Back on the use of passive vs active voice. I was beginning to believe passive voice was bad, but no! I found a terrific video on YouTube which shows four uses for passive voice.

And over on Purdue Owl …

Using Active Versus Passive Voice … [my emphasis in the quote]

This handout will explain the difference between active and passive voice in writing. It gives examples of both, and shows how to turn a passive sentence into an active one. Also, it explains how to decide when to choose passive voice instead of active. …

Recognizing Passive Voice
You can recognize passive-voice expressions because the verb phrase will always include a form of be, such as am, is, was, were, are, or been. The presence of a be-verb, however, does not necessarily mean that the sentence is in passive voice. Another way to recognize passive-voice sentences is that they may include a “by the…” phrase after the verb; the agent performing the action, if named, is the object of the preposition in this phrase.

In the MOOC, Grammar Write 101 on edX, run by the University of Queensland, the lecturer suggested using ‘by goblins’ after the verb. Being a fantasy writer, that appealed to me and explains the sign by my computer. If you want to do your head in over verb tenses and moods, knock yourself out!

A terrific blog post to help get your head around showing and telling.

Another article, same blog: How to kill Adverbs and Adjectives. Great advice.