First Person, Present Tense

indiriverflow · Feb 23, 2009

I write this way, always have. My theory is that this is the most immediate, experiential mode in which to present fiction. Cinematic.

Past tense has always seemed artificial to me, unless the setting truly is past. Seems downright absurd in futuristic science fiction.

Future tense seems out of the question.

Disembodied narrators seem unnatural to me as well...who is telling this story? Why?

This style presents its own limitations, but all in all, I'll probably keep writing this way until it comes into fashion.

What are your thoughts? Anybody else write this way? Who hates it? What is your excuse for this?

The Lonely One · Feb 23, 2009

I write first present especially in situations where the character dies at the end. Thus I avoid the whole "how are they telling the story?" well, they were telling it--then they died.

Future tense, now that sounds like fun...

maestrowork · Feb 23, 2009

Oh dear, here we go again.

BTW, Patricia Wood's LOTTERY is in first person, present tense. As is mine.

The Lonely One · Feb 23, 2009

BTW, Patricia Wood's LOTTERY is in first person, present tense. As is mine.

OK maestro, hows about making MY lottery first-person present tense!*

*I need money.

indiriverflow · Feb 23, 2009

maestrowork said:
Oh dear, here we go again.

BTW, Patricia Wood's LOTTERY is in first person, present tense. As is mine.

There's a poll for you to respond to.

Fade · Feb 23, 2009

Everyone has her own style of writing and what they think is best. For example:

I write in first person present sometimes, and I write in third past sometimes, but I NEVER write in first past or third present.

I don't really hate reading any tense or POV (is that the right way to say it?) EXCEPT second person anything or third person present.

I figure our brains all work differently and there's no way everyone will like using the same tenses and POVs.

Chumplet · Feb 23, 2009

I read Lottery, I'm presently reading Flight of the Hornbill by Eric Stone, and the next one on the pile is The Pacific Between. I can't see myself writing in that style, but I sure enjoy reading it.

Autodidact · Feb 23, 2009

Hate it. If I pick up fiction and it's written this way, I put it down unless it knocks me over on page 1, paragraph 1, sentence 1. And it's already in fashion.

Marie · Feb 23, 2009

I can't write in first present, but I don't mind reading it. What really bugs me is reading anything in second person.

indiriverflow · Feb 23, 2009

Autodidact said:
Hate it. If I pick up fiction and it's written this way, I put it down unless it knocks me over on page 1, paragraph 1, sentence 1. And it's already in fashion.

I suppose that's a matter of definition, as far as it already being in fashion. I would say that a pretty significant percentage of books published would have to be using it for that to be the case. The overwhelming majority continue to be third-past of some kind.

What exactly do you hate about it?

Cyia · Feb 23, 2009

Does anyone search for questions already asked? Well, my answer hasn't changed in the last few days since this quesiton was asked the last time.

I HATE 1st person present. It reads like a screenplay.

The Lonely One · Feb 23, 2009

Marie said:
I can't write in first present, but I don't mind reading it. What really bugs me is reading anything in second person.

You open the story written in second person. The story is just, what's that word? Awful. Just awful, you think. Wasn't it that wacky creative writing professor who recommended this dribble? You can't remember, but you like to think it was him, just to latch the hate to something solid. Yes, Mr. Adverbson. Watch your back, Adverbson, watch your back...

indiriverflow · Feb 23, 2009

Cyia said:
Does anyone search for questions already asked? Well, my answer hasn't changed in the last few days since this quesiton was asked the last time.

I HATE 1st person present. It reads like a screenplay.

Nope. I never do. VBulletin's search function rarely brings up what I want. Waste of time. And the delay between queries is absurd.

This is what I get for first person present tense.

Which of these threads alredy has a poll on the subject?

Besides, this is BASIC writing questions and I don't see it on the first page.

If it comes up so much, let's have a sticky.

Is seeing this question repeated really more annoying than you dropping in just to complain about it?

Because the only dumb question is the one you don't ask.

"Reads like a screenplay", you mean, like a book that's likely to be made into a movie?

Cyia · Feb 23, 2009

If I'd only dropped in to complain, I wouldn't have answered the question. The complaint was a bonus. :tongue

indiriverflow · Feb 23, 2009

Cyia said:
If I'd only dropped in to complain, I wouldn't have answered the question. The complaint was a bonus.

Point taken. Please take mine about the search function above.

