Tense in writing.

#1
So I had just found out on other writer forum that switching between past-present tense is bad. I never noticed the problem with switching tenses before. (My primary language has no tense, we use time tagging words).

I always thought that written fictions are to be viewed as present or occurring events. Not retelling. Things are to be viewed as happening as you read/view it. Use present because this is happening on this line, use past because it happened earlier on that line before. I used to think that 'tenses' use are based on the order of telling. Present tense if it is happening. Past if it is describing what was mentioned earlier. like:

She screams "#%&". - I used present tense because everything happened in sequence.

"#%&" She screamed. - I used past tense here because the screamed words appeared before I describe the action. Making the second part a sentence that is describing a past event.

Never knew that was bad. Never knew it is supposed to be written in either tense only.

RE: Tense in writing.

#2
http://www.nownovel.com/blog/writing-tenses-past-present-future/

You can write in pretty much all tenses, but generally past and present are used. The thing is that you are in fact narrating a story, and that's done by the narrator. Therefore, it either happens at that moment or it happened already and he is telling the story. Using the two tenses doesn't make much in the difference in the story you tell, but just helps with your style, tone of voice etc. It just gets confusing to read two tenses through one another. The only time you can "switch" tenses is in dialogue, as that is what is said and not narrated.

RE: Tense in writing.

#3
Thanks. That's very informative. Writing in first person would feel similar to what I perceive normally when I read. (As I said, my first language has no tense. I perceive the narration as happening, not retelling.)

Though I have seen some on that forum argues that it break the flow and they cannot get immersed in it. It this true? Do native English speakers more used to reading narration in past tense?

I am thinking of revising my story to use either tense but I'm not sure which tense should I go.

RE: Tense in writing.

#4
Past tense is easiest to use cause it is most flexible with jumping around in the timeline. When using present tense it is more about being 'in the moment', so you can't exactly just toss in a scene from 20 years earlier in there.

I used to look up the pros and cons :P
https://ellenbrockediting.com/2014/01/07/pros-and-cons-of-writing-your-novel-in-past-vs-present-tense/

RE: Tense in writing.

#9
In English literature, novels traditionally use past tense. Plays (and now screenplays) are traditionally written in present tense. John Updike wrote one of the first novels that was all present tense, and he did it because he wanted it to read like a screenplay.

It's not weird. It's common, and any deviation from that is going to strike the average English reader as poor writing.
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RE: Tense in writing.

#10
The vast majority of all English fiction is written in past tense - as if someone is telling a story. This is very easy to read. Present tense is hard to read for most people, and is generally disliked. Some people do it anyway. I don't recommend it. Not at all. Future tense is bizarre. Only use in quotes.

RE: Tense in writing.

#11
'Jaimi' pid='828222' dateline='1506967085' Wrote: The vast majority of all English fiction is written in past tense - as if someone is telling a story. This is very easy to read. Present tense is hard to read for most people, and is generally disliked. Some people do it anyway. I don't recommend it. Not at all.  Future tense is bizarre. Only use in quotes.

Yo, funny that you say that about future tense (though what I'm about to say has nothing to do with the current topic) because it seems this entire site is in future tense. Just looked at your profile and it says "Local Time:: October 18th, 2017 at 10:00 pm".

It also says your dialog thread was posted on October 15th, 2017, at 05:56 am and was edited on October 15th, 2017, at 08:52 am. 

My profile says I registered on the 8th of this month, this year mind you, it is currently the 6th.

Weird man, weird.






And to actually add my thoughts on the topic, I find it easier to write in past tense. It's more fluid and has a lot you can do with it, but it makes action harder to write. Past tense is best for things that don't have "suddenly"s or anything that happens with little or no notice. Past tense is great when you want wiggle room as it's easiest to bend the rules with.

Present tense is for action packed stories or something that told like a diary. Like right now, I'm talking in present tense, but I'm the one talking. When you have a 3rd person narrator, it's best to go with past tense as the narrator isn't really part of the story and thus doesn't "talk" themselves. 

Present tense is easiest when the one narrating is a character, so 1st person perspective, this means "I"s and "my"s. Present tense is good for things that also have a lot of inner monologues or thoughts, as thoughts are things that are in the moment. But! It is harder to write a story with this tense, as we don't usually tell a story in conversation from this tense. 

Imagine it like movies, past tense is the movie with the wide angle shots and the stable camera work, present tense is the hand held camera's that wobble and shake because someone is carrying them, it's like you're looking through their eyes.

Hope this helps
Seriously tho, have you ever seen an emotional duck?