Overall, active voice is preferred over passive voice because active voice shows immediacy, action. However, this isn’t to say you should never use passive voice.
Yes, dialogue, characters, plot, conflict, etc. are important components, but without the WORDS to develop these things, you just have a really good idea.
There are a lot of important tools needed to develop a good story. One of the most important tools you need as a writer is DIALOGUE. With great dialogue, a story can have depth; with weak dialogue, a story can fall flat.
Some people have made a distinction between third-person omniscient and third-person universal omniscient. In universal omniscient, not only does the narrator know everything about all characters, but also he/she knows what the characters DON’T know.
If a writer summarizes action or tells the reader that a character is happy or sad, then the writer should revise the material to show the reader a character’s emotion or show the reader the action as it’s happening. This is showing vs. telling.
HAPPY NEW YEAR, PEOPLE! I hope you’ve brought your Veni, Vidi, Vici (I came, I saw, I conquered) to the table because in the ’09, I want all writers – new and old – to bring their best game and goals to the writing table. Let’s get it done!
Throughout the course of a story, your character(s) will undergo change(s), and it is through his/her features and traits and his/her actions and speech that will illustrate the change(s) for the reader.
Plot refers to the pattern of events within a narrative or drama; these events culminate into the story’s resolution.
Shon Bacon is an author, editor, and educator.
As an author, she has published both in the creative and academic arenas. Topics of interest include Christian, romance, and women’s fiction; inspirational non-fiction, screenwriting, and anything related to grammar.
Becoming a Lifelong Learner of the Craft of Writing By author, editor, educator Shon Bacon aka ChickLitGurrl™ About The Write Life for You (TWL4U) The Write Life for You (TWL4U) is a monthly column that focuses on the nuts and bolts of writing creatively. So many of us have ideas for stories, and so many [...]
