Tense Choices

[Bethany]

Hi all,

I’m new here (my intro post is somewhere around here), but anyway, I have a question. I’m working on a contemporary story and I’m trying to decide whether to write in present or past tense. I know 1st person present tense is a very popular POV in YA contemporary (which is what my WIP is), but sometimes it comes off as…trite, I guess, to me. Some authors do it well, some don’t. I definitely think it is more noticeable than past tense.

Do you guys have any tips or advice on choosing between the two?

Thanks!

[Kads]

@sparrowhawke For all of my contemporary stuff, I use first person present. It does require a bit of practice to get the hang of at first, but once you know your way around the tense, it can work really well. So I’d advise picking that one, but that’s just me. 😛

staring at the fields
if nothing's really real
i'll make the winter now my home

[Linyang Zhang]

@sparrowhawke I am a big believer and an astute follower of third person past. First person only occasionally, and always in past tense. Sometimes second. Been trying out peripheral first lately. But yeah, no, I don’t like first person present.

Lately, it's been on my brain
Would you mind letting me know
If hours don't turn into days

[Jodi Maile]

@sparrowhawke Hellooo! So, I think you should choose your tense based on how close/far you want the reader to feel to the main character, the MC’s feelings, and how immediate you want the events of the story to feel.

First person present makes the reader feel like they are right there in the story, with things happening to them just the same way they are happening to the character. First person past is similar, but not quite as immediate as first person present, due to the nature of the past tense–I think first person past gives off similar vibes as third person past does, although first person puts the reader in the character’s head and thoughts much more than third person does.

Essentially, I think if you want the novel to feel faster-paced and you want your readers to feel like they are literally experiencing things the second the character does, present tense might be the way to go. If you want to give your novel a bit more of a relaxed, less-immediate tone, then past tense might work better.

I hope this was helpful! XD

[Bethany]

@scripter-of-kingdoms

Thanks for your thoughts!

@devastate-lasting

First person peripheral? I actually did consider that for this story. That’s when the narrator is not the main character, like in The Great Gatsby?

@jodi-maile

I think I may just have to experiment and see which one works best. Because I can see how great it would be for the story to feel immediate, but also how cool it would be for it to seem more reflective. I guess I just need to pick which vibe I want.

Thanks for the tips!

[Linyang Zhang]

@sparrowhawke Yee a lot of classics use first person peripheral, actually! For another work I was debating between first and third and finally settled on first person peripheral. Pretty happy I did.

Lately, it's been on my brain
Would you mind letting me know
If hours don't turn into days

[Author]

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