MsK · Feb 23, 2009

I like reading it when it's done well. I also like to experiment with my own writing in it. I'm working on something in First Person/ Past right now, but may convert it to Present Tense later on down the line.

Matera the Mad · Feb 23, 2009

Search: _____in, _____out

indiriverflow · Feb 23, 2009

Matera the Mad said:
Search: _____in, _____out

Didn't start this thread to debate the search-function; I'm trying to collect data here. Please troll other waters.

Aggy B. · Feb 23, 2009

I like first person present because it's an excuse to write the way I think. Or the way I think the character would think. Narratively it presents challenges, though. And, when done wrong, is obnoxious.

So, I generally try and stick to third person limited past.

Claudia Gray · Feb 23, 2009

I've seen it done very beautifully. I think it works best with a very strong narrative voice, but when one is in place, it sounds genuinely conversational. (After all, when we tell stories to our friends, we might say, "I was in front of the store when I heard a shout" -- but we are perhaps equally likely to say, "So I'm standing in front of the store and I hear somebody shouting.")

A YA author who handles this particularly well is Elizabeth Scott.

Layla · Feb 23, 2009

Not into present tense of any POV. I don't know why, but it just bugs me, it's like a constant new-shoes feel that never goes away.
I also don't feel the story is any less immediate/effective if it's in past tense.

indiriverflow · Feb 23, 2009

So far, we have a 80% approval rating. That's better than President Obama right now.

8 who use it, 8 who don't mind, 4 McCain supporters.

This is a coup! I-Now is more popular than the President! Bigger than Jesus!

Keep voting people.

dpaterso · Feb 23, 2009

I like your reasoning in your opening post.

Maybe first person present tense would suit a futuristic sci-fi story.

But past tense is oddly flexible, time-wise. It can relate something that happened 'way in the past... or it can be something that happened only a few seconds ago.

Which leads me to present this conclusion: A tight POV can make past tense sound as immediate as first person present tense. There is no advantage of one over the other -- there is only personal style preference.

Like it or no, past tense has become the predominant style (with many exceptions of course), and some editors have been known to express dislike for it and include "no present tense stories" in their guidelines. So you could be narrowing your potential markets before you even start writing. Just a thought.

Screenplays, as mentioned above, are written in present tense, like novel query synopses, so I can understand someone saying they don't like fppt because of this niggly association.

-Derek

indiriverflow · Feb 24, 2009

dpaterso said:
I like your reasoning in your opening post.

Maybe first person present tense would suit a futuristic sci-fi story.

But past tense is oddly flexible, time-wise. It can relate something that happened 'way in the past... or it can be something that happened only a few seconds ago.

Which leads me to present this conclusion: A tight POV can make past tense sound as immediate as first person present tense. There is no advantage of one over the other -- there is only personal style preference.

Like it or no, past tense has become the predominant style (with many exceptions of course), and some editors have been known to express dislike for it and include "no present tense stories" in their guidelines. So you could be narrowing your potential markets before you even start writing. Just a thought.

Screenplays, as mentioned above, are written in present tense, like novel query synopses, so I can understand someone saying they don't like fppt because of this niggly association.

-Derek

Your comments are thoughtful, and I'm certainly concerned about the market aspect, which is why I opened the thread.

I've completely cleaned house on my literary style, and after some soul-searching, I decided to retain this one feature of what I've come to feel was an excessively experimental orientation.

One issue I find is in managing a chain of events. From the beginning of the chapter to the end, I feel obliged to keep the tape rolling, and this can be confining. I don't feel my work has the same depth of plot complexity as some of my favorite third-past writers. I'm not sure that is the same thing as being a good story, but it bothers me how some books have so many...plot elements.

Still strong at 74%...I'm pleasantly surprised. I expected to see a 50/50 split along general lines of employment.

MMcDonald64 · Feb 24, 2009

Cyia said:
Does anyone search for questions already asked? Well, my answer hasn't changed in the last few days since this quesiton was asked the last time.

I HATE 1st person present. It reads like a screenplay.

Yes, that's what I feel. To me, it feels phony. Just by the act of writing the actions down, whatever has happened is now in the past. Like, I just wrote Yes at the beginning of the post, but it's already in the past.

As to second person pov, I used to hate it until I wrote two short stories as a response to a challenge. http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=127196

I wouldn't be able to read at length in that pov, but for short pieces, it's okay.

First Person, Present Tense

How do you feel about first-person present tense?

I use it

Don't write that way myself, but whatever works

Would stop reading anything in that form

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