Present tense?

onesecondglance · 11-21-2012, 01:39 PM

Is it just me, or has present tense (especially in first person) become far more common in the past few years? I hardly remember seeing it at all before the millenium - everything seemed to be past tense. In particular, virtually all the YA stuff I see on SYW seems to be in first person present.

Is it just that I've started noticing it more since I started writing more, or has it become a more popular form?

(I don't want this to turn into some "present sucks!" or "past tense sucks!" debate, more interested in whether it's more prevalent).

Fallen · 11-21-2012, 01:53 PM

I know with me it's simply down to noticing it more since writing. Be interesting to hear people's perspectives who've been at this decades....

*and whispers* there's no bad tenses, just writers who have difficulty executing them effectively.

Buffysquirrel · 11-21-2012, 04:19 PM

There's definitely more first person around. That may apply to present tense, too, but I notice that less.

VoireyLinger · 11-21-2012, 04:27 PM

I see it more online. I haven't seen any coming from publishers.

Hydrogen · 11-21-2012, 05:18 PM

Some writers seem to think it makes their writing sound more literary. It doesn't.

ChaosTitan · 11-21-2012, 05:53 PM

I don't know if it's become more prevalent, or if people are just talking about it more. Present tense has always been around, and like any other tool in the Writer's Toolbox, it needs to be used well and used because it works for your story. I read a book this weekend and got all the way to the last chapter before it occurred to me that it was written in present tense. The best books make you *not* notice the mechanics at all, but rather fall into the story.

BethS · 11-21-2012, 06:13 PM

I think it's more prevalent than it used to be, particularly in YA. Used to be you found it mostly in literary fiction.

I find myself hoping this doesn't spread to other genres, because I have a hard time reading whole novels in present tense. It drives me buggy.

amrose · 11-21-2012, 06:44 PM

I've been noticing present tense more, but I don't know if it's more prevalent or if I wasn't paying attention.

I'm experimenting with tense right now and trying first person. Doing it because anything other than 3rd person past was anathema to me. Figured I should at least try different ways of writing before I kick them to the curb.

I've found I enjoy writing 1st person present and 3rd person past. 3rd person present is...weird. Don't care for it.

Susan Littlefield · 11-21-2012, 08:49 PM

I've read present tense, including first person present tense, more in short stories lately, but I don't really like it. The writing always feels stifled to me.

Buffysquirrel · 11-21-2012, 09:00 PM

I remember writing a short story in first person, present tense, and not really realising until I was editing that it was in present tense. I guess that's just what the story wanted to be written in!

owlish · 11-21-2012, 09:24 PM

I've noticed it in YA for sure, just within the past few years. Not sure if it has anything to do with it, but perhaps the success of The Hunger Games has urged publishers to give present tense a chance in the YA market? When I read the first book in early 2009, I suddenly started noticing it in other YA books I'd pick up at the local Barnes and Noble soon after. Then again, it might have been one of those, "once you own that make of car, you start seeing them everywhere" syndrome, where there's not more of them, per se. You're just more aware of their presence.

Personally, I love present tense (though I seem to be in the minority, here). The novel I'm currently writing is in first person present tense; after four years or struggling to tell the story in third person past, then first person past, I finally tried it in first person present as an exercise and it seems to flow a lot better this way. We'll see if that still holds water as I finish it and try to shop it to agents, though.

Dagrami · 11-21-2012, 09:38 PM

I really don't mind it. Similarly to owlish - I only really started to notice it since The Hunger Games... Not sure if it became a bigger thing in ya after that blew up.

The novel I'm currently writing is first person present. I knew it had to be first person, and for some reason first past really didn't work at all. I think first pres flows better than first past, may just be me though.

Susan Littlefield · 11-21-2012, 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buffysquirrel

I remember writing a short story in first person, present tense, and not really realising until I was editing that it was in present tense. I guess that's just what the story wanted to be written in!

That is very interesting, and shows how we can sometimes get lost in what we are writing.

