Question about tense

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frisco

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I have a tendency to write in past tense. One of the most common critiques I get is that I'm not writing in present tense. I would write "John left the room," and would quickly be reminded it should be "John leaves the room." Is there a reason one tense is better than the other?
 

Bufty

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I don't follow the question, frisco.

If you are obviously writing in past tense, why would anyone comment you are not writing in present tense?

And if you are indeed writing in past tense why would you want to write 'John leaves the room'?

Or are you writing in present tense but occasionally slip out of it into past tense?

It's perhaps not a question of which tense is better but a question of consistency.

Am I missing something here?
 

frisco

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Basically the question is which would be the standard tense to write in. From what I'm hearing most people feel it would be present tense, so I'm worried because a lot of my writing has been written in past tense.
 

autumnleaf

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I'm sure I've read more books in past tense than present tense. Where did you hear that present was the standard tense? What genre are you writing in?
 

Bufty

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There's no 'standard' tense or POV. You pick whichever POV and tense you feel best suits the relating of the story.
 

BethS

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Basically the question is which would be the standard tense to write in. From what I'm hearing most people feel it would be present tense, so I'm worried because a lot of my writing has been written in past tense.

Most novels I've read during the course of my several decades on earth have been written in past tense. There is currently trend toward present tense mainly in YA fiction, or so it appears to me. But there is no such thing as a correct tense, and the majority of novels are still written in past tense.
 

Maryn

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In the genres I read, past tense is far, far more common than present. Is it the norm in the genre in which you are writing? Or (I can't quite imagine this) the only acceptable tense in that genre? Are you, perhaps, mixing tenses and when you slip into past, it's jarring your critics?

Or do your critics not know that there is no correct tense, in which case you probably need new critics?
 

Doug Egan

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Interestingly, I had the opposite experience in a writer's workshop when I submitted a piece written entirely in present tense. My reviewers told me that present tense was unusual in standard fiction, that potential publishers might be put off by my choice. I experimented with changing the tense, which was challenging since the manuscript was already 80,000 words, then gave up in frustration.

"John leaves the room" sounds like a stage direction, which might be the norm in a script or screenplay. Check with your critics whether they are pointing out an inconsistent use of tense (which should be addressed) or whether they have some other reason to find your tense choice distracting.
 

Albedo

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Second person progressive future tense or bust!

Not really. However, there are no prescriptions on person or tense. I've read just about every combo, but agree with everyone who says that third person past tense is standard, and shouldn't give anyone difficulties.
 

frisco

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Well the comments have been directed towards my attempts at a querry letter. I tend to write in past tense and virtually everyone who read my querry told me it should be written in present tense. I was told readers find that more engaging. I just don't want to have to rework my entire novel to make it in present tense when it's been written in past tense.
 

blacbird

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Basically the question is which would be the standard tense to write in. From what I'm hearing most people feel it would be present tense, so I'm worried because a lot of my writing has been written in past tense.

It would have been helpful up front if you had specified that the critiquer(s) were responding to your query, and not to the novel itself. Yes, in summarizing your story in a query letter, it is customary to use present tense. But that does not imply that you have to use it in the novel narration.

Go look at some books. 90% of what you will find in any random selection of fiction in a bookstore or library is written in past tense. If anyone is telling you to change the novel to present tense, they are replete with feces.

caw
 
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talktidy

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It's a personal preference, but I cannot stand works in present tense

Maybe give those from whom you are seeking feedback a heads-up that you have considered the matter and you are going to continue to write in past tense, and that you would instead ask for feedback on other elements.
 

NateCrow

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I almost always write in past tense unless I have a compelling reason to go with something else. I think I may have written one short story, years ago, in present tense. I'm a genre writer though, so things might be different these days in literary fiction.

There is definitely no "right" tense and each has their pros and cons, but I would definitely not call present tense the standard. If anything, historically, past tense has been the standard form. It's more natural in the sense that when people tell real-life stories in person, they're telling you about events that have already happened. I don't have the stats here but I'd say that the vast majority of books ever written were all in past tense.
 

Bufty

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Oh, frisco- :Hug2:

Query Letter and Novel. You're dealing with two totally different animals.

Folk commenting upon the lack of present tense in a Query letter is in no way a suggestion you should rewrite your novel in present tense.

And the issue has nothing to do with grammar or syntax.

Well the comments have been directed towards my attempts at a querry letter. I tend to write in past tense and virtually everyone who read my querry told me it should be written in present tense. I was told readers find that more engaging. I just don't want to have to rework my entire novel to make it in present tense when it's been written in past tense.
 
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Maryn

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I, too, wish you'd said it was about your query letter. It sounds to me like you may have lacked direction when you wrote it. But we've got the cure, a nice FAQ about query letters. It includes this: "TENSE: The standard is to relate summaries in third-person present tense, even if your manuscript is not."

Educate yourself, and visit the SYW board where we help people write better queries. You'll emerge knowledgeable and able to sidestep many common pitfalls, including tense.
 

BethS

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Well the comments have been directed towards my attempts at a querry letter. I tend to write in past tense and virtually everyone who read my querry told me it should be written in present tense. I was told readers find that more engaging. I just don't want to have to rework my entire novel to make it in present tense when it's been written in past tense.

Wait a minute--are they talking about writing the story description in the query letter in present tense? Because that would be the usual form, for a query letter. It's not meant to be a indicator of what tense was used for the actual story.
 

frisco

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Thanks for the help, it looks like I got a little confused with the feedback on the querry letters and thought it pertained to the actual novel as well. Sorry if I misled anyone -- I was under the impression that ALL writing needed to be in present tense rather than just the querry letter. My apologies, I am relatively new to this whole process. Happy to hear I don't have to rewrite my 400 page book in a different tense. Again, my apologies if my confused managed to confuse others.
 

Bufty

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You are welcome. And for future reference it's 'query' letter- not 'querry'. I thought at first it was a typo but you've used it so often....:Hug2:
 

mrsfauthor

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I have a tendency to write in past tense. One of the most common critiques I get is that I'm not writing in present tense. I would write "John left the room," and would quickly be reminded it should be "John leaves the room." Is there a reason one tense is better than the other?

Writing in present tense is more contemporary but either is correct, according to my English prof. Hope that helps.
 

Bufty

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Writing in present tense is more contemporary but either is correct, according to my English prof. Hope that helps.

You must have skipped the posts, mrsfauthor.

Post#10 reveals the original question was a total muddle - the OP's issue has nothing to do with writing a novel in any particular tense.
 
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