She threw the book across the room and screamed at the top of her lungs. Most writers and most readers find the past tense easier. Present tense, while rising in popularity, is still a minority. When writing a scene for a novel, pick a verb tense and stick with it. The present tense heres an overview of the present tense, with basic examples. There are certainly advantages and disadvantages to both. If you dont have a default, go to tense that you write in, this is one of the first decisions a writer has to make when starting a new novel. Present progressive also called present continuous. First person present tense is the bane of my existence. This episode is a little unusual because i usually deal with topics that can be widely applied to fiction and nonfiction writing, but recently i was on a plane reading seth harwoods crime novel jack wakes up, and i was struck by the fact that it was written in the present tense. Ive recently started trying my hand at some fiction writing for the first time. Verb tenses in fiction writing, pov, point of view of. With present tense, the action takes place in the moment, now. If your story is being told in the past tense, then write the first few verbs of the flashback in the past perfect and the rest in simple past.
But after making the leap into the past to capture the rhythm of. Most people seem most accustomed to reading past tense, so it tends to not be noticed by the reader. Come to think of it, you see past tense everywhere in nonfiction, newspapers, magazines, the broadcast media, you name it. Im not suggesting it doesnt work or there havent been great books. Past tense versus present tense writing tip 56 youtube. The past tense, along with all its wonderful many permutations, is the natural voice of all story telling. I prefer novels in the past tense, but its just a preference, and i could get used to a story told in the present tense. The pros and cons of writing a novel in present tense. I grew up with first person past tense, and despite the pov challenges, its my favorite mode of writing.
This makes it easy to weed out things i dont need to read. The tense you choose should also suit the personality of your main viewpoint character. The present perfect is formed using have or has and the past participle note that irregular verbs form the past participle differently e. That is frequently because of present tense writing. Since most of the problems occur in the past and present, well leave future tense out of the conversation for now. It used to be a stunt perspective but im seeing a lot more of it now. Is it better the use the present or the past tense for a novel written in. A verbs tense lets the reader know when the action is taking place. You can move between minds, between thoughts and objects and events with a curious ease not available to the past tense. The disadvantages mentioned to present tense except those related to novels where the narrative is driven by the storys context, ie, temporal only make sense if the writer uses the present tense the whole time. Would versus will will is present tense and should not be used when writing a novel in past tense. There are two types of tense that are most often used in fiction. If you are sharing your own views about a previous study, it might be better to use the present tense, e. My newest one is fiction but less fluffy and i am automatically writing it in the past tense.
The past tense is most commonly used and is also known as the reporting tense. Most novels are written in past tense, but lately present tense has enjoyed some trendiness. Other errors are common too, such as flashbacks in present tense they should be in the past tense since theyre in the past. Philip pullman calls time on the present tense books. If the novel was a mystery the choice was nearly always past tense since as indicated the tense is best for the purpose of reflecting to the past or changing scenes and character actions. Some readers find the present tense too artsy, and when i encounter a story in it, i usually need several paragraphs to adjust. An entire novel written in past tense is flat and one dimensional. The past tense is easier to read and write past tense is the natural manner we use to share stories. I most often use the present tense in personal essays when i am writing about the pastabout events anywhere from the recent past to 30, 40 years removed. I write blog posts in the present tense even if im writing about something which happened in the past, because its funnier to be present as the gag is unfolding. However, writing in present tense can make it harder to artfully shift to past or future events, resulting in a narrative linearity that some authors find claustrophobic.
Dramatic scenes fights, escapes, arguments could end up laboured if the writing isnt lean and rich. While present tense was frequently used as an aside from. As a writer i write usually in past tense but slip into present tense when doing characters thoughts or writing about something that is always from the characters pov. If you find it too hard to write or it doesnt come. Your explanatory writing would determine if the story is based in the past or the present. Stephen king, in on writing, recommends present tense only for very short fiction. Writing in the first person present or thirdperson present is an effective way to create a narrative that feels as though its happening in the present. In determining how to avoid tense changes in writing fiction, you would do well to follow the master of suspense novelists and stay only in the invisible and unobtrusive past. Is it in the past ran, present run, or future will run. Here are some of the drawbacks to writing in the present tense. Recently, a listener named joy had a question about writing a flashback in a work of fiction. My two literary fiction novels are in both because they are composed of a present tense narrative alternating with flashbacks. You have two tense choices when it comes to writing fiction.
