In today's fast-paced digital world, it's not enough to write a story, whether fiction or non-fiction. Writing stories that captivate and engage your audience from start to finish is essential for any writer. Using an active voice makes your writing more concise, clear, and direct.
How you tell your story can make all the difference in its effectiveness. When you write in an engaging way, people will want to read what you have to say. They'll be more likely to share your content with others, look forward to your subsequent publication, and return to your blog or website repeatedly. Don't underestimate the power of the active voice in storytelling. Using an active voice helps you tell a story that sticks in people's minds and keeps them engaged.
In this article, we'll explore the power of the active voice in storytelling and why you should stay away from the passive voice.
What is the Active Voice?
Active voice is a type of grammar that makes the subject of the sentence stand out as the one who does the action. The passive voice spotlights the receiver of the action, which is the object of the sentence.
For example,
“The chef prepared a delicious five-course meal for her guests,” with the chef serving as the subject. This is the active voice.
In contrast, the sentence, “A delicious five-course meal was prepared for the guests by the chef”, is written in a passive voice because it spotlights the object delicious five-course meal.
The Role of The Active Voice in Storytelling
In storytelling, an active voice:
makes your characters the doers of the action, adding depth and dimension to their personalities,
makes your story more relatable and engaging for your audience, who can empathize with the characters and feel connected to the story,
makes your writing more engaging and compelling,
makes your sentences more straightforward and to the point,
emphasizes the action and makes the story come alive,
creates a sense of urgency and momentum,
keeps the story moving forward, and
creates a feeling of excitement and anticipation in the reader.
Active voice in storytelling also helps to create more vivid images in the reader's mind. You paint a clear picture of what's happening in the story. Your audience can imagine the action and become invested in the story's outcome.
It creates a sense of urgency, momentum, involvement, and vivid imagery, immersing your audience in the experience and allowing them to feel like active participants in the story rather than passive observers.
Example 1:
Emily's heart raced with fear as the sun set behind the mountains. She was lost in the wilderness, miles away from civilization, and her phone was dead. Her hiking trip had taken a dangerous turn when she wandered off the trail, and now she had no idea how to return. With each passing moment, she knew her chances of survival dwindled. Emily had to think fast and devise a plan before it was too late. She took a deep breath and started running, hoping to find a way out of the woods before nightfall.
Example 2:
It's easy to get caught up in the craziness of today's world and lose sight of what's essential. Spending a few minutes each day to pause, reflect, and practice mindfulness can significantly influence your mental and emotional health. This daily routine can help you become more present, grounded, and prepared to face obstacles. So put your phone down, step away from your computer, and take a few deep breaths. You'll be surprised at how much of a difference it can make.
By using active verbs and focusing on the subject of the sentence, the writer can craft dynamic, engaging, and memorable stories, driving the narrative forward. This makes your audience feel like they are in the thick of the action.
The Benefits of The Active Voice in Storytelling
Using the active voice in your storytelling has several benefits.
We’ll take a closer look at three of them:
1. Direct and Persuasive
The active voice is direct and persuasive, making it easier for your audience to follow the story and understand its purpose. When your characters do the action, your audience can easily follow the story's flow, and the action becomes more compelling.
2. Evocative
The active voice is evocative, allowing you to create a sense of emotion and urgency in your storytelling. You can capture your audience's attention and keep them engaged in the story's experience, allowing them to feel the characters' emotions.
3. Motivating
The active voice motivates and inspires your audience to take action. When you craft a story that resonates with your audience, they are more likely to take action based on the story's message.
Five Tips for Identifying Passive Voice in Writing
1. Look for forms of the verb "to be": Passive voice often uses a form of the verb "to be," such as "is," "are," "was," "were," "been," or "being." When you come across one of these words, see if the sentence focuses on the subject performing the action or the object receiving the action.
2. Check for prepositions: Passive voice may also use prepositions like "by" or "of" to indicate who performed the action.
For example, "A successful fundraiser to support a local charity was organized by the students" is passive.
In contrast, "The students organized a successful fundraiser to support a local charity" is active.
3. Look for a lack of clarity about who is performing the action: In passive voice, the subject or doer of the sentence may be unclear or absent. If it's not clear who is performing the action in the sentence, it may be written in passive voice.
For example: "Freelancers are being scammed on Upwork."
4. Consider the tone and style of the writing: Passive voice often creates a more distant, detached tone in writing. If your writing feels less engaging or less direct, it may be because you're using passive voice.
