Help! Clarification about past/present tense

swvaughn · Jun 28, 2007

Hey folks,

I'm just full of threads today!

A question came up from a post in SYW, and I thought I'd repost it here in hopes someone would have a definitive answer (as if such a thing exists in writing).

Let's see if I can phrase this coherently. When writing in first-person past tense, is it acceptable to use "am/is" rather than "were/was" when the passage refers to the POV character's thoughts/beliefs?

Confused yet? Yeah, me too...

Here's a specific example. This is my current opening paragraph:

Just once, I would have liked to accidentally get my shit together. I could already see that wasn’t going to happen tonight. After all, I was Gavyn Donatti, world’s unluckiest thief. Ask anybody.

I'm rewriting my WIP from third-person to first. When I first changed the opening, I wrote "I am Gavyn Donatti" ... and then I thought that was present tense, so I switched it to "was" -- and have since switched it back and forth a few more times.

It feels right to say "am", but technically that would be present tense, wouldn't it?

Am I just quibbling something that really doesn't matter?

So... yeah, that's the question. And *cough* if anyone wants to offer crits/suggestions on my first chapter, it's in the fantasy section of SYW...

/heartfelt and not very subtle plea for crits

Thanks very much to Star (who is wondering the same thing), for suggesting that I post this to a broader audience!

Danger Jane · Jun 28, 2007

No, not quibbling--that kind of thing drives me absolutely bonkers too.

Which is one of the reasons I started writing my first person stuff in PRESENT tense. A lot less gray there.

In the sentence you used, I'd say use "am", because we're assuming Gavyn is still alive--he's narrating, isn't it? So If you use "was" the reader must assume either that Gavyn is dead or that he has gone through some sort of transformation (not literal...) where he is no longer an unlucky thief.

But because the first assumption is "Wait, so he's dead?" I'd go with "am".

swvaughn · Jun 28, 2007

Ah! That makes sense. Thank you, Jane!

Shady Lane · Jun 28, 2007

Here's what I do, and I don't know if this is the right way to do it or anything, so...disclaimer disclaimer disclaimer.

All right.

When I write in past tense, which is not all that often, I choose a time ahead of the story. I set a time frame. I wrote one book where I decided the MC was telling the story from the next day.

So, dialogue, thoughts, etc. were in past, but descriptions of people and places--the am, in your case--were in present. It was not as jerky as it sounds, I promise.

I don't know why I'm writing this. I'm awful at past. the one I'm writing now i just pretend is a thousand years ahead...so everything is past.

ETA: Where did my capitals go? Hmm.

swvaughn · Jun 28, 2007

Oh, I'm so glad that using "am" makes sense. It just seemed so weird with "was"! Thank you, Shady.

Writing in present tense kills me. I gotta go past tense, or I start talking out of the side of my mouth and saying stuff like, "Yeah, see? I'm gonna give you what for, see there, copper?"

reenkam · Jun 28, 2007

I'm pretty sure I stick with "was" in those cases. It does seem strange, since most of the time the character is still like whatever they were describing, but I figured that since they're telling the story you're supposed to be talking about that moment, which is past...

:Shrug:

Azraelsbane · Jun 28, 2007

I really think either would work. Personally, I would go with am.

I've written a 1st person novel told from the POV of an assassin. She was telling her story after death, and still I used "am" in instances such as yours. My rule is that the person "was" something (cocky, proud, overzealous). But if they're telling the story, then they are who they are

I know that probably makes no sense... I generally don't make much sense. :flag:

maestrowork · Jun 28, 2007

You can get away more with first person, which is really a dialogue between the narrator and the readers. So if it feels right to do present tense, I think that's okay.

In your case, "I am Gavyn Donatti" works just fine.

Star · Jun 28, 2007

So I was right. I was right about am. So I am not so bad at critiquing after all. Ahhh, my confidence is coming back...why, here it is now! :welcome:

swvaughn · Jun 28, 2007

Star said:
So I was right. I was right about am. So I am not so bad at critiquing after all. Ahhh, my confidence is coming back...why, here it is now!

Yay! Welcome back, Star's confidence.

Thanks, all. Much appreciated!

Star · Jun 28, 2007

Swvaghn,

Thanks for the congrats. Now I posed another issue in your story post. Take it with a grain of salt, a dash of pepper, and some cayanne on the side.

Dave.C.Robinson · Jun 28, 2007

I've written two novels in third, and have just started my third which is in first. (Gotta love that sentence.) All of them are in past tense. In the current WIP, my framing conceit is that the protagonist is telling me what happened over a beer shortly afterwards. It's never mentioned, but that's how I perceive the story.

The narrative generally flows in past, but when the character is talking about himself, he uses present. It is a mixture but it's working for me.

rugcat · Jun 28, 2007

swvaughn said:
Let's see if I can phrase this coherently. When writing in first-person past tense, is it acceptable to use "am/is" rather than "were/was" when the passage refers to the POV character's thoughts/beliefs?

As Maestro said, it's really a dialogue with a narrator. If you think of your MC as sitting across the table telling you a story, you'll find that both past and pesent can work. The trick is to be consistent--not in the entire book, but in whatever passage you're talking about.

I often have to go back through my ms and change tenses for inner consistency--and it's not always easy to tell which sounds best.

Help! Clarification about past/present tense

swvaughn

adrift

Danger Jane

swvaughn

adrift

Shady Lane

my name is hannah

swvaughn

adrift

reenkam

aka cupcake

Azraelsbane

Agony is defeat

maestrowork

Fear the Death Ray

Star

So cool I am

swvaughn

adrift

Star

So cool I am

Dave.C.Robinson

... with the High Command

rugcat

Lost in the Fog