Present tense creates tension because the reader doesnt know what is going to happen is the. Any sensible person would probably accept that the past tense and the present tense are equally good and which is best will depend on the piece of writing and the author. Even if youre 100% certain your novel will be in the present tense, you should understand how the past tense works and why its so common. Not sure whether to write your novel in the past tense or the present tense. One of the first decisions to make about a story is what tense you will use past or present. Decide which writing tenses would work best for your story. If theres no narrator in the present day, then whats the justification for using past tense. Your use of the verb to say should still be used the same way. Using the past tense in fiction is timehonoured and for many, the default choice, but writing in the present tense is a stylistic choice that is increasingly used in modern fiction. Occasionally the author will use the simple past tensetypically. Put storytime action in present tense and put the entire flashback in past tense. Im hoping i can help, and not confuse you more lets sidestep for a moment before you begin your novel you first need to choose the right pov. The narrative has to be in the past relative to something.
In narratives, the historical present may be used to create an effect of immediacy. The present perfect tense describes an action that happened in the past or is still happening now. What tense should i use for a futuristic fictional novel. For fiction writers, switching from past to present tense in a story is possible.
Since the past tense is familiar to readers, readers dont have to adjust when they begin a story written using past tense. Verb tense consistency in fiction write something you love. And as the author, youre writing the story in the present day. You should also use present tense when bringing the author into the discussion. Verb tenses in fiction writing are confusing, at least they were for me. The pros and cons of writing a novel in present tense writers. The hunger games and other examples of present tense novels the bleak house by charles dickens. Which one tells a better story different tenses suit different stories, certain genres, and various authors styles. I jump over the fallen tree trunk, narrowly escaping a nasty tumble. Tense refers to verb tense, the tool through which you express action and its relation to time in your writing. In english grammar, the historical present is the use of a verb phrase in the present tense to refer to an event that took place in the past. If you cant decide which tense you should use in your novel, you should probably write it in past tense. Its not uncommon for publishers to have present tense novels rewritten into the past tense.
I think i dont care whether a fic is written past or present tense as long as its done well and it captures my attention. I can write a story in present tense that happens in the middle ages, and i can write in the past tense for something that happens in the year 3350. Past tense is by far the most common tense, whether youre writing a fictional novel or a nonfiction newspaper article. Some verbs are easy to mix up when writing in past tense. It does not matter if you are writing in the past or the present when it comes to dialogue. Sometimes, the present perfect tense is used if the research you are referring. But this morning i read something entirely new for me, at least. Some books just come alive in the present tense in a way i feel they dont when told in the past tense, says mitchell, suggesting the. Present tense introduces a host of challenges that might make it a poor fit for your story.
Also called the historic present, dramatic present, and narrative present. Here are some tips for using the tenses in a novel. In academic writing, the general rule is to use present tense when citing published sources. My first novel was written in the past tense, and once again im writing a fictional crime memoir primarily in the past tense. Getting tense about tense in fiction the conversation.
Literary present tense might take some getting used to, but its the right thing to do. However, when the protagonist gets to the action hes suddenly in the present tense. There are many reasons past tense is the standard for novels. Thats assuming theyll accept it at all, some might see the present tense as a reason for rejection. That present tense writing really stood out the whole time i was. Present tense does not seem to come naturally to most writers, which leads them to flipflop between past and present tense. This is because it is the tense in which we relate the things that happen to us every day in most of the english speaking world. The present tense is often associated with literary fiction, short stories, students in writing programs and workshops, and first novels. Practice showing shadowy past or present actions using verb forms. Writing in the first person present or thirdperson present is an effective way to create a narrative that.
Maintaining good tense control is a writing skill new writers need to develop and master, whether it be for business, blog or fiction writing. Writing in the present tense can be effective in certain situations, but other narratives may call for the use of other tenses. Past tense is appropriate here because you shift to an earlier time within the world of the story. The past tense is by far the most common tense used in novel writing today, at least if you exclude the kind of literary fiction that doesnt sell in meaningful numbers. Already i reckon there are a lot of people out there that would say that i shouldnt be thinking about present tense if im so new and that i should learn past tense first, however, im just doing this as an exercise for now so please forgive my decision. You might think this means you should try writing a story in present tense. When i write in the present tense in nonfiction, its a kind of withdrawal into all of the available memory and evidence i can find as i look for the shape that might be there. Would is the correct conjugation, even if the action will be happening in the characters future. If you use beta readers or writing buddies, ask them to comment specifically on your chosen tense. Definition and examples of the historical present tense. What i did say, in an email to the telegraph journalist who asked me about it, was that the use of the present tense in fiction had been getting more and more common, and i didnt like it. In this post, we look at the pros and cons of past and present tense and ask the question. I thought that writing an historical novel in the present tense gave the. Maintain verb tense consistency unless the timing of an action demands a change.