Write with Authority by Ditching the Passive Voice

Passive writing weakens your sentences. If you want stronger, clearer prose, take control of your verbs.

Passive voice isn’t always wrong, but it often drains the energy from your writing. It creates distance between the action and the reader, making sentences feel weak, detached, and sometimes downright dull.

Imagine you’re reading a fast-paced thriller. The hero bursts into a dark room, searching for clues. Now, which sentence hits harder?

🚫 The door was opened by Sarah. (Passive)
✅ Sarah opened the door. (Active)

The first version feels sluggish, as if the action is happening at arm’s length. The second is direct, immediate, and engaging—Sarah takes control of the action instead of being acted upon. That’s the power of active writing. It keeps your sentences crisp, your characters in charge, and your readers hooked.

🔒 Full subscribers: Let’s break down exactly how to spot and fix passive voice in your own work. Then, we’ll look at a few examples where it’s acceptable to use it, and finally get to today’s challenge so you can solidify this lesson in mastering your craft.