Ready, Set, Action!

Recently one of the writers’ e-mail loops I receive conducted a lively discussion about the “was” word. Today’s novelists hear “avoid passive voice” repeatedly from critique partners, editors, friends, and probably even strangers on the streets. Is passive voice evil? Is the “was” word a sin? Are its friends evil companions (is, are, were, be, being, been, have, had, would, etc.)?

One poster brought up that great passage by Dickens, “It was the best of times. It was the worst of times.” Of course, few of us can compare to Dickens. And another quote to consider comes from Bob Dylan: “The times, they are a changin’.”

We don’t write the way authors did a hundred years ago. Most readers today wouldn’t tolerate it. With the advent of television and movies, today’s audience is accustomed to action-fast and furious and lots of it. Randy Ingermanson refers to this as the “Grishamization” of fiction.

Today’s novels, often dubbed “page-turners,” have action in every scene, nearly every page, paragraph, and even sentence. Readers have little patience, and therefore, the “was” word, is used sparingly.

The big problem with “was,” and passive voice, is that we often slip into telling instead of showing. Strong, specific, active verbs “show” the reader exactly what the character is doing.

Consider the following:

Passive–

She is going across the room.

Active–

• She limps …
• She saunters …
• She skips …

Each specific verb tells a different story. When we read “she limps,” we picture (“showing”) the character struggling, possibly in pain. When we read “saunters,” we imagine the character’s attitude and possibly even her attire. Skips lets the reader know that the character is happy, and, quite possibly, young.

There is a place for passive voice-it’s almost impossible to cut it out completely. But, as with every literary technique, it should be used sparingly or it can become obvious, and therefore jerk the reader from the story. That is the big question-does the writing intrude upon the reader’s emotional experience? If not, fine. If so, then pick another word.

Until next time,
Happy Writing!

(The posts in this series are tagged Creating Compelling Content.)