I’ve said this more than a few times before, but repetition is the essence of great art. You know, like in rock and roll. And writing is my rock ‘n’ roll.
The good guys are the squeaky wheels, not the grease that hides them. Your writing should make a difference, and one of the best ways for that to happen is for it to BE DIFFERENT.
What would happen if you used – gasp! – the passive voice in a sentence or two?
Good writing is about communication, not following “the rules.”
Worst case passive voice scenario: It doesn’t work so you do something you’ll have to do anyway. Namely, rewrite.
Regular visitors to TVWriter™ know I spend a lot of time (some may say too much) writing about gearing your work toward its intended audience. The reason for that is this variation of an old philosophical conundrum:
“If a teleplay, screenplay, novel, or short story is written but never read or viewed, does it really exist?”
In my younger, more ambitious days, the answer to this question was a quick and usually angry shout: “HELL %^#@ing NO!”
A hell of a lot of people I know write at Starbucks. They drive, bicycle, even walk to their comfort zone there.
Also, a hell of a lot of people I know don’t write at Starbucks. Some drive, bicycle, and even walk to their comfy offices wherever they may be.
Not necessarily in that order.