Using word “Yesterday” while Writing Fiction

ReflectiveAcuity · Nov 26, 2011

Every novel in the world is a story about something that already happened—right?—thus making it necessary to write in past-tense. There have been times I wrote the word “yesterday” and then caught myself, realizing it was wrong. I then changed it to “the day before” or “a day earlier” (which seemed to suck, and seemed to screw up the story, but I had trouble finding a better solution).

I am currently reading ENVY, by Sandra Brown, and the first paragraph of Chapter 18 began like this:

Mike Strother laid the manuscript pages aside. He sipped from his glass of lemonade made with lemons he had squeezed himself. He was taking a day off from working on the mantel. Yesterday he had applied a coat of varnish and was giving it an extra day to dry because of the humidity. That was the explanation he’d given Parker anyway.

After reading this, my first thought was: What the hell? So I pulled open a desk drawer and got the dictionary. And for the first time in my life, I looked up the word “yesterday”.

Yes-ter-day (Adverb): On the day preceding this day; the day before the present.

So now I’m really confused. Is using “yesterday” during the course of fiction writing grammatically-correct or not?

Al Stevens · Nov 26, 2011

ReflectiveAcuity said:
Every novel in the world is a story about something that already happened—right?—thus making it necessary to write in past-tense.

Many novels are written in present tense.

ReflectiveAcuity said:
There have been times I wrote the word “yesterday” and then caught myself, realizing it was wrong.

As long as it doesn't confuse the reader, anything is okay. You can say, "last week," "tomorrow," etc., if the narrator's POV is clear. If it isn't, that's what needs fixing.

Dr.Gonzo · Nov 26, 2011

'Now' trips me up. Past tense story, talking about something that happened before the story and then coming back to 'now' as in the present of the story which is still past. I understand it, but it still makes me pause. It happened last night while reading The Great Gatsby.

ReflectiveAcuity · Nov 26, 2011

Al Stevens said:
Many novels are written in present tense.

This is true. I read a novel once that was written in present-tense, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a great story. The book gave me the sense of actually being there, on the spot, while “it was happening”. I think writing in present-tense must be a daunting challenge. I can imagine myself sweating in my seat trying to do that.

Domino Derval · Nov 26, 2011

ReflectiveAcuity said:
This is true. I read a novel once that was written in present-tense, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a great story. The book gave me the sense of actually being there, on the spot, while “it was happening”. I think writing in present-tense must be a daunting challenge. I can imagine myself sweating in my seat trying to do that.

It's not, really. You just write "I climb the tree" instead of "I climbed the tree." While it can come off as a little gimmicky in many traditional stories, it tends to work better in narratives that have a lot of action or comedy, where a sense of immediacy and unpredictability can enhance the storytelling.

Donna Brown · Nov 26, 2011

I'm so confused by this. Why would using the word "yesterday" be considered grammatically incorrect? Can you tell me where you learned about this rule?

And no, every novel in the world isn't about something that has already happened. There are many novels set in both the present and the future.

Al Stevens · Nov 26, 2011

Donna Brown said:
I'm so confused by this. Why would using the word "yesterday" be considered grammatically incorrect? Can you tell me where you learned about this rule?

The concern wasn't really about the grammar although it was posed as such. It was instead that the reader might misinterpret the relative time. Yesterday relative to the action being narrated or yesterday relative to the telling of the story.

Donna Brown · Nov 26, 2011

Al Stevens said:
The concern wasn't really about the grammar although it was posed as such. It was instead that the reader might misinterpret the relative time. Yesterday relative to the action being narrated or yesterday relative to the telling of the story.

Still a bit confusing. If the character says, "Yesterday, I stepped on a nail," then the reader understands it in the context of the story . . . right?

Architectus · Nov 26, 2011

Screenplays are always written in present tense. It's easy to do.

jeffo20 · Nov 26, 2011

Donna Brown said:
Still a bit confusing. If the character says, "Yesterday, I stepped on a nail," then the reader understands it in the context of the story . . . right?

Works for me.

rainsmom · Nov 26, 2011

I don't think the original poster was asking if she should switch to present tense, and I can't see everyone who needs to use the word "yesterday" switching their novels to present tense so the word is technically correct. Yesterday works fine in the context of what you wrote.

If you must rationalize it, then do so by thinking that this is the POV of a particular character. The character, when he thought that, considered the day before "yesterday." If it still bugs you, you can change it to "the day before."

Ken · Nov 26, 2011

... that paragraph seems sloppy to me. It goes back and forth in time too much.

"Mike Strother laid the manuscript pages (immediate past) aside. He sipped from his glass of lemonade (present) made with lemons he had squeezed himself (past). He was taking a day off from working on the mantel (future: action he's in the process of not doing). Yesterday he had applied a coat of varnish (past) and was giving it an extra day to dry because of the humidity (past and present, and future weather conditions). That was the explanation he’d given Parker anyway (past)."