I tried once or twice to write in first person present tense and it felt off to me. I think it would take some practice.

Nick Rolynd · 11-21-2012, 10:55 PM

Hm, I've definitely noticed it popping up a bit more recently (and it probably has a lot to do with a few present-tense bestsellers, The Hunger Games being one). Not that I mind; tense isn't something that turns me off a story. It's style that tips the balance for me.

In fact, as I write in the present tense, I'd like to see the trend continue. Past has been the "standard" for a long, long time, and while there's nothing (at all) wrong with it, I'd like to see writing as a whole become as diverse as possible. More options for everyone.

WillSauger · 11-21-2012, 11:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VoireyLinger

I see it more online. I haven't seen any coming from publishers.

This.

I see it a rarely (but a lot) in the SYW section, and I'm testy about it. It has to be done very well to not antagonize me.

But from trade published works? It's been a very long time since I've read one.

onesecondglance · 11-22-2012, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChaosTitan

... like any other tool in the Writer's Toolbox, it needs to be used well and used because it works for your story... The best books make you *not* notice the mechanics at all, but rather fall into the story.

QFT.

elindsen · 11-22-2012, 01:10 PM

I just finished a 1st per/pres by S&S. Absolutely loved the book.

writeontime · 11-22-2012, 02:40 PM

I've noticed it recently too - I don't think the present tense or, for that matter, the first person have gone out of fashion only to return in recent years.

I actually don't mind the use of the present tense. As always, it depends on how the author uses it within the narrative, and whether its appropriately used within the context of the story.

Linda Adams · 11-22-2012, 03:55 PM

I think it's trendy right now because people think it adds an immediacy to the story. I've seen books in urban fantasy, thriller, literary fiction, plus some short stories that have been in present tense. Some have worked better than others. It's a tough tense to carry off well. I recently used it in a non-fiction piece I did for a war anthology.

jeffo20 · 11-22-2012, 04:03 PM

I don't think it's super-unusual. I've read a few novels over the last couple of months in present tense, though it does seem more common in short stories.

Quote:

The writing always feels stifled to me.

Quote:

people think it adds an immediacy to the story

It seems that way, yet when I read present tense, it actually seems to distance and detach me from things a bit.

hannahward07 · 11-22-2012, 06:19 PM

I've noticed present tense is popping up more. Personally, I don't like reading or writing in it as it seems a bit...off. I guess it comes down to everyone's preference though.

victoriakmartin · 11-22-2012, 10:14 PM

I keep finding myself slipping into present tense without realizing it, especially with first person. Generally when it happens I try and just go with it, as long as I'm staying consistent. I know a lot of people don't like present tense but I do think it can be effective in certain situations.

11-21-2012, 01:39 PM	#1
onesecondglance pretending to be awake Join Date: May 2012 Location: Berkshire, UK Posts: 2,014	Present tense? Is it just me, or has present tense (especially in first person) become far more common in the past few years? I hardly remember seeing it at all before the millenium - everything seemed to be past tense. In particular, virtually all the YA stuff I see on SYW seems to be in first person present. Is it just that I've started noticing it more since I started writing more, or has it become a more popular form? (I don't want this to turn into some "present sucks!" or "past tense sucks!" debate, more interested in whether it's more prevalent). __________________ Λrchangel: near-future SF noir \| 85,259 / 100,000 (second draft underway) I write music. \| I gave in and joined twitter. \| And I have a blog too.

11-21-2012, 01:53 PM	#2
Fallen Shouting from the Rooftops Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: West Madlands UK Posts: 4,464	I know with me it's simply down to noticing it more since writing. Be interesting to hear people's perspectives who've been at this decades.... and whispers there's no bad tenses, just writers who have difficulty executing them effectively. __________________ Website /Brief Encounters: Blog / Goodreads (Website Warning: 18+ only (21 some areas.))

