Passive No More

In my work as an editor, I constantly fight a battle against writers who produce content with excessive amounts of passive voice. And by excessive, I mean EXCESSIVE. I understand that using only active voice is sometimes difficult, especially when writing fiction, but good writing should blend both active and passive voice, with an emphasis on the active. You could certainly argue that writers are entitled to develop their own writing styles, and it's up to readers to decide whether they love them or hate them. That would be true for writers who write for themselves and their fans, but that doesn't get the writers off the hook who write commercially for clients who pay them for the content. When a client gives you guidelines that include writing in active voice, it's your job to follow them. When you don't, someone picks up the slack and makes the corrections. You guessed it. That would be the editor. 

So that explains my mini rant on the excessive use of passive voice in the writing world these days. It's really all about saving my own sanity. LOL. That's why I can't resist sharing hilarious writing memes like the one attached to this post. Enjoy!