| Re: How do you redraft?
The use of passive voice, hmm, thorny issue.
All I can cite at present is that in my current work in progress I am using the manner of speech and usage of words that I was brought up with, and it has by it's nature turned out to be very "passive voice heavy". A strange discovery I can tell you. If I were to rely only on what the grammar program in word was telling me, and not my knowledge and gut with this, my characters' speech would be totally stupid to say the least. Though grammar programs are very helpful, you do need to at times go with what you feel is right for the work.
Actually I find removing too much of the passive voice makes the writing harsh to read, but that is a personal opinion. I like work that has a beat, an ebb and flow of language, that can often be lost if you "stick to the rules", which are really not rules but loose guidelines, which the best writers do and will break to create wonderful works. |