11-21-2012, 04:19 PM	#3
Buffysquirrel Possibly not a real squirrel Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Coldest corner of the living room, United Kingdom Posts: 4,538	There's definitely more first person around. That may apply to present tense, too, but I notice that less. __________________ Writing from a female point of view seems to be generally regarded as something more like writing from the perspective of a deer: you might get points for novelty, but it'd be impossible to get right, and who really wants to hear a deer narrate a story, anyway? Jennifer duBois Damn the prologue, full speed ahead! Laurie McLean, Foreword Literary

11-21-2012, 04:27 PM	#4
VoireyLinger Angel Wing Fetish Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Southern US Posts: 1,116	I see it more online. I haven't seen any coming from publishers. __________________ Free promotion for free reads. Now accepting registration for the 2013 Summer Reading Trail.

11-21-2012, 05:53 PM	#6
ChaosTitan Around AW Moderator Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: The not-so-distant future Posts: 15,461	I don't know if it's become more prevalent, or if people are just talking about it more. Present tense has always been around, and like any other tool in the Writer's Toolbox, it needs to be used well and used because it works for your story. I read a book this weekend and got all the way to the last chapter before it occurred to me that it was written in present tense. The best books make you not notice the mechanics at all, but rather fall into the story. __________________ Blog: Organized Chaos \| Pinterest \| Facebook \| Website \| Twitter "Holy fck!" --Yummy Men & Kick Ass Chicks, on CHANGELING. The public doesn't trust them. The government wants to control them. Being a superhero has never been this hard, especially for Tempest.*--Coming April 22, 2013 from Pocket Star.

11-21-2012, 05:18 PM	#5
Hydrogen banned as an incurable tosspot Join Date: Oct 2012 Posts: 76	Some writers seem to think it makes their writing sound more literary. It doesn't.

11-21-2012, 06:13 PM	#7
BethS writer, rider, reader Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: NC, USA Posts: 3,064	I think it's more prevalent than it used to be, particularly in YA. Used to be you found it mostly in literary fiction. I find myself hoping this doesn't spread to other genres, because I have a hard time reading whole novels in present tense. It drives me buggy. __________________ The Stone River

11-21-2012, 06:44 PM	#8
amrose is Envy Augustine Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: The Normandy Posts: 1,064	I've been noticing present tense more, but I don't know if it's more prevalent or if I wasn't paying attention. I'm experimenting with tense right now and trying first person. Doing it because anything other than 3rd person past was anathema to me. Figured I should at least try different ways of writing before I kick them to the curb. I've found I enjoy writing 1st person present and 3rd person past. 3rd person present is...weird. Don't care for it. __________________ Bound for Trouble on Liquid Silver Books on Amazon. Like vampires? Like sex? Like the near future in an alternative history where humans have overthrown their bloodsucking overlords and use them for slave labor? This novella might be for you.

11-21-2012, 08:49 PM	#9
Susan Littlefield Tell it like it Is Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: With my cats Posts: 7,497	I've read present tense, including first person present tense, more in short stories lately, but I don't really like it. The writing always feels stifled to me. __________________ Susan Please visit my website: http://www.susanlittlefield.blogspot.com/

11-21-2012, 09:00 PM	#10
Buffysquirrel Possibly not a real squirrel Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Coldest corner of the living room, United Kingdom Posts: 4,538	I remember writing a short story in first person, present tense, and not really realising until I was editing that it was in present tense. I guess that's just what the story wanted to be written in! __________________ Writing from a female point of view seems to be generally regarded as something more like writing from the perspective of a deer: you might get points for novelty, but it'd be impossible to get right, and who really wants to hear a deer narrate a story, anyway? Jennifer duBois Damn the prologue, full speed ahead! Laurie McLean, Foreword Literary

