Author's Voice
Author's Voice
Voice in a grammatical sense refers to whether a sentence is active or passive. But it is also used, particularly in creative writing, to indicate an author's personal style. Voice in the nongrammatical sense is the combination of diction, sentence structure, and characteristic moods unique to each writer. Sometimes voice is further narrowed down to a writing "persona," that is, the specific voice adopted by a writer for a particular work, or a particular part of a work.
Think of William Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury. It contains four different narratives from four different characters' points of view. This requires the use of four different "voices" to tell the story. While some elements of an author's voice may be consistent across the entirety of the author's work, others may evolve from text to text in order to explore the many different uses voice has in a text.
If a writer's voice is the unique combination of their diction, syntax, and sensibilities, it is important for an editor to maintain and support this voice. Change a text too much and the voice of the writer begins to fade. In the case that the editor's voice does not take over entirely and supersede the writer's, the text will still feel somehow washed of its flavor. It will deliver information, but the flow of the language may be stiffer in some places than in others.
The editor's task is to maintain the writer's voice or to enhance and refine the best elements of it. The editor should help the writer find the strongest elements of his or her voice and then support (and highlight) these elements, looking to make them consistent across the work. The editor's job is to make sure the writer is always at his or her best. The editor should be invisible; the writer's voice should be completely obvious.
A writer's voice is most important when it meshes with the purpose of the writing. Discordance between the two can be a problem, and harmony should be the goal. The writer's voice should fit his or her purpose and be a part of it.
Where does the writer's voice suit the subject and purpose?
It helps to find the elements of a writer's voice that best support the purpose of the writing at hand. Where does the style best mesh with the content? Where is the writing at its best? This can provide a guideline for the rest of the piece. This is the writer at his or her best. Build on this and help the writer flesh out the weaker parts.
Where does the writer's voice contrast with the subject and purpose?
Sometimes the voice, or the "persona," of a piece won't suit the subject. If there's a jarring contrast, changes may be required. Analyze the contrasting elements that are interfering with the transmission of the writer's intent and consider removing or modifying them.
Where is the voice of the writer most effective? How can these elements be used to strengthen the weaker areas?
A writer's voice often contrasts with the purpose of the piece because of the form of the writing. Different forms usually have different expectations for the desired voice. There are, of course, exceptions for all the following examples, but understanding what is typical is helpful in forming a baseline of audience expectation.
The academic voice is usually fairly impersonal. It is typically content-oriented, professional, and clear. Description is usually practical, and the prose should be both concise and precise. It is typically distant in tone; the focus is usually on the information rather than the actions of those involved. It should highlight the research, ideas, and arguments, as opposed to the experience of the author.
In nonfiction, voice is variable and can be either personal or impersonal. A report, for instance, might be very impersonal, while a memoir or experiential essay might be expressive and personal. The writing might be immediate or distant, depending on the need of the author. Language can be direct and practical or rich and metaphorical; a wide spectrum is available.
Creative writing, such as fiction, poetry, and drama, is often very personal, very immediate. Language is usually rich and evocative. Emotive expressiveness as well as an intense engagement with the writing is desired—the more vivid, the better. Dialogue and natural language are often essential.
Many types of writing will vary in terms of how close/distant and personal/impersonal they are. Journalism, for example, can cross easily from the personal to the impersonal, mixing individual experience with research and factual reporting. Some academic assignments may be intensely personal and experiential—a project journal, for example. Whatever the form, the writer and editor should consider the voice expectations of the audience. How should the voice of the writing support these expectations? When should it diverge?
The determination of whether a voice is active or passive has to do with the relationship between the subject and the verb in the sentence. If the subject is acting (the subject is actively doing something), the voice is considered active. If, however, the subject is being acted upon, then the sentence is in passive voice.
Active: The mouse scared the elephant.
Passive: The elephant was scared by the mouse.
In the active sentence, the mouse is the subject and is acting directly (scared) on the object of the sentence (the elephant). In the passive sentence, the elephant is the subject, and is being acted upon (was scared) by the object of the sentence (the mouse). Notice the reversal of the object and subject in the two sentences. Typically, the active voice is preferred in writing, though the passive voice does have its uses.
Often, the key to spotting passive voice is noticing the use of an auxiliary verb (e.g., was, will be, have been).
Example: The elephant was scared by the mouse.
This is usually followed by a past participle (e.g., felt, tripped, bumped).
Example: The elephant was scared by the mouse.
The auxiliary verb/past participle pairing may have by following it, if the actor (the object of the sentence) is mentioned.
Example with the actor (the object): The elephant was scared by the mouse.
This is the passive voice with the actor (the mouse) mentioned, and with by following the auxiliary verb/past participle pairing (and preceding the actor). But the actor doesn't always have to be mentioned.
In the following examples, the actors of the sentences are absent:
The elephant was scared.
