Passive vs. Active Voice

I always hear people talking about how horrible passive voice is.

My English Teacher: Don't use passive voice. Valedictorians don't use passive voice (note to the world: I wasn't valedictorian!!)

Stephen King:Passive voice is for the weak. (from his book On Writing. Not taken word for word, but you get the idea.)

I don't understand what the big deal is. I don't think passive voice is that bad. Sure, active voice puts more emphasis on the character, but I find that in many cases, passive voice is more eloquent.

Before someone burns me at the stake, I will say that I try to use active voice, but passive comes naturally to me, and I don't see what the big deal is.

Jessica

Moved to writing tips

I can't exactly sit in this argument, I've never had a problem with it...other than Madam Bovary, that whole book was in passive (due to translation, I believe) and I wanted to die.

Passive language is for diplomats. Active voices are for writers who want to get their point to the reader and kick some arse on the way there.

The reality is: passive voices don't stick with a reader as well as an active one does.

The passive voice may be used to make a point, to change the tone or atmosphere or connote a character's attitude. But in the end, it would be a pity to write an entire novel passively. It ends making the author sound rather lackadaisical or bored with his own tale.



IMP

Passive generally isn't as 'punchy' as active. After all, most people want to relate to a character and have them do things. Characters are not Sims--they don't have things done to them, because they're people too, even if they don't have bodies and live in your head. ^^

The truth is that passive becomes boring. Much as I don't like Stephen King, he's right--keep away from it.

Passive voice makes me fall asleep. In my opinion, it keeps the reader detatched from both the story and the characters, the complete opposite of what you as the author are trying to accomplish.

Also, I find that passive voice can get confusing/complicated quickly. There are times when I have to stop reading to figure out who did what and what happened in general because of the passive voice.

passive voice? one of my teachers once suggested i try that and i like couldnt! Passive voice doesn't exist for me, you could pick my voice out of a crowd, and you can defiently pick out my writing style, loud out there, and in your face without being condesending.

I write in passive voice sometimes. It's not on purpose, it just happens. Normally I don't notice it when I read someone else's work. But if it was the entire novel, I'd probably be able to tell. I try to use active voice more than passive now, but I don't mind the occasional passive sentence.

I love being in your face with my writing, i don't even know how to do passive voice anymore.

i don't think passive voice is bad if you use it sparingly. but generally active voice is just cooler.

e.g.

"It was a beautiful day."
or
"The day shimmered with beauty."

ok, so that's not the best example, but you get the idea.