tenses question..

[stitchingirl]

When I came here a couple of weeks ago, I asked help for trying to stay within my tenses. But, this question came to mind.

What tense is the most popular? Present or past?

[alleycat]

The simple answer is past, by a wide margin.

[stitchingirl]

Maybe that's why I'm having such a hard time staying within my tenses. I'm wanting to use present, but keep thinking that it always has to be in past tense.

[alleycat]

Unless you're careful, you'll probably have a very hard time staying in present. Some readers don't like reading something in present tense; no one that I know of complains about having to read something in past.

Just a personal opinion, but I think present tense is best used in short pieces only--if there is some good reason for using it.

[third person]

Maybe what you're really meant to do is write (screen)plays:)

[kuwisdelu]

Maybe that's why I'm having such a hard time staying within my tenses. I'm wanting to use present, but keep thinking that it always has to be in past tense.

If present feels more natural to you, write in present. You don't have to write in past just because it's more common. Write in whatever tense feels right for the story.

[Bufty]

Why do you want to write in present tense at all? Have you read books in present tense and enjoyed them?

[stitchingirl]

In all honesty, I haven't really paid that much attention to what tense the book is written in. Right now, I'm reading "Bourne Identity" by Robert Ludlum. I couldn't tell you now without grabbing it what tense it's written in. Sometimes, I get so absorbed in the story, that I don't pay attention.

From the sounds of it, I'm going to have to keep my troubles with staying in the right tense. I've been writing in past tense, but that stupid, sneaky present tense finds its way in, too.

[Bufty]

You would know immediately if what you were reading was in present tense.

[Fallen]

It would be interestng to have a snipit of your work to see if you do have a problem with tenses. Sometimes you think you're getting it wrong when you're not.

[alleycat]

From the sounds of it, I'm going to have to keep my troubles with staying in the right tense. I've been writing in past tense, but that stupid, sneaky present tense finds its way in, too.
A quick review of verb tenses and forms would probably help you. There are any number of good grammar websites. This could save you some time and frustration later.

[stitchingirl]

I don't have any snippets written out as of yet (stupid algebra class). What I have written has already been beta'd and fixed.

[bonitakale]

When you pick up a story in past tense, you only notice the story. Books in present tense are pretty common, but there's still a short adjustment period, most of the time.

Seems to me I've seen prologues -- the kind where you're in the murderer's mind -- done in present tense, while the rest of the book is in past.

I think, without joy, that the past tense may be fading from the language. It's not necessary, strictly speaking. It may come to be used only in writing, or only in formal writing, or not at all. ("And as Jesus is about to go to Jerusalem, he gathers the twelve disciples around him and says, 'Look, we're going to Jerusalem, and I'm being betrayed there...' ") Not in my lifetime, though.

[shaldna]

Past.

Present tense I find to be very difficult to read for more than a few paragraphs.

[maestrowork]

Past tense is the most popular. But being "popular" doesn't mean anything if it's not right for your story.

I've read past and present, and a great book would make you forget what tense you're reading.

It'd be like telling people you should only write 3rd limited because it's the most popular POV.

That's just BS.

[CaroGirl]

If you're a new writer, just starting to get into fiction, the easiest and most successful tense to write in is past. I believe writing in present tense (and likewise in 1st person as opposed to 3rd person) is much more difficult to get right. It's do-able for a new writer, but only one that comes to the game very skilled already (maybe with natural talent or experience in writing shorts). Most new writers should stick to 3rd person, past until their skill level improves.

[stitchingirl]

I was thinking of staying in past tense, but didn't know if that would be one reason as to why I keep slipping on the tenses. I thought that maybe I was trying to write in the wrong tense. But, since everyone is advising against present and even bringing up the fact that most books are written in past, I'm guessing that my struggle with those "demons".

[JayG]

Making tense more difficult is the fact that while you’re using past tense in the description, for the character it’s in their present, the moment they call now. Why that’s a problem is that if you try to talk about the character’s past, what tense do you use? Past of past tense? That’s one reason it matters to stay within the character’s head. He or she can’t go into the past and it ceases to be a problem. But if you tell the story from the outside, as a narrator, and try to talk about the character’s past, it can be a problem.

Something just as important as tense is point of view. New writers gravitate to first person, because they think that gives them license to just tell the story, as a memory—which is not the purpose of first. Learn to use third, and to keep yourself off stage, where you block the reader’s view of the action, before you use first.

To my way of thinking, books written in first person should come with a warning:

Caution, this point of view can be hazardous to your characters. This book was performed by a trained professional, so don’t try this at home. :)

[Aggy B.]

