Past/past perfect tense woes...

Zoe R · Mar 6, 2018

My book is first person past tense. But there are times when she is remembering back and describing what had happened to her earlier, so to keep it clear I need to switch from "I wanted" to "I had wanted" etc, correct? And the whole flashback needs to stay in past perfect? Or can you establish past perfect and then switch back? It starts to feel laborious to stay in PP too long!

Is there a better way to go?

BethS · Mar 6, 2018

Zoe R said:
And the whole flashback needs to stay in past perfect? Or can you establish past perfect and then switch back?

Yes. Ease into and out of the backstory with "had," but for the most part, you can write the rest of it in regular past tense.

Barbara R. · Mar 6, 2018

What Beth said.

Zoe R · Mar 6, 2018

Ah great, thank you! I felt it could be right to stay in past perfect longer than a couple sentences!

Elle. · May 25, 2018

Thank God for the search function — this question has been on my mind today. I thought you could ease in and out and not use the past perfect the entire time but someone told me to the contrary today and I started having doubts.

Maryn · May 25, 2018

And now you know that the "rules" that person provides are not necessarily correct, which could be handy.

Maryn, sometimes handy herself

Festerin Fandango · Oct 25, 2021

Voila! This same question has been vexing me in the novel I'm working on.

I'm really excited and gratefull to find this.

Maryn · Oct 25, 2021

The people here try to answer all the questions that arise, from beginner-level to pretty esoteric.

Let us know if you need an example of easing in and out of a flashback.

Maryn, glad to help

Past/past perfect tense woes...

Zoe R

Fluffhead! Fluffy fluffy head!

BethS

Barbara R.

Old Hand in the Biz

Zoe R

Fluffhead! Fluffy fluffy head!

Elle.

Maryn

Baaa!

Festerin Fandango

Maryn

Baaa!