11-21-2012, 09:24 PM	#11
owlish Moon Safari Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: The Great White Epileptic Posts: 55	I've noticed it in YA for sure, just within the past few years. Not sure if it has anything to do with it, but perhaps the success of The Hunger Games has urged publishers to give present tense a chance in the YA market? When I read the first book in early 2009, I suddenly started noticing it in other YA books I'd pick up at the local Barnes and Noble soon after. Then again, it might have been one of those, "once you own that make of car, you start seeing them everywhere" syndrome, where there's not more of them, per se. You're just more aware of their presence. Personally, I love present tense (though I seem to be in the minority, here). The novel I'm currently writing is in first person present tense; after four years or struggling to tell the story in third person past, then first person past, I finally tried it in first person present as an exercise and it seems to flow a lot better this way. We'll see if that still holds water as I finish it and try to shop it to agents, though. __________________ Boot Hill: 7,500/120,000 Blog\| deviantART

11-21-2012, 09:38 PM	#12
Dagrami stuck in the middle Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: The North Posts: 149	I really don't mind it. Similarly to owlish - I only really started to notice it since The Hunger Games... Not sure if it became a bigger thing in ya after that blew up. The novel I'm currently writing is first person present. I knew it had to be first person, and for some reason first past really didn't work at all. I think first pres flows better than first past, may just be me though.

11-21-2012, 10:55 PM	#14
Nick Rolynd 50% Dark, 50% Snark Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: US Posts: 191	Hm, I've definitely noticed it popping up a bit more recently (and it probably has a lot to do with a few present-tense bestsellers, The Hunger Games being one). Not that I mind; tense isn't something that turns me off a story. It's style that tips the balance for me. In fact, as I write in the present tense, I'd like to see the trend continue. Past has been the "standard" for a long, long time, and while there's nothing (at all) wrong with it, I'd like to see writing as a whole become as diverse as possible. More options for everyone. __________________

11-22-2012, 01:10 PM	#17
elindsen Someone, make me write! Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: somewhere between hell and back Posts: 3,519	I just finished a 1st per/pres by S&S. Absolutely loved the book. __________________ Facebook Twitter My site AW Library WIP: Awakening the Elements-22,705/27,000-re-write Nothing's gonna stop us now-8,869/12,000

11-22-2012, 02:40 PM	#18
writeontime Why so serious? Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: UK Posts: 208	I've noticed it recently too - I don't think the present tense or, for that matter, the first person have gone out of fashion only to return in recent years. I actually don't mind the use of the present tense. As always, it depends on how the author uses it within the narrative, and whether its appropriately used within the context of the story. __________________ “It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.” - Ernest Hemingway Last edited by writeontime; 11-22-2012 at 05:26 PM. Reason: typos

11-22-2012, 03:55 PM	#19
Linda Adams Soldier, Storyteller Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Metropolitan District of Washington Posts: 4,262	I think it's trendy right now because people think it adds an immediacy to the story. I've seen books in urban fantasy, thriller, literary fiction, plus some short stories that have been in present tense. Some have worked better than others. It's a tough tense to carry off well. I recently used it in a non-fiction piece I did for a war anthology. __________________ Soldier, Storyteller \|Publications - Books \| Publications - Magazines "Six Bullets" in the anthology A Princess, A Boatman, and a Lizard, Starcatcher Publishing

11-22-2012, 06:19 PM	#21
hannahward07 practical experience, FTW Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Dreaming of somewhere else Posts: 154	I've noticed present tense is popping up more. Personally, I don't like reading or writing in it as it seems a bit...off. I guess it comes down to everyone's preference though. __________________ Hannah ~Pessimistic and proud of it.

11-22-2012, 10:14 PM	#22
victoriakmartin practical experience, FTW Join Date: May 2012 Location: Ottawa Posts: 275	I keep finding myself slipping into present tense without realizing it, especially with first person. Generally when it happens I try and just go with it, as long as I'm staying consistent. I know a lot of people don't like present tense but I do think it can be effective in certain situations. __________________ ~Imagination and Creation are my MAGIC~ http://www.victoriakmartin.com https://www.facebook.com/pages/Victoria-K-Martin/100339113495839 (formerly known as i_paint_the_sky)

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