[This is part of the series: 20 Writing Tips From John Erickson]
If you are trying to decide between using passive voice vs active voice – the answer is always active voice.
The best way to illustrate this is by example.
Passive: The painting was finished by the team in record time.
Active: The team finished the painting in record time.
Passive: The forms were emailed by Jill.
Active: Jill emailed the forms to her boss.
Passive: This blog post was written by Sterling.
Active: Sterling wrote this blog post.
With active voice – the subject (noun) comes before the action (verb).
In passive voice – the action come before the subject.
Get it?
Keep your thoughts clear, concise, and active and you will write better than 99% of people.
If you are looking to do better at this, the Hemingway App is a great free tool.
If you don’t agree with me on any of this, maybe you will believe it if Stephen King says it?
5. Good writing is active, not passive.
-John Erickson, Story Craft (Amazon)