Okay, so maybe Shakespeare wasn’t a pussy, but he gave us a great opportunity to discuss passive voice.

“To be or not to be…” One of the most famous lines of Shakepearian prose. Hamlet’s question isn’t just about life or death. It’s also a perfect question on passive voice. “To be” verbs – should have, could have, would have written a stronger sentence, if I wasn’t such a wimp.

Passive voice – the wussy, wishy-washy sign of a an amateur writer. It’s a sure fire way to let the world know you’re too much of a pussy to say what you really mean.

I’ll admit it – passive voice is one of my own bad habits. I tend to write “in theory” rather than directly.

For example, I tend to say things like “if you want to improve your writing, you could take a few workshops or perhaps you might be able to join a critique group in your area.”

When what I really should say is “to improve your writing, take workshops or join a critique group in your area.”

Do you see the difference? Not only is the second sentence shorter and easier to read, it’s also stronger. None of that wishy-washy “to be” stuff.

Passive voice is a hard habit to break. The single biggest tool against passive voice isn’t a book, or grammar lessons, or writing exercises. It’s a mindset. Loosing your passive tendencies is all about mindset.

Ever hear the old adage “say what you mean and mean what you say?” It’s the perfect reminder.

Don’t just sort of say something, maybe, perhaps, if the reader would like to hear it. SAY IT. Say it with confidence and vigor.

A good writer should be able to write with confidence.

No.

Good writers write with confidence.

See the difference?

Your writing should be strong, short, to the point. Don’t beat around the bush about it. Say it. Say it like you mean it. Don’t talk about what “should be” “might be” or “could be” – talk about what IS. Have the confidence in what you are saying to be able to say it outright, not with wimpy “to be” verbs, but with real, concrete action verbs.

Do something.

Say something.

Mean something.

Using passive voice is like asking permission to say something, or saying it with a qualifying apology in case you’re wrong, or you offend someone.

It could be that…

You might want to…

He should have…

She could have…

Passive, passive, passive. It’s being a pussy about what you have to say or what your characters are doing.

Now granted, passive voice isn’t completely evil. There are times when its necessary. Kind of like salt. Somethings just don’t taste right without salt. But you use it in moderation. Passive voice is the same. Use it sparingly, and only when nothing else conveys the message appropriately. Generally speaking, your target should be under 10% passive voice, no matter the piece. (Yes, I realize that’s passive voice…suitable in this instance because we’re talking a hypothetical scenario and a general target, not a bullseye goal.)

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

No related posts.