more direct connection to the action, allowing them to better understand the characters’ motivations and the story’s overall arc.At its simplest, active voice occurs when the subject of a sentence does the action. This is in contrast to passive voice, where the subject of the sentence is acted upon by another. To better understand the distinction, look at the definition and the importance of active voice.
Definition of active voice:
Active voice ocurs when the subject of the sentence performs the action. For example, if I said “I caught the ball”, the subject (I) is performing the action (catching the ball). In comparison, if I said “The ball was caught by me”, the subject (the ball) is being acted upon by me.
The importance of active voice in fiction writing:
Active voice is powerful because it puts the reader directly in the action. When you use active voice, you create a more direct connection between the characters and the readers, allowing readers to better understand the story’s arc.Active voice gives you more control over the pacing of the story. By using strong verbs and creating a direct connection between the characters and the events, you’re able to create a faster-paced narrative that’s more engaging and dynamic.By using active verbs and engaging the readers directly, you’re able to create vivid scenes that will linger in their minds long after the story concludes.Now that I’ve shown you the definition and importance of active voice, I’ll go a step further and look at how to identify active and passive voice.
one | Advantages Of Writing In Active Voice
Active voice is the key benefit of creating engaging stories. It provides clarity to the reader, helping them to understand the story more easily and quickly. It adds a layer of power to the characters, making them appear more lifelike. Active voice can bring scenes to life, helping to draw readers in and keep them engaged.Writers view active voice as the more efficient way of expressing ideas. Clarity of content is the most obvious advantage. It helps the reader to understand the story with no excessive explanation. Unlike passive voice, active voice gets to the point quickly. It’s the difference between saying “The apple was eaten by the boy”, and “The boy ate the apple”.Active voice makes it easier to create vivid descriptions. When used correctly, it can help to paint a picture in the reader’s mind, making them feel like they are right there in the scene with the characters. Active voice also helps to add emotion and energy to the story, making it more engaging and exciting.
You can use active voice to more effectively express your characters’ personality and intentions, making them appear more three-dimensional and lifelike. It can help to bring scenes to life, allowing readers to visualize them more clearly. This can help to create a more immersive experience.
Here’s a great video explaining Active vs Passive voice.
two | Challenges Of Writing In Active Voice
Using active voice can be challenging, since it is not the most common style. While active voice possesses several advantages, it also comes with some challenges.
The first challenge is to avoid using passive voice. While you can use passive voice in certain circumstances, active voice is much more engaging and will grab the reader’s attention.
The second challenge with active voice is to make sure your writing is concise yet descriptive. Active voice can be a great tool for adding detail, but it's easy to get carried away with too much detail. You should seek to find the balance between descriptive and concise writing, to make sure your sentences are neither too long nor too short.
The third challenge of using active voice is choosing the right verb. Take the time to choose the right verb for each sentence, as the wrong verb can change the entire meaning. Verbs can also affect the tone of the sentence. Make sure the verb you choose matches the tone of the story.
Be careful, though, when using active voice to ensure you are not creating sentences with compound subjects. Compound subjects can sometimes make sentences confusing for the reader and can obscure the intended meaning.
three | Examples Of Writing In Active Voice
You can find examples of active voice in both literary fiction and popular fiction. Here are some examples of how authors use active voice.In literary fiction, authors often work with complex concepts and characters. In J.D. Salinger’s novel The Catcher in the Rye, Salinger uses active voice to convey Holden's inner turmoil and the sense of disillusionment he experiences with the world. He writes, "I was about as depressed as I could be. I got up and looked out the window, and it was as dark as it always is at four o'clock in the morning." Here, the active voice allows readers to connect with Holden's emotions.On the other hand, active voice is used in popular fiction to create action-packed scenes that draw the reader in. For example, the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. In the fifth book, Rowling uses active voice to describe a dragon chase: "Harry pulled out his wand and shouted ‘Incendio!’ A jet of flames flew from his wand and hit the dragon's belly. The dragon roared in rage and soared higher." Here, the active voice allows Rowling to create a thrilling and exciting scene that brings the story to life.Active voice is also prominent in the works of Stephen King. In the horror novel Pet Sematary, King uses active voice to create a sinister atmosphere. For instance, he writes, "The sky had gone a deep, dangerous shade of indigo, and the trees were black against it. The wind blew cold and lonely." Here, the active voice creates a sense of dread that adds to the horror of the story.
four | Tips For Writing In Active Voice
One of the best ways to ensure your writing is in active voice is to read it aloud and listen to the way your sentences sound. This will help you catch any passive phrases that may have slipped through your editing process. If you’re finding that your sentence isn’t quite sounding the way you want it to, there’s a good chance it’s in passive voice.Another helpful tip is to make sure you’re using active verbs in your writing. Some of the most powerful verbs you can use are action verbs, such as run, jump, achieve, promote, shout. These verbs instantly draw the reader into the action and can really help create a more vivid image of what’s happening in your story.Look out for hidden passives. Hidden passives are when a sentence appears to be in active voice, but the verb is actually in the passive. For example,
“The apple was eaten by the boy” is in passive voice, but if you change the verb to “ate,” as in “The boy ate the apple,” it becomes active.
By using these tips, you can ensure that your writing is in active voice and elevate it to the next level. Active voice is not only important for creating powerful imagery and engaging the reader, but it also helps to showcase your characters and scenes.If you’re having trouble deciding between active and passive voice, it’s best to err on the side of active. Active voice will always provide the clarity of content that you’re looking for and help you get your point across quickly and effectively.It's difficult to break away from the habits of writing in passive voice, but it’s worth taking the time to practice and refine your writing. Not only will you become a better storyteller, but you’ll also be able to craft stories that will truly engage the reader.Remember that you don’t have to sacrifice accuracy or detail for clarity when you’re writing in active voice. You can still find the perfect balance between concise yet descriptive writing.
Conclusion
Active voice is an important tool for fiction writers. It can help bring life to your story. Using active voice can help to engage the reader and keep them actively involved.Active voice can help to provide clarity to the content of the story. It can help to ensure the reader understands the story and all the actions taking place. This can make a story more enjoyable.Writing in active voice requires you to be aware of the words you are using and to make sure you avoid passive voice sentences. Embrace the challenge of being concise yet descriptive. Choose the right verb to ensure you meet the desired effect. Read aloud to help identify passive voice sentences.Writing in active voice is an important tool to have in your writer’s toolbox. It can help to engage the reader and provide clarity and understanding of the story. With the right tools, you can become more confident in your ability and elevate your writing.
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