Knowing which tense is best for a story can be tricky. I've started a few one way and then gone back and switched.

I will say that I like present tense, I think it works for some things and I write that way probably 50% of the time. The response I've gotten (to writing in present tense) is usually negative. Although a fair number of readers tell me the story sucked them in so quickly they forgot to dislike the present tense.

My suggestion would be to try writing in present tense and see if you still have tense switching issues. That's not an uncommon problem for a beginning/early writer. Switching to present when you're trying to write in past could be indicative of a different problem than what you think.

If you don't have problems switching when you write in present tense then it's just a question of learning how to write in past. That just takes practice.

[Libbie]

Stitch, write what you want to write. If you feel you want to tell your stories in present tense, do it. Don't sweat it so much. That gets in the way of writing it down. A lot of people say they don't like present tense, but there are plenty out there who do. I've got some stuff published in present tense. I write in present tense frequently, in fact. I like it, and I think it's fun to write in that tense. So go with it, if it works for you.

[stitchingirl]

I've never written in 1st person. It's always been third person. I don't even think I could write in 1st person, it'd come out all hinky.

I know that Jim Butcher writes his "Dresden" book series in 1st person. I think some are just more talented than me when it comes to writing in that certain POV.

[JayG]

• I think some are just more talented than me when it comes to writing in that certain POV.

It’s not a matter of talent. There are differences in usage, but for the most part it’s a matter of pronoun usage. And tense is a choice as well. It’s the same story, and the events are the same, it’s just a change in how the reporter phrases the report.

One exercise I gave my clients was to create a story in first and then change it to third when we were satisfied that it was as good as they could make it. That shows them the places where they appear on stage, and also the difference in approach. They were always surprised at how little they had to rewrite to change POV that way.

Understanding point of view, in and of itself, is much more importance, because it defines how the character will look at the scene. As Dwight Swain pointed out in his book, Techniques of the Selling Writer, who the character is determines what they will notice and how they will interpret it. That’s why, if we don’t stay in the character’s head, and use their mind and senses, everything reads as our point of view, and we’re not in the story.

[Libbie]

Yes -- it's really not a matter of "talent." It's a matter of skill. Skill can be built with practice. Anybody who is capable of writing is capable of writing in any tense or POV. It's just one of those aspects of craft that require a little practice before you can do it without thinking about it.

[Lady Ice]

Doing the whole thing in present tense is quite hard. Most of the time, you find yourself inadvertantly switching to past.

Present can be a bit claustrophobic. Because unless it's stream of conscience, it's never actually in the present because you, the writer, have edited it, thus meaning that you will have made it past in your mind.

[kaitie]

Past tense is the most popular. But being "popular" doesn't mean anything if it's not right for your story.

I've read past and present, and a great book would make you forget what tense you're reading.

It'd be like telling people you should only write 3rd limited because it's the most popular POV.

That's just BS.

I agree with this. I've read stuff written in present that I didn't even notice. I wonder, as well, why you want to switch. I keep wanting to write my current one in present as well, but I think that's because parts of it are written in present and parts in past (it's weird). I've done some in present, though, because when I was writing I kept switching to it and finally just gave in and decided that's how the story wanted to be written. I typically prefer past, however.

Every story is different, and some work better in present and some better in past. Though at this point it sounds like it might be more of a pain in the butt to go back and change it.

[kaitie]

Doing the whole thing in present tense is quite hard. Most of the time, you find yourself inadvertantly switching to past.

Present can be a bit claustrophobic. Because unless it's stream of conscience, it's never actually in the present because you, the writer, have edited it, thus meaning that you will have made it past in your mind.

I disagree with this completely. I've written two stories in present tense and both were extremely easy and I had no problem with switching out. In fact, if I do find myself switching (this is almost always the case), it's more along the line of switching from past to present.

I don't think it has anything to do with editing. When I write or edit, I'm in my character's mind, and if they're experiencing something as the story goes, so am I. I've never found present to be more difficult to edit or write. Maybe I'm just weird, though.

[stitchingirl]

It's not really so much of me wanting to write in another tense, but more that I just slip up.

I could write:

Mike stood by the big bay window, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. This time of year is nice for surfing, and he knows that the beach would crowded today.

is nice
he knows

those are present tense, while the rest is written in past. That's just a small snippet of how my tenses gets mixed up.

I don't mean to switch, but it just shows up whenever it wants to.

[samripley]

I do that sometimes, too. I think it's just something that you can change during edits, not so much a huge problem.

[stitchingirl]

Those are what my beta usually frets about. "Pick a tense and stay with it". I try, but the sneaky devils keep creeping in. :rant: