Patterns

Aggy B. · Feb 19, 2012

I realized today that of the four stories I've sold (that weren't erotica) all four are in present tense. Two in third person, two in first person. Kind of strange. (Especially when I think how many times I've been told that present tense is "off-putting".)

It got me to wondering: does any one else see unexpected patterns in what they've sold/had accepted?

(This is unexpected merely because I write equally in present, past, third and first. With the occasional dip into second.

)

Lillie · Feb 19, 2012

In the ones I've sold I think three were first person. Two were third.

But one thing I have noticed, all the ones I've sold were written fast. They whole story came out at once in a big splurge of writing.

The ones that were written slowly over a period of days have never sold.

Sometimes the tidying up wouldn't happen till ages after, or it would take days of fiddling around, but the story itself was always written fast, and never really changed.

defcon6000 · Feb 19, 2012

I haven't sold enough stories to see a pattern, and the two stories I have sold are radically different. One is present-tense omni PoV -- that needed a few revisions to smooth out he prose. The other is past-tense 1st-person, an absurd oddball of a story, and it only had one light revision.

SmallThing · Feb 19, 2012

I'm with Lillie. The things I've sold have been written fast. I tend to overthink things, so I do much better if I can write faster than I think.

Izz · Feb 19, 2012

My sales seem to be a fairly even mix of first person and third, with an omni or two as well (plus one of the first person also had a touch of second person). I also seem to have an even mix of sold stories that were written either quickly or slowly.

My only pro sale to date was a story written in 45 minutes (it needed tense tidying, but no major editing/rewriting). I have a story coming out next month that took me the best part of 6 months to write.

Sai · Feb 19, 2012

Everything I've sold has been pretty short, any where from 500 to 2,000 words. I have some longer pieces out though, so I hope that changes soon. Otherwise I can't see much of a pattern in my sales.

defcon6000 · Feb 19, 2012

You know something I've noticed in my editing is that my humor/absurd pieces don't require much, if any, editing. While my more serious pieces need several revisions. I wonder why that is. :Huh:

alexshvartsman · Feb 19, 2012

Both of my SFWA-qualifying sales and several other pro-pay sales are all in first person. My first SFWA story is a plural first person present tense! Come to think of it, the other one is present tense as well.

I wonder if this is a coincidence, or if first person helps me because it makes it more difficult to get bogged down in exposition or screw up the POV.

mhaynes · Feb 22, 2012

alexshvartsman said:
Both of my SFWA-qualifying sales and several other pro-pay sales are all in first person. My first SFWA story is a plural first person present tense! Come to think of it, the other one is present tense as well.

I wonder if this is a coincidence, or if first person helps me because it makes it more difficult to get bogged down in exposition or screw up the POV.

That's interesting, because there seems to tend to be an advice meme to be wary of writing in first person.

I know that I find it easier to develop a main character's "voice" when I'm writing first person. Whether that means it's a strength I should play to or a sign that I need to strengthen my third person "writing muscles" I have no idea...

SmallThing · Feb 22, 2012

mhaynes said:
That's interesting, because there seems to tend to be an advice meme to be wary of writing in first person.

I know that I find it easier to develop a main character's "voice" when I'm writing first person. Whether that means it's a strength I should play to or a sign that I need to strengthen my third person "writing muscles" I have no idea...

I think about 3/4 of my short stories are in first person, while all my novel stuff is in third. I don't think I could maintain first person well in a novel, but I enjoy playing with it in short bursts.

I suspect that it works against me in some cases. I've got a short story (actually it falls into short novelette realm, ack) just about ready to go out that's in third. I'll be curious to see how it does in comparison to my other things circulating.

goldmund · Feb 22, 2012

2 out of 4 sold in USA present tense, 2 in 1st person.
Can't see patterns when it's 50/50, but considering how every authority advises against present tense, it is quite astonishing.
Are we all changing our stories to present tense right now?

Aggy B. · Feb 22, 2012

goldmund said:
2 out of 4 sold in USA present tense, 2 in 1st person.
Can't see patterns when it's 50/50, but considering how every authority advises against present tense, it is quite astonishing.
Are we all changing our stories to present tense right now?

I'd only have to change half of mine, since, like I said, I write about half and half in past and present. It's just funny that most of what I've sold (looking at the erotica sales I think it's half and half) is present tense.

I also write pretty equally in first and third both in long and short forms. (And that seems to split right down the middle as far as sales go.)

I just thought it was funny. My first pro sale was a first person present tense short. Something I've frequently been told is disliked by "everyone." Obviously that's not true, it's just amusing.

(Hah. Actually, the story I sold last year to EDF had a comment from someone on AW who had mentioned before that he despises present tense. And in his comment he pointed out that he'd "mentally translated the story into past tense in order to be able to read it."

)

Nathaniel Katz · Feb 22, 2012

Four of my five sales were horror flash fiction of under 1,000 words. Four (though a slightly different four) were third person. Three are primarily from a female viewpoint; two through male. All in past tense (though everything I've written is, so it'd be rather surprising for it to break that barrier...).

JenWriter · Feb 22, 2012

This is good to hear because my preferred format is first person present, but I worry because I've heard it's not that liked. But apparently it must be.

Mad Rabbits · Mar 5, 2012

The only real pattern I have noticed is that the stories I have placed, I placed overseas, not here (I'm in Australia). They don't seem to like me here for some reason. Or maybe its just because its a more closed scene with fewer markets.

I've only had one story published in Aus.

The editors seem to like my stories that feature an animal protagonist. I have one with a dog and one with a cat.

Patterns

Aggy B.

Not as sweet as you think

Lillie

practical experience, FTW

defcon6000

SmallThing

Eek!

Izz

Doing the Space Operatic

Sai

Book lover/Spy

defcon6000

alexshvartsman

mhaynes

practical experience, FTW

SmallThing

Eek!

goldmund

---

Aggy B.

Not as sweet as you think

Nathaniel Katz

The Evil Hat

JenWriter

Word Count Slayer

Mad Rabbits