Present or Past Tense?

I prefer first person present to first person past three times out of four, but here I like the first-person-past version better.

Past tense. I will frequently put a book down if it's written in present tense.

I like the past tense version better as well, though I don't have any actual reason for this.

The past tense works better, seeing as this is a memoir and you are describing an event that's all about something that has been lost.

crazywritingmom said:

What do you think?

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I think that in your place, I'd stick with writing that doesn't call attention to itself. Since present tense is uncommon, it keeps shouting, "Don't look at the story. Forget the story. Look at my writing instead."

You probably don't want that.

I'm a follower of Stephen King, who tries to make his writing as 'invisible' as possible, to keep it from interfering with the story.

There are cases where present tense works. I don't think this is one of them.

For a memoir? Past.

Present tense has much more immediacy than past tense; its tempo is much faster because everything is happening right NOW. For that reason, past tense may be a better choice for writing that either involves a lot of exposition, or where many things are happening at the same time. Otherwise, you may end up stepping on your own feet as you race down the page.

I prefer the past tense version. I am generally not a fan of present tense.

Past tense. My biggest peeve about present tense is that is always reads like a screenplay.

Past tense.

Past tense. I can only handle present tense in short passages where it makes sense to use it.

I'd go with past tense. If you have a good reason to use present, then I'd consider it, but generally speaking it annoys me as a reader.

As comes up time and again here, you'll find people who hate present with a passion and others who don't mind it. It's always what's best for the story that matters. In this case, I'd tend to say past as it's a memoir. Either way, don't assume there's anything automatically wrong with present.

Past.

When you reach fifty posts, make the most of the SYW section here too. There are some issues going on with these samples, but it's not fair to say when you've just asked for opinions on tense.

Good to meet you

GingerGunlock said:

Past tense. I will frequently put a book down if it's written in present tense.

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Same...unless the plot is amazing. I find present tense a bit clunky.

It's all individual taste, but I simply wont read present tense at novel length, and only in a short story when I otherwise love the writer.

aibrean said:

Same...unless the plot is amazing. I find present tense a bit clunky.

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Yes, there are definitely times that things going on are just good enough to make me forget about the tense.

So, there are exceptions to everything.

I hate present tense, but a memoir is your story, or the story of you, and you should write it in whatever way feels best for you.

GingerGunlock said:

Past tense. I will frequently put a book down if it's written in present tense.

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^ This. It's too jarring for me. I remember being so disappointed when I bought Carolyn Crane's Mind Games [because of the tense], because I'd heard such amazing reviews. That's probably the only present-tense book I've ever stuck with, and it was well worth it... but for me, present tense is a very tough read and I doubt I'd read another novel-length Pres-tense.

A memoir? Past.

While my preference leans toward past tense, I don't buy the notion that a memoir has to be written in past tense. Nic Sheff's memoir Tweak was written in present and I found it impossible to put down. In fact I enjoyed it so much I ended up reading it twice.

As we like to say around here (all together now) If done well....

Same for novel-length present tense fiction. Read some Moskowitz. She does it right, and it works.

Todd Young said:

[...] If you have a good reason to use present, then I'd consider it [...]

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I'd say wanting to write the story in present tense is a good reason to use it.

There should be a written rule that all memoirs are in past. Present doesn't make sense.