The trees were blown.
We know that the elephant was scared by something, and we know that the trees were blown by something, but we have no idea exactly what that something is. Hopefully that information isn't very important, otherwise we could be in some trouble.
While the active voice is generally preferred, the passive voice does have a couple of uses, and these are dependent on the use of the subject in the sentence. The first use relates to when the subject of the sentence is intentionally left out. If the writer wishes to avoid emphasizing the subject, the sentence can be written in the passive voice without a subject.
Active voice example: Dr. Smith poured the mixture into the solution.
Passive voice example: The mixture was poured into the solution.
You will often find the passive voice used in scientific literature, and the reason for this is relatively simple; it doesn't matter if it was Dr. Smith, Dr. Fredericks, Dr. Oz, or an eight-year-old chimpanzee that did the pouring (well, maybe we don't want chimps pouring mixtures into solutions). When describing a laboratory experiment or a surgical procedure, the actors matter very little. The focus of these kinds of documents is typically on the process described.
In fact, it's not just scientific literature that has adopted this procedure. Quite often, technical writing of all kinds makes use of the passive voice. Engineers, architects, and other individuals who work in construction or work with similar processes will employ the passive voice whenever they generate documents.
If you have children (or if you ever were a child), you've either heard the passive voice deployed strategically to deflect blame, or you've done it yourself. What do we mean by this? Consider the following scenario.
Brother and Sister are playing in the living room, and Dad is making dinner in the kitchen. Dad hears a crash echo throughout the house. He runs into the living room and the lamp by the front window is in many pieces on the floor. The following dialogue ensues:
Dad: What happened?
Brother: The lamp got broke.
Dad: What do you mean it "got broke"?
Brother: Well, Sister and I were playing with the ball and the lamp got broke.
Dad: So the lamp magically fell to pieces while you were playing with the ball? Some unknown force fractured the lamp at its weakest points and caused it to explode spontaneously?
Brother: Ummmm, not exactly. I mean, I threw the ball, and the ball hit the lamp, and the lamp got broke.
Dad: You mean, "I broke the lamp," right?
Brother: I guess so.
Dad: Go to your room.
We said on the last page that authors use the passive voice to change the emphasis in a sentence. In the previous exchange, Brother has done the same thing. He's put the emphasis on the lamp and deflected it from himself and Sister. Luckily, Dad has heard that one before.
The second use for the passive voice arises when the subject being acted upon in the sentence is the subject of the paragraph. If the active voice were to emphasize a subject in the sentence that differs from the subject of the paragraph in a way that distracts the reader from the focus of the paragraph, then the passive voice might be preferable. In other words, if the focus of the paragraph (on the subject of the paragraph) is more important than having a different and active subject in the sentence, then the passive voice should be selected.
Active sentence example, in a paragraph:
Martin watched Sarah every day from the corner of the pub, dreaming of her laugh, her smile, her scent as she passed quickly by his table. He drummed his fingers endlessly on the bottom of the table, keeping them hidden from sight. Then the bouncer grabbed his arm and threw him out the door. Apparently he had stayed too long without ordering a drink. Being forced to leave Sarah was like a blow to the kidney, the current of pain jolting up his spine and setting his hair on fire.
The passive voice revision:
Martin watched Sarah every day from the corner of the pub, dreaming of her laugh, her smile, her scent as she passed quickly by his table. He drummed his fingers endlessly on the bottom of the table, keeping them hidden from sight. Suddenly, he was grabbed by the arm and thrown out the door by a rather impatient looking bouncer. Apparently he had stayed too long without ordering a drink. Being forced to leave Sarah was like a blow to the kidney, the current of pain jolting up his spine and setting his hair on fire.
The difference is subtle, perhaps, but in the active voice example the switch of subject from Martin to the bouncer pulls the reader, for a moment, out of Martin's headspace. If the desire of the passage is to keep the reader very close to what Martin is experiencing, the passive voice construction may be more effective, as it retains Martin as the subject and keeps the focus on him, rather than shifting it to the bouncer.
After establishing the audience and purpose of a text, establishing the tone should be relatively easy. If you know whom you will be addressing, it's not that difficult to figure out how to address this individual. While it may be easy to pinpoint the appropriate voice for many texts, remember that some texts exist in grey areas. It's not always cut and dried. Some very formal texts may make ready use of an informal tone, while other, more ostensibly informal texts may make use of a formal tone. The audience and purpose of the document will determine what is most appropriate.
While most types of writing benefit from the use of the active voice, the passive voice can be useful in certain situations. As an editor, you'll need to ask whether it's important for readers to know who the actor in a sentence actually is. Remember that active sentences tend to engage readers more than passive sentences. If the writing is technical and describes a process that any actor can complete, then chances are passive voice should be used. Otherwise, stick with the active voice.
Last Updated: 09/29/2022