5. Read your writing aloud: Reading your story aloud can help you identify instances of passive voice more easily. If a sentence feels awkward or unclear when spoken aloud, you may have written it in passive voice.
Use Strong Verbs
Strong verbs are crucial to writing in an active voice. This will help your audience to envision the scene and experience the story's action. Use strong verbs to emphasize the action in your story. Verbs that describe your characters' actions create a sense of movement and make them as specific and vivid as possible. This will help your audience visualize the scene and experience the story's action.
Strong verbs such as "ran," "jumped," and "screamed" make the story come alive and add energy to your writing.
Avoid using weak verbs such as "was," "is," and "were." These verbs add little to the story and can make it feel flat and uninteresting.
They lack specificity and fail to convey the full range of emotions, actions, and descriptions needed to bring a story to life. Weak verbs can also create distance between the reader and the story's characters, making it harder for them to empathize and connect with the narrative.
For example, let's consider the following story excerpt that uses weak verbs:
Samantha was walking down the street when she saw a dog. The dog was cute and friendly. Samantha was happy to see the dog and went to pet it.
While this story is grammatically correct, it feels dull and lacks depth. The weak verbs fail to convey Samantha's emotions or the dog's personality, making it hard to connect with the story.
Let's rewrite the same story using stronger verbs and more descriptive language:
As Samantha strolled down the street, she caught sight of a scruffy terrier wagging its tail on the sidewalk. The dog bounded up to her, its tongue lolling out in a panting grin. Samantha's heart swelled with delight as she reached to scratch behind the pup's ears.
By using more specific and evocative verbs like "strolled," "caught sight," "bounded," and "swelled," the story comes alive with imagery and emotion. Readers can easily picture Samantha's actions and reactions, creating a more immersive and engaging reading experience.
When drafting your stories, take the time to choose your verbs carefully and consider how they impact the overall tone and effect of the narrative. Avoid using weak verbs and opt for stronger, more descriptive ones that bring your story to life.
How to Avoid Passive Voice in Storytelling
Remember I mentioned earlier that there are two voices in English: the active and the passive voice. While the active voice carries your readers along, the passive voice speaks to those at the back, the detached audience. I also gave you tips for identifying the passive voice in your writing.
The question now is, how do you avoid passive voice?
Here are 5 easy tips to avoid passive voice:
focus on using active verbs and putting the subject at the forefront,
make sure your sentence structure follows the subject-verb-object format,
focus on describing actions and events as they happen,
avoid using "to be" verbs excessively,
vary sentence length and structure to keep the story flowing smoothly.
Following these techniques can help create a more engaging and active story that draws readers in and keeps them hooked. If you must use passive voice, ensure it serves a purpose and helps convey the desired tone or message.
Using an active voice and being intentional with the passive voice can bring your storytelling to life and keep your readers engaged from beginning to end.
Here are a few examples of passive and active voice:
Passive Voice: A new product was designed by the company that exceeded all expectations.
Active Voice: The company designed a new product that exceeded all expectations.
Passive Voice: The complex theory was explained by the professor in a way that all the students could understand.
Active Voice: The professor explained the complex theory in a way that all the students could understand.
Passive Voice: The world record in the 100-meter dash was broken by the athlete.
Active Voice: The athlete broke the world record in the 100-meter dash.
The active voice emphasizes the action and makes the story come alive, while the passive voice makes it seem dull and unengaging.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the use of active voice in storytelling has a remarkable impact on the effectiveness of the narrative.
You should not overstate the power of the active voice, whether you are writing fiction or non-fiction. It is a vital tool that every writer should use to create engaging and memorable stories that will resonate with readers long after they have finished reading and encourage them to act.
The active voice can help create a more immersive experience as you craft a heartwarming narrative, or a thrilling adventure, leaving a lasting impression on the audience.
So, the next time you're crafting a story, remember the power of active voice and the remarkable impact it can have on the effectiveness of your narrative. Don't be afraid to take risks, experiment with your writing style, and embrace the power of the active voice to bring your stories to life!
About the Author
Hi, I'm Boluwatife Segun-Oluwayomi. Friends call me Tife. I am an eagle-eyed copy editor with more than a decade of experience working with authors, professionals, students, and brands to ensure their work sparkles. My love for grammar and attention to detail have become my career paths, making me a highly sought-after professional in the industry. My dedication to excellence has fostered a culture of success, training others to meet the same high standards I have set for myself.
This will definitely help me to improve my writing skills. A well-written guide with good examples.