LJD · Nov 26, 2011

So you think the author should have written "the day before" rather than "yesterday"?

Al Stevens said:
As long as it doesn't confuse the reader, anything is okay. You can say, "last week," "tomorrow," etc., if the narrator's POV is clear. If it isn't, that's what needs fixing.

This is my thought too.

benbradley · Nov 26, 2011

I guess yesterday kinda works in the passage, but it might read better with "the day before"instead.

Ken, it's the verb and ONLY the verb that determines the tense of a sentence. If the second sentence said "He sips his lemonade" or "he is sipping his lemonade," THAT is present tense.

Dr.Gonzo said:
'Now' trips me up. Past tense story, talking about something that happened before the story and then coming back to 'now' as in the present of the story which is still past. I understand it, but it still makes me pause. It happened last night while reading The Great Gatsby.

You mean a novel with a confusing passage got published???

There's hope for me yet.

Donna Brown · Nov 26, 2011

benbradley said:
. . .

You mean a novel with a confusing passage got published???

Haha!

P.S. I love Gatsby.

Fallen · Nov 26, 2011

Ken said:
"Mike Strother laid the manuscript pages (simple past) aside. He sipped from his glass of lemonade (simple past) made with lemons he had squeezed himself (simple past + past perfect). He was taking a day off from working on the mantel (past progressive). Yesterday (time adverb)he had applied a coat of varnish (past perfect) and was giving it an extra day to dry because of the humidity (past progressive). That was the explanation he’d given Parker anyway (simple past + past perfect)."

Yesterday is perfectly fine. It's just explaining that something happened the previous day, as it would if you were using present tense.

ShadowFox · Nov 26, 2011

ReflectiveAcuity said:
Every novel in the world is a story about something that already happened—right?—thus making it necessary to write in past-tense.

Stories happen in story time. Past, present and future tense are the viewpoint characters perspective on the events of the story as they relate to their own present time.

For example, your viewpoint character is a butcher boy in Nazi Germany, talking about his father fighting in world war I. He'd use past tense.

At a latter point in the story, the same character could be talking about how he is smuggling a radio to the rebellion, right at his current time - in which case he would be using the present tense.

Or the character could be talking about his plan to leave Germany after the war, in which case he would be using future tense.

You see what I mean? You can mix tenses up in the same story, because people often think about what they have done in the past, what they are doing now, and what they will do in the future. As long as the reader is clear what the character is talking about, you are fine.

IceCreamEmpress · Nov 26, 2011

An opening frequently cited as one of the greatest in literature is of Albert Camus's The Stranger:

Maman died today. Or maybe yesterday; I don't know. I got a telegram from the home: 'Mother passed away. Funeral tomorrow. Sincerely yours.' That doesn't mean anything. It may have been yesterday."

(In the original French: Aujourd'hui, maman est morte. Ou peut-être hier, je ne sais pas. J'ai reçu un télégramme de l'asile: Mère décédée. Enterrement demain. Sentiments distingués. Cela ne veut rien dire. C'était peut-être hier.)

Now, yeah, that's a little different, because it's a first-person narrative rather than a tightly focused third person, but I totally agree with ShadowFox's point about "story time" in fiction. It is always the day after Mike varnished the mantelpiece, no matter when we read the story, and thus he has always varnished the mantelpiece "yesterday".

BethS · Nov 26, 2011

ReflectiveAcuity said:
So now I’m really confused. Is using “yesterday” during the course of fiction writing grammatically-correct or not?

It's perfectly fine.

Words or terms like here or there, this or that, yesterday or the day before, tonight or that night...all these indicate spatial or temporal distance. Which ones you use depend on the POV. Is the story told from the inside, in intimate first or third person? Then words like "this, here, today" are probably appropriate, because that's the way someone would think about those concepts.

OTOH, if the POV is omniscient, the narrator may well use "the day before," etc., because he/she is telling the story from a distance, from the outside looking in.

Ken · Nov 26, 2011

... thanks Fallen. Always like knowing the proper terms for grammatical constructs. One day I've got to read up on the topic, or maybe even take a course if I can find one that teaches the things you mention.

brianjanuary · Nov 27, 2011

There's nothing at all wrong with using yesterday in the sample you provided!

Brian January
http://amzn.com/B005WM0HN6
http://amzn.com/B006QCZF3S

Using word “Yesterday” while Writing Fiction

ReflectiveAcuity

having patience...right now

Al Stevens

Dr.Gonzo

Wonderfully Irreverent

ReflectiveAcuity

having patience...right now

Domino Derval

FREAKING OUT!

Donna Brown

Al Stevens

Donna Brown

Architectus

jeffo20

Tyrant King

rainsmom

Feeling like an old timer

Ken

LJD

benbradley

It's a doggy dog world

Donna Brown

Fallen

Stood at the coalface

ShadowFox

IceCreamEmpress

Hapless Virago

BethS

Ken

brianjanuary