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Need help with first person please...

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Nathan Terry

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Ive decided to write my novel in first person. It is by far the best way to tell my story. My question is, when writing in first person, can you write in past tense and present at the same time? For example,

"I remember thinking that it was a bad idea to have went there."

or

"I soon discovered it was a bad idea to ever come here."

I know that I can tell my story from either of these points of veiw, my question is wether I can bounce back and forth between the two of them in the same story? Or is it just to confusing for the reader?
 

HeronW

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First person can work great but you need to be careful that it's mostly show not tell. Have things happen to not related by the MC.

"I remember thinking that it was a bad idea to have went there."

Feels a bit like over kill since you have 3 memory pokes: remember/thinking/idea --all in one line

This could come across with more drama ex: The house had been uninhabited for decades, kids dared each other to step inside the gate and run up to ring the bell. I shivered and it wasn't just the cold night air. No one knew I was here and part of me wanted it that way for bravado. The other part was gibbering in a corner of my mind with just enough held back to scream 'I told you so!' before being shut down forever.

The above gives you the vacillation of the MC, sets up the mood and can still be a flashback.

I'd like to stretch out the conflict the MC has with himself, show things outside that will reflect inside by association. Everything the MC views is colored by his perception. 1st POV is always from inside the mind so saying 'I think' etc. in 1st POV feels redundant to me.
 
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Phaeal

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Ive decided to write my novel in first person. It is by far the best way to tell my story. My question is, when writing in first person, can you write in past tense and present at the same time? For example,

"I remember thinking that it was a bad idea to have went there."

or

"I soon discovered it was a bad idea to ever come here."

I know that I can tell my story from either of these points of veiw, my question is wether I can bounce back and forth between the two of them in the same story? Or is it just to confusing for the reader?

The first sentence implies that the narrator (in the present) is recalling a story (in the past). This is a legitimate style of narration. However, it was a bad idea to have gone there, not "went."

In the second sentence, you actually don't use any present tense, which is also fine. A story told entirely in the past tense or entirely in the present tense will read as if it's all happening to the narrator at this moment -- he's not in the present, recalling the past, as in the first example.

You can mix "nostalgic" narration with "of the moment" narration, but yes, it could get confusing. If you're unsure of your powers, choose one or the other style, depending on the story you have to tell.
 

seun

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So long as you know the rules (and when you can get away with breaking them) and you do what's best for your story, you can write any way you like.
 
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