Thank you for reading, Christine! I'm so glad you found the article helpful :) That's encouraging for me as a writer too. I think it's totally possible to emphasize the data while still keeping it active and engaging (in fact, many journals now ask for active voice). At the risk of plugging myself, you may also enjoy this article I wrote: https://medium.com/swlh/the-mouse-go-rule-for-academic-writing-7e315006ac5c in which I discuss another way to decrease the "zombies" and improve readability. Thank you again for your reflection and feedback!